I am surprised and shocked the EW Mumbai Preschool Rankings 2014 (EW December) has omitted to include EuroKids, Lokhandwala. I hope you’re aware that in all your previous preschool rankings, EuroKids, Lokhandwala has consistently featured in the league table of the Top 10 preschools in Mumbai.
Few months ago, Rajesh Gupta of C fore, the agency which conducts the EW Preschool Rankings, visited us and opined that our infrastructure and teaching staff were one of the best in Mumbai. Thereafter, he requested us to send a detailed write-up on the school, which we readily obliged through email.
We are at a loss to understand why our school has not been included in the EW Mumbai Preschool Rankings 2014 league table. We would appreciate if you let us know of our shortcomings if any, so we can take corrective action if required.
Priya Mittal
Principal, EuroKids, Lokhandwala
Mumbai
C fore’s CEO Premchand Palety writes: “This year EuroKids, Lokhandwala was not ranked among the Top 20 by the sample respondents. Moreover, the rankings are not based on perceptions of C fore representatives, but on the perceptions of sample respondents.”
Factual error
I am a subscriber of EducationWorld. The magazine is very informative and interesting. I must congratulate you on this outstanding magazine with excellent production values. It feels good that our preschool Montessori Bal Nilaya, Lake Gardens, is ranked #4 in the EW Kolkata Preschool Rankings 2014 (EW December).
However, I’d like to bring to your notice that on page 64, there’s a factual error. I was not “personally trained” by Dr. Maria Montessori as reported by your Kolkata correspondent. I received training from Albert Joosten, who was Dr. Maria Montessori’s representative and head of the Indian 2Montessori Training Centre from 1949-1980. In 1963, Mario Montessori, Dr. Maria Montessori’s son who was in charge of AMI (Association Montessori Internationale), visited Bal Nilaya.
Unfortunately, I never met Dr. Maria Montessori as she died in 1952, a year before I was born.
I would appreciate your publishing a corrigendum.
Kusum Bhandari
Principal
Montessori Bal Nilaya, Kolkata
Spotlight govt schools
I have been reading EducationWorld for about ten years and appreciate your efforts towards improving education in the country. Although your EW India School Rankings are a great idea, I think it’s time to focus on government schools. We need to bring their infirmities to light and expose the laxity of various government agencies in managing and operating them.
When I visit government schools in Bihar, I feel miserable. Crores of rupees have been wasted on ICT in schools. Computers are installed in schools where there are no teachers!
I am told model government schools are being built, but where are the students? Most of them are attending private schools.
EducationWorld needs to address these issues and suggest ways to resolve them.
Col. Prem Prakash
Patna
Unconvincing ranking
We were surprised to see that in your EW India School Rankings 2014 (September), there was no mention of South Point High School in any category. Against this, in your first schools survey of 2007 conducted by IMRB, South Point High School was ranked the country’s #4 most respected school and #1 in eastern India.
In the 2014 rankings, we were surprised to read that you have ranked South Point School which is the junior section, and omitted South Point High School. Therefore even though our CBSE class X and XII results were outstanding, in your publication you have written NA (not available) against South Point School which is the junior section of the school.
For your information, Trust Research Advisory, a brand analytics company, conducted a survey titled ‘India’s Most Trusted Educational Institutes 2014-15’ in August. South Point was ranked #2 in Kolkata.
Since we are not convinced by the judgement made by you in ranking South Point School, which is a junior school only, we request you not to include our school in your future surveys.
Dr. (Mrs) M. Kohli
Director, South Point School, Kolkata
C fore’s Premchand Palety writes: “South Point School named in our survey includes both junior and senior sections.”