Page 38 - EW September 2025 Final

Cover Story EW INDIA SCHOOL RANKINGS 2025-26

Self-evidently, day schools cannot be to contemporize, upgrade and im-
compared to boarding schools. Or prove their institutions across all pa-
well-endowed international schools rameters of K-12 education excellence.
with expensive infrastructure can’t be To conduct field surveys to rate and
compared with private budget or free- rank over 4,000 schools countrywide,
of-charge government schools. All of our survey partner, the Bangalore-
them are assessed in their own sub- based AZ Research Partners Pvt.
categories to enable parents to choose Ltd expanded the number of sample
primary-secondaries and preschools respondents to 9,500 in 2025-26 from
(a pioneer champion of professional- 8,700 last year.
ly-administered early childhood care “For the past two years since we
and education, EducationWorld has were commissioned to conduct the
also been publishing annual rankings EWISR survey, we have chosen the
of the country’s best preschools since quality over quantity option. Under
2010. Ditto higher education institu- this strategy we have reduced the
tions) most suitable for their progeny. number of interviewees from previ-
T HE ANNUAL EW INDIA Mishra: quality over quantity the quality of interaction with sample
ous years. Instead we have improved
respondents using a fully structured
School Rankings (EWISR)
— since photo-copied by
istered using online links. We have
several other enterprises, the future. questionnaire with responses reg-
Inevitably, since they were initiated
imitation welcomed as endorsement 18 years ago, the annual EWISR has also eliminated group and cluster
— has conferred numerous benefits evolved in width and depth to keep in interviews directing our research
upon the Indian economy and soci- step with changing times. To encour- personnel to conduct one-on-one
ety. For one, it has introduced valu- age school managements to provide face-to face, telephone and/or online
able competitive spirit into hitherto children holistic, enjoyable teaching- interviews. This has contributed to
complacent and laidback school man- learning experiences, the number of greater accuracy and authenticity of
agements. Now primary-secondaries parameters under which schools are the interviewer-respondent interac-
countrywide — including well-known evaluated, has expanded from ten in tion. Interviews were conducted with
urban government schools — have be- 2007 to 14-15 this year. Innovative knowledgeable respondents in 34
come conscious of their ranking, and new parameters — mental and emo- cities across 22 states,” says Shub-
even when disappointed, derive com- tional well-being services, curriculum hra Mishra, Founder-Director of
fort from high parameter scores. This & pedagogy, special needs education AZ Research Partners. An alumna
is self-evidently in the public interest and community service — have been of IIM-Lucknow, Mishra acquired
as nothing drives improvement more added. Similarly the width of the an- a decade’s experience in market re-
than competition. nual EWISR has risen from 22 metros search (MARG, MARG-ORG) and in
Secondly, the annual EWISR, has and large cities in 2007 to 458 cities the corporate sector (Titan, Tata Tea
instilled a large and growing measure and peri-urban townships across the and Blackstone Synovate) before she
of institutional pride in schools — es- country. This process of continuous co-promoted AZ Research Partners
pecially private sector schools which evolution and expansion, has trans- in 2002.
mentor 48 percent of the country’s formed the annual EWISR into the This year, in pursuance of EW’s
260 million in-school children, and world’s largest and most comprehen- mantra of continuous improvement
are the preferred choice of India’s sive primary-secondary schools rank- and especially to relieve readers
large (432 million) middle class. Again ings survey. Currently Education- from the tedium of witnessing some
this is a public benefit because when World rates 4,500 schools on 13-15 schools topping EW league tables year
school leaders, principals, teachers parameters of education excellence after year, on the advice of Raymond
and students strive to excel under in six metros, 518 cities, tier-II and Ravaglia, Director of Launchpad LLC,
all or selected parameters, learn- tier III towns countrywide. And al- a US-based education research com-
ing outcomes improve and there is though old-timers and cynical liberals pany that rated and ranked America’s
whole school improvement. Increas- often disparage schools rankings for Best Universities for undergrad edu-
ingly, given strong foundational K-12 “commercialisation of education”, for cation earlier this year (see https://
education, a new generation of young school leaders, teachers and students educationworld.in/rankings-amer-
citizens are setting new standards of slaving unsung in big and small habi- icas-best-universities-2025/), we
leadership in politics, industry and tats countrywide, the EWISR rankings have introduced a new Ivy League
the professions. This augurs well for provide comfort and raise aspirations Schools category for Day, Day-

38 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2025