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Alternative Schools in India; Some

Advantages and Disadvantages
2009 September 27
tags: Alternative Schools in India, Children, Desi Pundit, Education, Krishnamurti
Sc hools
This post is about alternative schools in India, with a focus on Krishnamurti schools,
the advantages and the disadvantages-particularly from the point of view of my
experienc e and the experienc e of a few other people I know who went to
Krishnamurti schools.
The sc hool I went to is c lassified as an alternative school. I went only for the last
two years of my school life, whereas A was there for much longer (I met him there).
I went to a fairly mainstream school in Bombay before that, though it did try to be
different within the mainstream idiom.
What people define as alternative can vary-and this c an simply mean an
alternative board e.g IB rather than the Indian boards, or they might mean a style

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of education such as Montessori.

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It c annot be stressed enough that c hildren and young people can experience the

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same schools and styles of education very differently. Also, it must be remembered

Introduction to Indian Classical Music

it has been some years since I went to sc hool (!) though I am still in touch with my
old school and what is going on there.

The post is inspired by a discussion on Poppins blog. Some questions arose there that I thought Id address at greater length here.
What is a Krishnamurti school? Krishnamurti was an Indian philosopher who strongly believed that c hildren should learn in an environment free from fear. He started some s chools whic h are run by the Krishnamurti Foundation India.
There are some other Krishnamurti sc hools, that are not a part of the Foundation, but are inspired his teachings. The schools are not religious, or based on any religious philosophy. Here is a link to what the KFI website says about
the K schools.
I thought Id tackle some of the common points (some of them myths) that arise when there is a discussion about alternative sc hools first:
The schools all have an international curriculum:
This is not true for all of them. A lot of them follow the ICSE system (as opposed to CBSE), an Indian board. For the 12th standard, the ISC board is followed. Rishi Valley School, The Valley Sc hool, The Sc hool etc of the K schools
all follow an ICSE syllabus. The Rajghat School follows a CBSE syllabus. A lot of the newer alternative sc hools in India also follow the ICSE syllabus, suc h as the schools that follows the Steiner-Waldorf model. A few schools, such as
Shibumi and Centre for Learning follow IGCSE/ GCE exams (administered by Cambridge University) and A levels.
Alternative Schools Are all very Expensive:
I think people often c onflate alternative schools with international schools and automatically assume that they will be expensive. There are some very expensive interna tional schools in India, that do follow alternative models, at
least in so far as they are alternative to the more conventional schools. But there are alternative schools that have been around for ages, such as the K schools and Mirambika that charge around the same as lots of other schools.
Some of the alternative schools are boarding schools and thus charge more, but are not necessarily the most expensive boarding schools around. Some alternative sc hools of fer sc holarships and take c hildren when the parents are
unable to meet the full fees. Rishi Valley Sc hools policy on funding is as follows:
In a typical year there are about 6 scholarship students, including children from families engaged in social work in remote parts of the country. Fee reduc tions are made available so that fees are adjusted to family
incomes provided students qualify on the entrance tests.
CFL says:
Fees are not discussed before admission is offered. Families are encouraged to view fees as a contribution to sustain the school rather than a fee for a service. We have succ essfully put in place, with parents
cooperation, a fee structure that reflec ts the familys financ ial situation.
Children who go to alternative schools will not be able to enter good institutions of higher learning:
In my view this is nonsense, though some will disagree with me. People from my class went on to the finest colleges in India and abroad. I went to one of the best c ollege s in India straight after school and then to one of the worlds
top universities. As did A. As did many of our classmates. The principal of my Indian college told me she particularly looked out for students from my school (Im sorry if this sounds like showing off, but there is no other way to say
it). Of course there are some who didnt get into a top college, but then not everyone from a mainstream school gets into the best c olleges, and this is due to a range of a fac tors. There is, also, of course, the question of whether
one can always really judge a persons intelligenc e by the college she gets into
Children who go to alternative schools will not get get jobs (by this people mean the person will not be able to climb the corportate ladder):
Also nonsense, in my view. Not only are several graduates from alternative schools climbing the c orporate ladder, they are pretty well off as well. In fac t some of them a re doing better than conventionally educated kids. Its true
that some alternatively educated c hildren think of different career choices. But why not? Not everyone is cut out to do a c orporate job. So what if they bec ame scientists , ac ademics, film-makers, dancers and musicians? Not all
c onventionally educated kids are cut out for corporate jobs either. The difference is that in an alternative sc hool you may get a better c hanc e to develop your talents an d at least think of a c areer where you might put your talents
to good use, instead of mindlessly doing something you hate, just because its the done thing.
TM Krishna is a product of The School, Chennai, a Krishnamurti School, and is on rec ord as saying his sc hooling had a great deal of influenc e on him.
This what TM Krishna says:
I did my sc hooling in The School K.F.I. This is an institution managed by the J.Krishnamurthy Trust. My educ ation and grooming in this school has influenced my perc eptions and outlook towards life. The school was
different in terms of the atmosphere and method of education to all other schools. I was very interested in Economics from my school days. This made me pursue a graduatio n course in Economic s. I did my B.A.
Economics in Vivekananda College. I guess if I had not taken to music I would have followed up my graduation with something like management.
Clearly, he did consider a more mainstream choice, i.e. management. Its good for all of us he chose to become a singer instead!
At my school, Carnatic music was offered as a subject for the ICSE, so those who could sing were encouraged to learn it seriously.
Alternatively educated kids will not be able to take competitive exams:
This is related to the points above: I took an exam to enter my college after school and then later the world renowned university I joined. I passed them. But I have to be honest and say that opinion is mixed about this issue.
R1, who also went to an alternative school (for longer than I did), feels that an inability to take competitive exams c ould be a point held against alternative schools. S he says, We arent used to mugging!
Shripriya who went to another K school agrees with this view (see further below).
But I am not so convinced, especially since R1 is herself an example of a person who is very good at cracking exams.
A, who was in an alternative boarding school since the grand old age of seven, has been cracking exams with great ease for years. He says that the school tried to dissuad e him from being so competitive and he resents that
(though he loved the school). Knowing A as I do, I dont think that what the school did was such a bad thing!
Here is a quote from a student who went to an alternative sc hool who passed a c ompetitive exam:
Amitabh shares the news that he has got through the IAS examination, then writes that people keep asking how he gets through competitive examinations after having studied in a noncompetitive school. The
school taught me to compete, he muses, not with others, but with my own self. I learnt to pursue excellence.
Link.
On the other hand there are children who are very bright, but just not good at doing exams. I think alternative sc hools might be good for some of them, because they take some of the tension away. See further below.
Advantages of being in an alternative school:
Again, this section is totally coloured by my experienc e, others may have a different opinion.
Lack of pressure:
The first and overwhelming feeling I had, when I switched from my more mainstream school in Bombay to my alternative sc hool, was the feeling of freedom. In Bombay I carried a heavy sc hoolbag, was constantly tired and had this
unmistakeable sense of pressure looming over me. I found it much easier to study and enjoy my c lasses at my alternative sc hool. This was despite the fact that I had many other things to oc cupy me suc h as violin lessons, games,
hikes, yoga, pottery etc . In fact I think it was because of these extra activities that studying became easier. I had no sc hool bag, we all did our homework together at prep time after PE in the evening and it was fun.
An emphasis on a natural environment:
The K schools at least, are usually situated in a lovely landscape; the sense of space and greenery made all the differenc e to our lives. We had spac e to play, time to ob serve the birds (in some c ases this was compulsory!) and
watc h the rain while we sang (the auditorium was open on all sides). A and I became friends during a paper rec ycling c lass (also compulsory) while we were making paper pulp. We c omposted and gardened and studied calculus and
French literature. My completely c oncrete school with a small sandpit in Bombay c ould not compare.
Good Student-Teacher Ratio:
I had one on one classes with some of my teachers who were PhDs in their subjects (and who also taught well). I would spend hours learning a partic ular subjec t, far beyon d the allotted time, and it was ok. As long as I finished
what was on the syllabus, we went far beyond it, studying anything that interested us. Classes for several subjec ts were c onduc ted under trees.
Even if we were at full class size in the classroom, there was usually only a maximum of 25 students.

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An emphasis on independent thinking:

Both A and R1 came up with this when I asked them what they felt was the advantage of going to an alternative school.R1 said it forc es you to approac h everything in life actively, questioning rather than ac cepting. A says he
wasnt tied to any single belief, religious or otherwise and also metioned being questioning about everything.
An ability to attract highly qualified teachers really committed to education:
There are many PhDs in math and science, historians and linguists, who have a passion for education and give up luc rative c areers to teac h and to teach in a way that is inspiring.
Disadvantages of Alternative Schools:
I am not sure all the points here will be viewed as disadvantages by everyone. It depends largely on what opinion one holds on c onforming.
Being unable to conform:
R1 said alternatively educated kids might
find it harder to settle or conform with the standards in society and keep up with lifes milestones work, marriage etc. Of c ourse, one c ould philosophically question whether one should feel obliged to stick to
these milestones, but in real life it can get pretty hard when you deviate from them.
I think us alternative products have conformed, i.e. married, had kids, worked-but maybe done these c onformist things in a non-conformist way, sometimes.
MaidinMalaysia, in a comment on Poppins blog, had this to say some friends of hers who went to The Valley School:
they are original thinkers, and marc h to a different drummer.
i dont think they were even aware that there was a rat race and they had to be in it.
i would call them gyan-driven as opposed to moolah-driven
Now whether one sees this as an advantage or a disadvantage is up to the parents really!
A lack of good teachers
Now this may come as surprise, given that Ive just said above that alternative schools can attrac t the best teachers! Sometimes they attrac t teac hers who are running aw ay from the world and have a host of issues (particularly
if it is a boarding school) that leave them unable to deal with their charges.
Secondly, some alternative sc hools pay their teachers a very low salary, so some good teachers are forced to leave, despite their c ommitment to teac hing and education. Th is is an area I think my sc hool got terribly wrong.
CFL says its salaries are need based, calling for commitment and openness from the staff. I think this calls for an extraordinary level of c ommitment, that can be rather unfair on both teachers and students.
Teac hers and their families have to survive too, and that is increasingly difficult. As for the students, on the one hand they can get a really committed teac her, on the other they c an get really bad teac hing, because bad salaries
often attract only the worst teachers.
Students c an thus be left with teachers who arent very good at all, and the consistency in the quality of teaching c an be lac king, but it must be remembered this c an happen in a c onventional school as well.
Shripriya summarised what she sees as the pros and cons of alternative schools as follows:
Pros
sense of self; not defined by the crowd. they really encourage this. it is awesome
respect for authority, but a good amount of disdain for it as well. they used to allow us to walk out of class if we wanted. it goes to #1 as well.
learned in a non-traditional way going and examining leaves for science class. walking outside. unheard of in the traditional sense.
exercise. daily instead of weekly at most regular sc hools.
arts and c raft also a lot of exposure to this and very non-traditional stuff. i used to learn how to model in card board, papier mache, photography (at 7/8 years old) . i mean, seriously, they made this part of the education, not
something that was tacked on because it had to be.
singing lots of singing. singing classes, singing bhajans, singing c arols. it was awesome.
it just felt free and enjoyable. i used to love to go to school. i used to c ry if i c ouldnt go. now, theres a reversal if there ever was one.
Cons
unfortunately we live in a world where competition exists. where public exams exist. where there are, in fact, losers and winners. so, in this regard, the school was like an unreal bubble.
it was really bad at preparing students for exams. i finally got taken out of my alternative school at the end of the 6th grade when the first batc h went through their public exams and things didnt go so well. I went to a regular
school with lots of mid-terms and test. i was paralyzed and had no c lue how to take these simple little tests.
in retrospect, leaving KFI when i did was the perfec t right thing. just like spending my youth there was also the perfec t right thing.
My experienc e was the opposite of Shripriyas in that I joined an alternative school for the 11th and 12th and thought that was perfec t! I wish I had joined a little earlier, maybe around the 7th standard.
In conc lusion, therefore, I think one must take each school on its own merits, and see whether ones c hild will fit in there. It really is different strokes for differen t folks when it c omes to sc hools. And theres a vast variety of
alternative schools-they can be quite different from eac h other, even when they follow the same model-such as the K sc hools.
Some articles on alternative schools in India:
http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/educ ation/alternative-education/educ ation.asp
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/education/alternative-educ ation/alternative-education.asp
http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/altsc hools.htm
http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/
Links to some alternative schools in India: (Please feel free to leave more links in the comments):
The School, Chennai
Centre for Learning
Rishi Valley
Sloka, The Steiner sc hool in Hyderabad.
Mirambika
Shibumi
The Blue Mountains School
The Sahyadri School
Tridha
Updated to add: There is a new residential K sc hool outside Chennai- Pathashaala
Books on Schools in India:
Alternative Schooling in India by Sarojini Vittachi
Alternative Schooling in India by Nagendra Singh
Selected Public Schools in India

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142 Responses leave one

1.
rajan mathew permalink
November 17, 2011
my elder son is studying in Ekalavya, Ahmedabad .it is also a one of the best alternative schools in India. he is now at 5yr and in UKG (SR Kg) her sister is just 2 yrs o ld and am seriously thinking to settle back to kerala,
whic h is my native.
anyone have good idea/review on Pallikoodam school in Kottayam? from their web I liked their c oncept but in I would like to have real feed bac ks of parents .. please share anyone c an
also what is the procedure and fees structure. my home is just 14 kms from the pallikoodam sc hool and both kids will be daily c ommuters and not in boarding
Reply

2.
Shanthi permalink
December 9, 2011
Hi uttara, Your post was something I had been searching for some time. My son is 3 years, I would like to put him in a alternative sc hool when he 5yrs like CFL or ishahomeschool @ c oimbatore whic h will allow him to come
home in the weekends. Sinc e I want to him to be happy and not a person who goes through life c onfused about it. I went to a convent sc hool and I have not spent time in introspec tion, but have been taught to live by
comparison. I just studied for being better than other kids.
About your post,I loved the thought that you are allowed to walk out of class anytime :), you just bec ome so muc h produc tive by choosing not to do things you dont feel interested in.
My question to you was, as most animals keep their children with them upto a certain age in order they learn the customs and way of life of their community. Did you or any of your friends feel unnatural about being pulled
away into another unfamiliar world? Do children suffer seperation anxieties? Does this effect them in later life, and cloud their in decision making. It is a wierd question, but one whic h bothers me the most.
Please help me here. I am very eager, to let my son grow up preserving his inclinations so that he does not get lost in the hustle-bustle. I owe him that much.
Reply

u permalink*
January 1, 2012
Shanthi, Apologies for the delayed reply, i have been travelling. I think 5 is too young to send a child away. Of course they suffer separation anxiety and a whole host o f other issues. I myself went to boarding
school only at 15. Look for an alternative school where your c hild can be a day scholar perhaps?
Reply

3.
Anuradha permalink
Dec ember 13, 2011
Hello Uttara,
Thanks for this fascinating glimpse into the world of alternative education. I have always been inc lined towards suc h a way of learning, but always had one conc ern that the kids who come out of this system will not be
able to handle things like work pressures, competitive exams and environments, etc (I find it difficult myself and Im from a conventional educ ation system!)
So I was wondering if you c ould give me real life examples of people you know who have made it in the corporate world (while loving their jobs!) and also how did you feel when you had to start preparing for board exams
out of the blue in one of the higher grades.
Thanks,
Anuradha
Reply

u permalink*
January 1, 2012
Anuradha,
Apologies for delayed response-I have been away. Many of my school mates have done well in the corporate world, including my husband. The question is whether you are open to allowing your child to do

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something else-he/she may not want to join the corporate world. I personally found it easier to do exams at my alternative sc hool than at my c onventional sc hool, just felt the pressure less and ejoyed doing them
more.
Reply

4.
Geetha permalink
January 18, 2012
My son will complete 9yrs in March. We are thinking of putting my son in Rishi Valley sc hool from this year in 4th class. Is it too early?
Reply

u permalink*
January 20, 2012
I think at age 9 he may even be put in the 5th? I do think its a little too early to join boarding sc hool in the 4th, unless the parents have no other optionperhaps bes t to wait until the 7th?
Reply

5.
Vijay permalink
January 25, 2012
Hi Uttara
Like so many others have already expressed, thanks for this post. Here is some background for a question Id like to ask: in these sc hools for admission there is a lot of emphasis on the parents what and why they care
about education. This process of examination requires critical thinking on the part of the parents and c lear articulation. Now comes the question: is not this approach re ally eliminating weak at artic ulation? Or in other words,
how can intentions of the parents be judged by answers to these questions? Does this process really identify parents with honest intentions? One of my friend went to exte nt of saying he would attempt it the way any
other interview or exam would be attempted look at patterns of suc cess and emulate. I know you are not running these schools, but thought of hearing what you think.
Thanks,
Vijay
Reply

u permalink*
January 28, 2012
Vijay, This is a good question and I dont know the answer! Perhaps you could pose it to some of the senior teac hers at the various alternative schools in India who sit in on the interviews, some of them might
respond.
Reply

6.
Adrija permalink
February 10, 2012
Hi,
I was just googling Rishi Valley Sc hool, and I stumbled across this blog. I just wanted to share my experience.
I went to Rishi Valley Sc hool when I was 8years old(4th std) and left when I was 11years old. I stayed there for a very brief period but the school has very fundamentally altered me. Many people say that putting children in
boarding schools when they are slightly older is a better option. I mostly agree with them. But since I was in Rishi Valley at suc h a young age, the education they have g iven me has impac ted me in a very root level. The
education I received there has left me with a feeling of non-conformity and isolation when I went bac k to the main stream sc hooling system. As a teenager I used to always be c onfused and miserable with the way my
thinking never seemed to match with any of my peers. I used to feel isolated. This confusion, eroded a lot of learning at the sc hool. I have had to rethink a lot, in the rec ent years about all the things I have learnt in my
time in main-stream sc hools. But irrespective of this tough time I faced in the so called real world, I will forever be indebted to my educ ation at Rishi Valley. Mayb e I havent been able to experience and internalize the
education at suc h a school to the maximum but the least that the school has done, is to give me the ability to question. Its a tough existenc e -to keep questioning every notion and bias that you have or see, but its better
than living in complac ency and quitely ac cepting things the way they are..
So, for any parents who care enough about their c hildrens education to the extent of sending them away to boarding schools, Ill say its worth it.
Reply

7.
prd permalink
Marc h 18, 2012
Really, a balanced and analytical blog on the subjec t..Thanks for the post.
I would like to know so much.
All JKF schools are same? whether CFL keep the student from distant India those who can not c ome back home frequently? In India is there any sc hool connec ted to SUMMERHIL L of Britain? How you people (JKF students)
handle the stupid approac h and rigidness fo midioc ore people?
we will be pleased to hear many small small incidents that gives us glimps of making of any free individual at your sc hool,if u please to do so..
prd
Reply

8.
Marisa permalink
April 4, 2012
I never went to an alternative school in India. However, I did study across 3 different c ountries with vastly different teaching styles, approac hes and syllubuses. I must say that I have a healthy respect for what is
considered as alternative in India while in some countries is fairly mainstream! The mix of learning gave me a better undertstanding of the pros and c ons of each educ at ional system and in the alternative gave me an
immense sense of freedom, stoked a passion for the arts which will remain with me lifelong, broadened my horizons in a way no mainstream Indian school did and reinforc ed our familial motto of thinking for oneself.
I would completely agree with Amithabhs view about alternative education helping one c ompete with and bring out the best in oneself. However, do be aware that it may go the other way too if children are not sufficiently
motivated and challenged to give rise to a lac ksidasic al approac h to life.
Reply

9.
Shital Shah permalink
August 9, 2012

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Hi Uttara
My daughter id 2 yrs old she is already going to a playschool and we are in Mumbai can u guide me through Tridha school its non c onventional although but wud like to know more if incase u have an info..
Thanks
Shital
Reply

10.
Bhavini permalink
September 29, 2012
Dear Uttara,
You might feel surprised getting a comment now, but you shouldnt. Youve given a wide, balanced perspective of alternative educ ation here in India, and it draws in anyone curious about this.
I have not been schooled in one myself. Although I loved my mainstream schooling to bits, I c an see how some people close to me, whove studied in alternative environment s, differ in their thinking. They just think, process,
evolve things quite differently. A close friend and my cousin, who Im close to, they both studied at Sahyadri School in Poona. While my c ousin, Paridhi, is younger than me, I feel our age differenc e is simply a biological fact.
Its wonderful talking with her, and my friend Ankita its freeing, sharing things, questions, frustrations with them. They have been quite non-judgmental, and have the beautiful ability to see the larger picture with
sensitivity.
Which brings me to a concern that many readers have voiced in these 97 comments

about whether children who have been schooled in suc h environments c an survive in the real world. While Paridhi and Ankita both

feel that their school sometimes felt like being in a bubble, their schooling gave them muc h in terms of being able to understand themselves, their strengths, their desires, their motivations. And this heightened sense of self
has helped them make dec isions, after school, which have worked beautifully for them. They have developed a sense of patienc e, with themselves, with the system they encou nter after school, and this has helped them
follow their hearts with balanc e, honesty and strength.
I have gone to a mainstream school myself, and I have seen the long-term damage that fear-based and immediate-result oriented teaching c an do. More than three quarters of my school friends chose to do engineering
after school, and in their third or fourth year, felt deeply disillusioned with they were heading. Many of them are now in unsatisfying jobs, bec ause they have not had th e c hanc e to think for themselves and make an
informed, intelligent, confident (and sometimes, self-c onsenting) dec ision at any period in their life sc hooling, c ollege, work.
I loved sc hool bec ause I had wonderful teachers, and also because thankfully, my parents did not insist on getting good results, but simply on doing my best. I was also lucky to have gone to a wonderful college, where I
met many other alternatively schooled people.

Many of my school friends have not been so lucky. I feel pained when I see them, theyre all my age. Were in our young 20s and already feel weary and regretful.

Not that alternative sc hooling is the panacea for all ills, and is the sole reason why you will graduate as a more open, sensitive, balanced individual but the environment it provides, as opposed to a mainstream school,
definitely makes that possibility a much, muc h stronger one.
I was wondering, Uttara, if you could help me with this I would like to teach in an alternative space. I dont have teaching experienc e, but I deeply enjoy being with y oung children and I was hoping to find out more about
how I c an bec ome a teac her in a school like Sahyadri. Do you think I could write to them, or visit them and try and understand what theyre looking for, how it works? If you know of anybody who has joined alternative
schools as teachers, it would be really helpful if you could tell me how they approac hed the school, what they did.
Reply

u permalink*
October 12, 2012
Dear Bhavini,
Apologies for the late reply, I hope you see this. Please get in touch with the sc hools youre interested in teaching at, inc luding Sahayadri and see what they say. We of ten had workshops with poets, dancers,
scientists etc who werent trained teachers. You might want to go and stay in the sc hool for a while to see where and how you can fit in.
Reply

11.
G.Gautama permalink
November 6, 2013
This is a new Krishnamurti Foundation school that is in its 4th year. There are some departures that the school is attempting in terms of size, environmental practices and the symmetry in the roles of the teacher and
student or the Educator-Learner and the Learner-Educator.
Reply

12.
vickynoida1989 permalink
November 22, 2013
Hi friend this is nice your post.I like it very much.Yeah i agree with you these schools are very advantageous but they are also having some disadvantages also.
Thanks
Reply

13.
Vikram permalink
February 7, 2014
Dear All,
I thoroughly enjoyed going through the article as well as the c omments. It will certainly add to my perspective and help in making an informed decision.
many thanks onc e again.
Reply

14.
Ramc handra permalink
February 8, 2014
You could put your children in a school that hammers them into assembly-line produc ts. Or you could c hoose an education that nurtures your children into c reative, sensitive individuals.
My son is four and half year old now & studying in Aramba Montessori, Rajajinagar, Bangalore. I am happy & satisfied with my dec ision of putting my son in to alternative educ ation system. He is learning things with study
materials of Montessori method & techniques. We can make out that he is learning thins with lot of joy, ease & without pressure. It is not c orrect to compare the kids, but we c an see lot of differenc e between him & his
mainstream school friends.
But as discussed in the article, there are not many options available in terms of schools near your area of residenc e & the education system is quite expensive. But, thes e are all small hurdles. I am sure no parent will mind
for the sake of their childrens.
The present Montessori school my son is studying is only up to U KG. I am worried what to do after 2015. I am looking to continue my son in the same Montessori method or alternative education system up to 10th. Can
someone suggest me any good alternative school towards Nagarabhavi, Bangalore. I dont mind 8 to 10 Kms in & around Nagarabhavi.
Reply

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15.
Deepa permalink
May 12, 2014
hi,
I recently stumbled upon this post. Sounds pretty informative.
My kid (std 3) already is part of alternate educ ation in Bangalore Prakriya
We are planning to move to Mumbai and I am not sure which school really offers such kind of education. I heard about Tridha, we met them, however admissions are full for them.
Is there any other institute whic h offers suc h open environment for learning in Mumbai?
I am looking at day time sc hools and not residential.
Thanks,
Reply

u permalink*
May 12, 2014
Deepa, try Shishuvan
Reply

Anushka permalink
December 17, 2015
Hi Uttara,
You have covered lot of details for anxious parents who are weighing their options of whether to admit their wards in residential sc hools or not.
My daughter also studies in Mumbai and though I have a few years to go before she turns 9, we have started our research already. For us, The Sahyadri school near Pune is best suited.
Being an alumni of one of these K-sc hools, as is apparent your experienc e has been wonderful. I have a few questions though .
As parents, we want her to have an all-round education which even these premier sc hools in Mumbai dont offer. Or rather life skills which encourage thinking and unleashe s your hidden talents. She is doing
well at her school but I feel she is restricted to her school activities/ ac ademic s and other activity classes. So, we are thinking in the direction of K-schools.
1. What I want to ask is, what did you go though when your parents decided that you would go there? How was your first year? Although, everyone would have different reaso ns of coming there and feel
differently how did your fellow students feel.
2. Since girls and boys stay at the same facility, how is the interaction between them, especially in higher standards? As parents, we are very c oncerned about growing up adolesc ent years of our wards.
How is sexual tensions and problems managed by sc hool authorities?
3. How difficult or easy is it to get through, the intake in 4th grade being very less? You must be aware the sad sc enario of admission process to Mumbai schools. Hope experienc e of getting in K-school is
no-where close to that :)). Do parents try year after year? Why do kids get rejec ted?
I want to be in a better position to understand my child and address any anxiety she may face. Also, the better prepared we are, the more seamless everything will be. The pluses are that she is very
flexible, already very independent c omparatively and enjoys new experienc es.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Regards,
Anushka
Reply

16.
dog pain medic ation side effects permalink
September 20, 2014
This artticle presents c lear idea designed ffor the new people of blogging,
that genuinely how to do blogging and site-building.
Reply

17.
organic Food Cookbook permalink
September 23, 2014
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could
add to my blog that automatic ally tweet my newest twitter updates.
Ive been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was
hoping maybe you would have some experienc e with something like this.
Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy
reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Reply

18.
Marissa permalink
September 23, 2014
Its very effortless to find out any matter on net as c ompared
to textbooks, as I found this artic le at this site.
Reply

19.
dog medic ine online permalink
October 5, 2014
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images on this blog loading?
Im trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if its the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly apprec iated.

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Reply

20.
pocket shisha permalink
October 15, 2014
My spouse and I stumbled over here from a different page and thought I
might chec k things out. I like what I see so
i am just following you. Look forward to looking at your web page repeatedly.
Reply

21.
Maria permalink
October 31, 2014
Its the best time to make some plans for the long run and it is time to be happy.
I have learn this publish and if I may just I wish to
suggest you some fascinating things or suggestions.
Perhaps you can write subsequent articless regarding this article.
I want to read mkre issues about it!
Reply

22.
Ashis permalink
November 7, 2014
The write up is quite informative, especially for the parents who are actively exploring whether or not to send their c hild to one suc h sc hool.
We too like Shripriya, understand the importance of being able to face the challenges of the real world once the student is out of the sc hool.
The endeavour currently is to send our kid to a KFI sc hool in Class 5, RVS or RBS. Thankful to hear from someone about Rajghat Besant Sc hool (RBS)
Dear Author, please advise would it be worthwhile to send the kid to an alternate school. Though you have c overed issues at length in your blog still we wish to be reas sured as parents that suc h schools do give due
weightage to ac ademic excellence.
Reply

23.
Rocco permalink
January 27, 2015
Great artic le.
Reply

24.
A little sad permalink
Marc h 15, 2015
Hi, I have tried to get my son admitted to alternative scho ol for many years now but did not succeed. How does one even go about it?
Reply

25.
Rohit Roy permalink
May 8, 2015
Found your blog. Its really nice. I appreciate your article. Its important to find top colleges for getting admission in a well known MBA college in India. So thanks for sharing all that important information.
Reply

Mahtab permalink
June 12, 2015
its really nice artic le , will recommend my friends to go over it before taking any decision.
IB World Academy
Reply

26.
Anton permalink
June 17, 2015
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your web site.
Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility
issues? A number of my blog visitors have c omplained about my site
not working c orrectly in Explorer but looks great in Opera.
Do you have any suggestions to help fix this problem?
Reply

27.
more... permalink
July 29, 2015
You really make it appear so easy together with your presentation but I
to find this matter to be really one thing that I feel I would by no means understand.
It kind of feels too complicated and extremely huge for me.
I am looking forward on your subsequent submit, I will try to get the

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c ling of it!
Reply

28.
Vineet Jalan permalink
September 11, 2015
So is it better to send your kids to foreign universities, if you have arranged their sc hooling in alternate sc hools like valley or says dark ?
Reply

29.
Vineet Jalan permalink
September 11, 2015
Sahyadri I mean !
Reply

30.
shiva permalink
November 7, 2015
School Franchise in India from edifysc hools.c om and edifykids.com offering sc hool franc hise.
Reply

31.
Brijesh patel permalink
January 12, 2016
thank-you for sharing such a informative information.
Reply

32.
Shriram Sc hool Indore permalink
January 29, 2016
Informative post with good and deep insights, I totally c onsents with you. Thank you for sharing.
Reply

33.
Vishwanath Karad permalink
Marc h 9, 2016
This is such a well written artic le! Thank you for c ompiling so muc h information at a single place.
Reply
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