Why are schools so inaccessible? - Page 1

Why are schools so inaccessible?

It is so hard to reach anyone without being snubbed several times.

Why the arrogance??

Hi I have no answwers for you - only I am slightly relieved to hear its not just me.  I amm British, white and moving to Powai next year. So gafr the three schools I hve heard so many great things about have NOT implresded me.  When I have got through to speak to someone they have been rude and really infelxible.  i am not used to that at all.  If this is the first contact you have with a school - how dod you know the teachers aren't as bad.  I can only thing that they know they have a target market and perhaps are not use to the fact that increaing ly people need to have informaion about a school months before you actually apply.  I have spoekn with the Hirandani school who were hte rudest - i have emailed my questions - and had not even a reply to say they have recieved it. Their websiote ifs not working properly and is confusing.  I tried to ecplain that as someone who was trying to work out a time frame for my boys and the family to come to India - I neded a to know a few things an i just kept getting told i apply in January.  I ahve just spoken to Scottish and asked if I could vist the school in January when  I will be in the country - tlod i could come and apply in person in April - As i am sure most parents appreciate moving countires and school is no small thiing to be done in a few weeks... I hope you have had better luck since kind regards  Tabitha

Hi tabs,

Interesting to hear about your experience.

I have understood a few things since my last post and would like to share my thoughts and learnings.

Most schools are a business: Only politician backed schools are issued permissions  (liceses etc.) to open. Obviously they look at schools as a demand-supply ratio..and obviously in a country like India demand will always exceed supply, especially if supply is controlled by politicians.

Grab and ghussao (forcefully enter): Education is viewed by most parents as the path to the promiseland. Anything....i mean ANYTHING will be done to secure their childs admission to these schools. Parents hover around schools, some use moral means and others immoral means. Over a period of time, the school staff gets desensitiezed towards parents and their needs, resulting in inaccessibilty of staff and arrogance.

Can you really blame the parents? They just want the best for their kids.

The International school Mirage: By putting a fancy logo (rebranding) and affiliating an institution to an international board (IB or IGCSE) doesnt guarantee a better education. BUT it guarantees a higher fee! 

A better education is provided by a good "school leadership", a great quality of "teaching team", an open mind to use innovation in class and whole many things.

Dont get me wrong,..while some International schools are a better education, a lot of them are not.

In conclusion, in an interlinked world that our children will grow up in, a degree is losing importance against passion/ talent. Evolution will always iron conventions. Change is the only constant!

Thanks for the update. I had come to the conclusion that The indian schools that are callign themselves international - are not infact and as you have hinted they are really only driven by the market.  I have read some reviews of some of these schools and it would appear that some have struggled to make the IB work to everyones satisfcation, teething problesm no doubt.

I am happy for my children to atttend Indain schools, and agree that the important thing is good leadership. I believe children need to feel secure and safe to enable them to be happy and wantt olearn,but its very hard to get a sense of these schools when they are so remote - in every sense and I now discover you are not allowed to visit them to see for yourself... something which I frid incredible and frustrating.  I am right in thinking that the standard number of children to a class is 40 plus?  or is that just a few?

I have now spoken to three schools, two have been more helpful than the other one.. so we shall see..

Have a good day

Tabs