In a dramatic reversal, typical of changing presumptions and paradigms, India boasts the second-largest number of global schools with global school boards in the world. This growth, spearheaded by surging incomes, greater exposure to global standards, and rising ambitions to future-proof education roots in children, has also accelerated unreached outreach in unheard-of networks in metro and township environments.Â
Indian parents, expatriates residing here, and even non-resident Indians share a singular concern—that of whether they would be headed in the correct direction with India’s traditional board system or would opt for the latest but fashionable phenomenon of picking up boards from some foreign country. International schooling within India has been on the rise for well over a decade now.
Changing Parental Aspirations
Regardless, as ISC Research Manager India, Abhishek Pandey now points out, the rising demand, significantly more so in major cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The above cities witnessed a fresh influx of foreign education suppliers, attracted by India’s gigantic young population, the rapidly rising economic powerhouse, and a rapidly emerging middle class hungry and ready to spend large sums of money on good quality education. “It’s not a metro phenomenon anymore,” asserts Pandey. “Tier-2 and even Tier- 3 towns are emulating it.” Parents want the best for their kids.
Boards such as International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) provide programs that are globally recognized with a holistic model that focuses on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Since technology has developed at such a fast pace and workplaces have changed, parents believe that a cyclical methodology is now unproductive.
They are fantasizing about a foreign curriculum—preferably smaller class sizes and experiential learning in the middle—to better prepare children to face a globalized competitive economy.
Fees of such international schools can be astronomical compared to what parents would have otherwise paid for a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) school. For the wealthy, however, the benefit would appear to be greater than the cost. The parents pride themselves on the finest facilities, multiculturalization in the guise of foreign student exchange programs, and the children having a possibly wider world view.
As one of the teachers put it in a Times of India report, “The decision to study from a foreign board is not just of the destination—foreign university—but also of the journey, where children learn to think for themselves and prepare themselves to meet new challenges. “
Economic Growth & Rising Incomes
According to Shikha Srivastava, director of an international education consultancy, “Global experience and higher earnings are the two reasons Indians are opting for global education.” The hitherto unknown pockets in India’s education landscape, which were long controlled by national and regional boards, are now finding space for new-fangled international schools some of which have new-fangled infrastructures and methods. Children conduct research assignments, community work, and team-solving—competency sets highest sought by the world’s premier universities and multinational firms.
Yet another reason that foreign schools have exploded on the scene is because more and more expatriates and NRIs are returning to India. These are largely expatriates who worked and settled abroad and crave a level of schooling equivalent to that in the international sphere.
International schools give them stability and convenience, especially if they will probably move again. With low class sizes, personal attention, and a wide array of co-curricular activities—from robot clubs to Model United Nations—the schools appeal to parents who want their children well cared for in school as well as in leadership and communication. But the transition to an international curriculum is always bumpy. The cost remains too heavy for most middle-class families.
Holistic and Experiential Learning
Experts believe that attendance at high-quality universities remains more on a student’s overall profile—academic performance, co-curricular life, personal statement, and letters of recommendation—rather than the curriculum. With all these reservations, however, the international school phenomenon seems to be from strength to strength.
New schools are opening annually, and existing ones are growing to meet the need. The pandemic of COVID-19 with its focus on hybrid and online education has also reinforced the need for flexible, pioneering models of education. International schools, being commonly at the forefront of online educational technology, have also been quick to adapt and demonstrate resilience. Finally, whether parents choose a foreign board or an Indian board will depend on personal priorities.
There are some who value cultural continuity and affordability; there are others who value extremely high global exposure and alternative pedagogies.
As India becomes more integrated in the global economy, the global education market will grow. The policy issue here is how to universalize the best of such quality of education optimally, manage costs within afford ability, and how to go for international credentials without losing sight of India’s deep cultural heritage and local childhood practices. At least in the meantime, India’s successful international school industry is nothing short of evidence positive that parents’ ambitions are shifting in India—parents who, as Abhishek Pandey also reminds us, want the best for their child in a more globalized world. With the IB, CAIE, or one of the many other boards international, India’s destiny is being re-scripted, one in which it can chart the world of learning, development, and ultimately victory for itself in the globalized world.
A passionate writer, Niharika wants to create an impact as she believes that Journalism is not just a profession, but a passion to follow and live in. With a keen eye for storytelling and a commitment to impactful writing. she strives to inform, engage, and inspire through the pieces that she crafts. Niharika has covered the 38th National Games, getting to know the lives of athletes and players closely. When not writing she is listening to music, or browsing through social media for more meaningful topics to cover.
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