Page 42 - Education World Dec 2021

Cover Story EW CO ED BOARDING SCHOOLS RANKINGS 2021 22

of our teachers who in addi- Beyond the Top 20
tion to maintaining learning also some schools have
continuity of our students, dramatically risen in
have ensured their mental the esteem of the in-
and emotional well-being. formed public. Among
v
The pandemic was a test- them: R i e r D a l e I n -
n
ing time for Selaqui, but the te rn a tio a l , P u n e
L
upside is that we have been #21 (26); a id a w M e -
l
able to compress a decade’s m oria l , K e tty V a l l e y
new digital technologies- (Tamil Nadu #22 (25);
enabled teaching-learning D e P a u l I n te rn a -
e
a
into one year,” says R a s h id tion a l R e s id n ti l
S h a rf u ddin , an alum of St. S c h ool , M y s u ru #23
Stephen’s College, Delhi and (28) and the D r. K K R
the University of Bath (UK), G ow th a m H a p p y
former teacher at Lawrence, V a l l e y S c h ool , T a de -

Lovedale, and The Doon PPS, Nabha’s Ajay Singh: minimal learning loss p a l l i (Andhra Pradesh)
School, Dehradun (2003-14) #25 (249) which has
who was appointed principal of Sela- has retained its Punjab #1 rank. been moved from the co-ed day
qui in 2014 at age 35. “Compared with most boarding schools category to co-ed boarding
Beyond top table, there’s some schools, PPS-N with 820 boys and this year, and U s h a M a rtin W orl d
realignment of the pecking order in girls is a large school. Therefore, we S c h ool , P a tn a #30 (35).
the Top 10 in the pandemic year. The had to stop and restart several times Moreover, with the fast mutating
low-profile S h e rw ood C ol l e g e , during the pandemic. However, all novel Coronavirus showing no signs
N a in ita l has impressed this year’s our children have been back on cam- of exiting from the subcontinent
sample respondents who have pro- pus since July and the school is fully and inter-state travel having become
moted the school to #6 from #9 in operational with our vaccinated teach- more difficult and cumbersome, state
M
e
2020-21. il e s B ron s on R e s id n - ers and staff enforcing detailed Covid rankings of boarding schools have as-
ti l S c h ool , G u w a h a ti at #6 (7) and SOPs. Therefore, we haven’t had any sumed greater importance as parents
a
L a w re n c e , L ov e da l e , O oty #7 (8) Covid positive cases since reopening. are reluctant to send their children to
have also risen in the esteem of the This lockdown period was a testing faraway schools, even if top-ranked.
informed public. While the superbly time for us, but the excellent response Therefore, it’s pertinent to bear in
furbished J a in I n te rn a tion a l R e s - of our teachers and parents has en- mind that co-ed boarding schools that
ide n tia l S c h ool , B e n g a l u ru has sured that students’ learning loss has are modestly ranked nationally are
ceded rank despite its excellent (96) been minimal and is being urgently often top-ranked in their host states,
score under the infrastructure param- addressed. And one of our major most of which are more populous and
g
eter, co-ranked #8 (5) with K a s i a achievements is that the good cheer larger than European countries.
S c h ool , D e h ra du n (11), P u n j a b and mental and emotional balance of Thus, the Krishnamurti Foun-
P u b l ic S c h ool , N a b h a #9 (10) and our children now back on campus, has dation-promoted/affiliated R a -

N e w Era H ig h , P a n c h g a n i #10 been maintained,” says Singh. j g h a t B e s a n t S c h ool , V a ra n a s i
(14) complete the Top 10 table. Beyond the Top 10, several co-ed (estb.1934) is the #1 co-ed boarding
n
A j a y S i g h , a psychology post- boarding schools have risen in pub- school of Uttar Pradesh (pop. 215 mil-
grad of Benares Hindu University lic esteem in the current year despite lion). Likewise, the a i I n te rn a tion -

S
e
and former housemaster at the blue- the disruptions caused by Covid-19. a l R e s id n tia l S c h ool , C u tta c k
chip Mayo College, Ajmer (2003-12) Among them, the R a j g h a t B e s a n t (estb.2018) ranked #16 India, is the
and the globally benchmarked Gen- S c h ool , V a ra n a s i (affiliated with the premier co-ed boarding school of Odi-

esis Global School, Noida (2012-20) Krishnamurti Foundation, Chennai) sha (48 million); the S a g a r S c h ool ,
who was appointed principal of P S ; promoted to #11 from #13 in 2020- A l w a r #18 nationally, is #1 in Rajas-
P
N a b h a after Dr. Jagpreet Singh was 21; A m b e r V a l l e y , C h i m a g a l u r than (82 million); i m a l i B oa rdi g
H

n
k

press-ganged by the top-ranked The (Karnataka) at #13 (21); S a i I n te r - S c h ool , K u rs e on g #28 in India is
Doon School in 2020, is more than n a tion a l R e s ide n ti l S c h ool , C u t - #1 in West Bengal (91 million), and
a
T
n
pleased that PPS-N has moved up the ta c k #16 (20); h e B l u e M ou n ta in the U s h a M a rti W orl d S c h ool ,
EWISR co-ed boarding schools league S c h ool , O oty #20 (31) co-ranked P a tn a ranked #30 nationally, is the
table during his first year in office. In with the previously unranked B i l i- premier co-ed boarding school of Bi-
l
particular, he is enthused that PPS-N m oria H ig h S c h ool , P a n c h g a n i. har state (105 million).
42 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2021