To collate and compile data which has been processed, classified and presented by way of 100 plus league tables rating and ranking the Top 1,000 from among India’s 1.4 million primary/secondary schools scattered countrywide, work began over four months ago. 140 field personnel of the Delhi-based market research and opinion polls company Centre for Forecasting and Research Pvt. Ltd (C fore, estb.2000) began interviewing 10,301 knowledgeable respondents including educationists, principals, parents of school-going children, and senior school students selected by the C fore management to serve as a sample database, representative of informed opinion countrywide.
The sample respondents were persuaded to rate schools in their geographical regions (east, west, north, south) — on the presumption that they are unlikely to be familiar with distantly located institutions — on 14 parameters of education excellence such as teacher welfare and development, faculty competence, leadership, co-curricular and sports education etc on a scale of 1-10, later multiplied by a factor of 10. The ratings awarded to every school under each parameter were horizontally and vertically totalled to rank day, boarding and international schools sub-divided into seven categories (boys, girls, co-ed, co-ed day-cum-boarding etc to eliminate apples and oranges comparisons) and ranked inter se. Unfamiliar institutions rated by less than 25 respondents are not included in the league tables.
Unfortunately several shady publications and organisations, perhaps inspired by the massive public response to the annual EW India School Rankings and subsequent conferment of awards to top-ranked schools on our annual EducationWorld Awards Nite, are cobbling together arbitrarily-determined league tables and presenting excellence awards to gullible school managements. While legitimate competition is welcome because it spurs improvement, school managements are advised to carefully assess the bona fides and assessment methodologies of publications/organisations compiling arbitrary league tables deceptively similar to ours. Please note that like individuals, institutions — including schools — are also judged by the company they keep.
Against this backdrop, in this bumper issue we present the EducationWorld India School Rankings 2016 league tables, undeniably the most comprehensive schools assessment survey in the subcontinent, and perhaps worldwide. Subsequent to the collation and compilation of raw data by C fore, the process of checking, classifying and presenting dozens of league tables has involved back-breaking round the clock effort in the EW office. For this I am thankful to the enthusiastic team led by our managing editor Summiya Yasmeen and deputy chief sub Paromita Sengupta for transforming basic data into meticulously checked and aesthetically pleasing league tables.
P.S. For the benefit of schools, teachers and students, the EW India School Rankings Awards will be livestreamed on September 23-24. Log onto www.educationworld.in or download the Watchlive mobile app.
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