Page 88 - EW December 2025

Cover Story EW KOLKATA PRESCHOOL RANKINGS 2025-26

We are delighted with our promotion from #7 last
year to #1 rank this year. The credit for this big pro-
“motion goes to our teachers, parents, and manage-
ment for their continuous support to our initiatives to
improve, innovate and deliver high-quality early child-
hood education. I am especially pleased that we have been
awarded highest scores on the interrelated parameters
of competence of teachers, teacher welfare and develop-
ment and curriculum and pedagogy. Our teachers are the
heart of our school, and affirmation of their competence
and professional growth is very satisfying. Moreover, we
are strong believers in Dr. Maria Montessori’s philoso-
phy that ‘Play is the work of child’ and have adopted the
Early Childhood Association’s Play Policy. Therefore, our
curriculum and pedagogy — for which we have been given
top score — is centred around children learning through ers teaching a robust, thoughtfully designed curriculum
play and hands-on activities. In short, our rise to the top enrich children’s learning experiences” — Dr. Suman
has been enabled by a team effort to improve under these Sood, Director & Principal, B.D. Memorial Jr.
three parameters because skilled, well-trained teach- School, Kolkata (210 students and 13 teachers)

Factors influencing preschool choice EWIPR 2025-26 Trends
(% parents)
31%

29% 21%

18% 18%

12%

Play-based Social-emotional Child-friendly Accessibility Nature-based NEP 2020-aligned
curriculum development environment learning foundational curriculum
Source: This trend analysis has been collated by slicing, dicing and interpreting data/responses of 3,300 parents
and teachers interviewed in 35 cities by AZ Research Partners for the EducationWorld India Prechool Rankings
2025-26 survey

88 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2025