Choice of School.

Choice of School

In this part I'll only be talking about Bangalore schools because I've lived here for 7 years and know a fair amount regarding the schools in my area. I'll only be discussing schools that I think are suitable for NRI students. These are only some of the most popular schools among NRI's and other students in general. I'm aware that there are many more schools in Bangalore, but these are the schools I know about the most. These are the schools I'll be talking about:

NPS	DPS	Greenwood High
TISB	Inventure	Oakridge

Most of these schools are around the place that I live (Sarjapur - Whitefield area).

There is a factor that I'll be mentioning, which is reputation. Not the reputation that the school gives itself, but the reputation I have heard from other students who have studied there. This will be what the students think about the school and not what the management tries to sell. Therefore these are all just my opinions on the schools.

The fees aren't exact and vary each year, but they can be categorized as cheap, moderate, expensive, exorbitant, etc. So I'll be rating them out of 10.

National Public School (NPS):

Location: There are many NPS schools in Bangalore such as HSR Layout, Rajajinagar, Indranagar, Koramangala, Yelahanka, Agara and more. 

Board: CBSE.

Fees: 2/10 (1 - 1.5 lakhs a year.)

Infrastructure: Not the best, manageable.

Reputation: Academically, probably the best. The students that these schools churn out are usually smart and this is usually because, to get in, you need to be smart. Especially in Bangalore, there are many people from NPS who do very well in entrance exams like JEE. So if you're willing to devote most of your effort into studies then NPS is a good place. It isn't extremely popular like other schools for NRI's, but it does have moderate fees. However, since most of the time is dedicated to studies, all-round development and extracurricular activities are given less importance. Nonetheless, if you're aiming for a top college in engineering or medical, NPS can be a big help. Since it a CBSE school and it isn't too popular among NRI kids, I wouldn't recommend it to be your first choice, but definitely consider it.

Rating: 6/10.

Dehli Public School (DPS):

Location: East(Sulikunte), South(Konanakunte), North(Santhur).

Board: CBSE.

Fees: 3/10 (1 - 2 lakhs a year.)

Infrastructure: Good, but looks worse because of overcrowding.

Reputation: Not really a school that I would recommend for an NRI. It is true that the number of students is large and I've heard that the management and teachers aren't the best. Academically also it isn't the best and I've seen the difference between students from NPS and DPS in terms of studies. Extracurricular activities are promoted more than NPS, but getting selected for school teams is a hassle because of the number of people. Some DPS schools may be better than others but I still wouldn't recommend it for NRI students. 

Rating: 3/10.

Greenwood High: 

Location: Varthur, Bannerghatta.

Board: ICSE, ISC, International.

Fees: 8/10 (3.5 - 4.5 lakhs (and increasing), around 7-8 lakhs for International curriculum)

Infrastructure: Pretty good, well maintained. Better at International campus.

Reputation: I've been at this school for 7 years and it's had ups and downs. Academically very strong, and produces a good result in ICSE every year. ISC started 2 years ago and has produced decent results and shows potential of becoming one of the best. International as well, has had students go to some of the best Universities abroad like MIT, Imperial,  Brown, UC Berkeley and more. Extracurricular activities are also given importance here, but the management could be a little better. Teachers are pretty good, and the Principal is one of the best. This school is a second home to many many NRI's and so it's a popular choice. The school has been growing really fast and there is a little overcrowding, especially in lower grades. The major downside is the fees. There have been drastic hikes in the fees that show no sign of slowing down. It was affordable earlier, became worse up till now, and may be exorbitant in the future. If you can afford it, then it is a very good choice, but in the future, it may not be. But definitely a great option for NRI's that you should consider.

Rating: 8/10.

The International School Bangalore (TISB):

Location: Varthur. (affiliate of NPS).

Board: International.

Fees: 10/10. (probably highest fees in Bangalore).

Infrastructure: The most common thing heard about TISB is that their campus is huge and the best. 

Reputation: Some say that it's the best school in Bangalore, and ignoring the fees, it probably is. The standard set by them academically is very high, with many students reaching top colleges every year. The teachers and management are better than most schools. Extracurricular activities and sports are really good and the school is reputed for it. It is a great school if you can afford it. This is because most people think they have ridiculously high fees.  But if you prepare properly and work hard, you can make most of the money that you spend. However, this school is a prep school for colleges abroad, and isn't the most suitable option for students aiming for Indian colleges like IIT's, BITS or NIT's. If you are focused on an American or British college, and you can afford the fees, then TISB is the best option. If the fees seem to high for you, then try Greenwood, Inventure or Indus, but those are also quite expensive. 

Rating: 7.5/10. [9/10 for those who can afford it easily]

Inventure:

Location: Varthur. 

Board: ICSE, ISC, IGCSE, A/AS Level

Fees: 9/10. [IGCSE and A/AS level are more expensive than ISC and ICSE]

Infrastructure: In a range between that of Greenwood and TISB.

Reputation: The most common positive things I've heard is that the campus is great, the faculty is decent, extracurricular activities are supported. The negative things I've heard are that the students lack discipline, and the management is more interested in marketing than actual education. Although their results are decent, they aren't as good as those of Greenwood in ICSE and ISC, and TISB in IGCSE. It seems like a good place for NRI students, but academically isn't very strong.

Rating: 7/10. 

Oakridge:

Location: Varthur.

Board: IB

Infrastructure: Supposedly very good, with AC's in classes, etc.

Reputation: This is a fairly new school in Bangalore, but it much more reputed for its branches in Hyderabad. I've heard there are a fair amount of NRI's here, but the overall number of students is low in Bangalore, and it isn't very popular. I couldn't find out how much the fees currently are in Bangalore, but it's probably on the higher side. Its results academically haven't been the best, but since it's new, it may pick up. If you are considering Oakridge,  I think that going for Greenwood or Inventure would be a better option.

Rating: 5.5/10.

These 6 schools have met with 2 criteria, that is, 

• They are popular among NRI's.
• They are close to the Sarjapur-Whitefield.

There are obviously more options than I mentioned such as Primus, Cambridge, Ebenezer, and Indus. 
There are other options like Narayana and Chaitanya schools. But according to me, these are the worst possible choices for NRI's. In America, there was leisure studying, while in these schools, if you aren't a bright student, ready to take on at least 10 hours of studying a day, with school on Saturday and half of Sunday, then the pressure will crush. I've seen some of my friends go to these schools, survive for only 2 weeks and scurry back to Greenwood. 
There is one more option that is worth discussing. In 11th and 12th, coaching centers like Allen and Aakash Institutes have Integrated programs where the students spend a lot more time studying for entrance exams like JEE and NEET. These courses have good results and I would recommend it for people who are serious about JEE and NEET and who actually have a chance. Since a lot of time is spent in the coaching center rather than school, importance is given to entrance exams rather than Board Exams, which is a good thing, because Entrance exams are more important than Boards. I would have definitely considered this option, but I only got most of the details about it after 11th Grade, and so it was to late. So definitely gather info about these courses if you are seriously preparing for JEE or NEET.

To be honest, for schooling from primary years to around 7th or 8th Grade, the results you get academically don't really make a difference. So I think for these years, a student who has just shifted from the US, should be put in a school that he or she is most comfortable with, rather than a school that will put pressure academically. Once you get to 9th or 10th Grade, then the studying becomes more serious. Then in 11th and 12th Grade, where your marks decide your future college, the studying needs to be intense. For these years, the student should be put in a school that will cater to his/her academic needs. For example, if you want heavy focus on entrance exams like JEE, then a school like NPS may benefit you. If you want heavy focus on colleges abroad, Greenwood (IB) or TISB may benefit you. If you want to stay in an Indian college, as well as write SAT's, which is what I did, then Greenwood (ISC) may help you the most. So, in all, after considering all the factors, the choice is yours.

Syllabus options: State Board vs ICSE vs CBSE vs IGCSE.

Syllabus options: State Board vs ICSE vs CBSE vs IGCSE.

First let me outline the structure of syllabus options. In Bangalore, from LKG to 10th Grade, there are four options :

• State Board
• ICSE - Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
• CBSE - Central Board of Secondary Education
• IGCSE - International General Certificate of Secondary Education

For 11th and 12th Grade, there are the also five options with some changes: 

• State Board is mainly called PUC - Pre - University Course
• ICSE becomes ISC (Short for CISCE - Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
• CBSE
• IGCSE - International General Certificate of Secondary Education
• IB -  International Baccalaureate

I realize that IB is also there for LKG to 10th Grade, but in Bangalore, most schools teach IGCSE from LKG to 10th, then IB for 11th and 12th.

There are massive differences between LKG to 10th and 11th to 12th Grade, since the real preparation for college starts in 11th Grade. This differences involving entrance exams, coaching centers and other things which aren't related to Board studies, are highlighted in a later post, High School Years.

Since I have been in ICSE for 5 years and ISC for 2 years, I can elaborate most on them. However I have interacted with people from various boards and so I'll go over their pros and cons based on this experience: 

State Board: 

PROS: School fees are very low. As state syllabus gives preference for local issues, it is convenient for those students who want to write state-level entrance examinations. Exams are easier. Some schools heavily focus on entrance exams. *

CONS: Schools are run by government and aren’t usually in good condition. No infrastructure, small play areas, shabby classrooms. The students are usually taught to follow the process of by-hearting. Basic facilities are less. Extracurricular activities are less. Syllabus is often outdated. Students find it tough to compete with CBSE Board and other Boards’ students in 12th Grade Indian entrance exams like NEET (Medical) and JEE (Engineering). Would be quite difficult to attempt SAT, ACT, and other foreign exams.

In my opinion, an NRI returnee shouldn't go for State Board. Of all the NRI returnees I know, nobody has taken this option, because there is an enormous gap between American schools and State Board schools in India. The only significant pro is the fees, but most NRI returnees can afford better schools. For me, the con that settles it, is the last point. I mentioned in an earlier post, that SAT exams were important for NRI returnees. Usually students who follow State Board don't have the best English, as compared to other Boards. Since SAT contains English, it will be more difficult for them. The final verdict for State Board is a 2/10. 
* - This isn't necessarily a pro or a con. It depends on the student; if he/she can handle these types of schools, namely, Narayana and Chaitanya Schools. More details about this in a later post, High School Years.

CBSE:

PROS: School fees are relatively low. Exams are easier than ICSE exams. CBSE schools use NCERT books, which is also what entrance exams like JEE base their exams off of. Majority of schools are CBSE schools, showing its popularity and regard.

CONS: Schools are in worse condition than ICSE or IB schools but better than State Board schools.  Books are often outdated, extra reference books may be required. Math and science are given priority, other subjects not so much. It is possible to do good in SAT, but other Boards have more advantage. A downside of the popularity is that there is more competition.

In my opinion, it isn't a bad decision to go for CBSE, and it is the most popular Board because it is successful. The majority of students going to IIT's, NIT's and top medical colleges in India are usually from CBSE. This is because of the number of people from CBSE as well as the fact that CBSE has the same syllabus as entrance exams. Subject matter is similar to ICSE, but a little lower in difficulty. So for grades 1 to 10, I feel that CBSE is an alright choice, if you're willing to settle for a slightly lower level of education, counteracted by the lower fees. However, I felt that 12th Grade CBSE has a greater difference when compared to ISC or IB 12th Grade. This topic is discussed further down in the post, because it will make more sense after reading the pros and cons of ISC and IB. The final verdict for CBSE is a 6/10.

ICSE / ISC:

PROS: Teachers and management are often better in these schools than CBSE or Government schools. Classrooms, playgrounds, and facilities are usually in good condition. Syllabus content is at a good level in ICSE and can be an advantage. Wide range of subjects, with equal importance to all. ISC suggests schools to follow NCERT books which are helpful for entrance exams. ICSE is popular among many NRI students. ISC is rather small, but this means there is less competition.

CONS: Fees are high. Less importance given to entrance exams. English is more difficult than CBSE, State Boards. No special importance given to SAT’s but ICSE students find them easier than CBSE students.

In my opinion, if you're an NRI student, wishing to pursue further studies in India itself, then ICSE is probably the best option. Although it isn't as popular as CBSE, it is still widely reputed. Compared to CBSE the exams are slightly more difficult, but ICSE has one advantage when it comes to exams: choice. For example, in 10th Grade Maths, in Section B, you are only required to attempt 4 questions out of the given 7 questions, whereas these types of choices are not provided by CBSE. However, ISC follows the CBSE pattern (less choice), but questions have greater difficulty. For NRI students pursuing engineering in India, the SAT exams are a boon, but State Boards, CBSE nor ICSE specially prepares you for SAT's. However, it is to be noted that, since the standard of education, especially English, in ICSE is higher, students from ICSE tend to do better in these exams. In all ICSE is almost a perfect option. Final verdict for ICSE is 8.5/10.

Now, ISC is for 11th and 12th Grade. There are a few facts that are important to remember here. First, the number of people in ISC is low: 80,000 in ISC compared to 11,00,000 in CBSE. This implies less competition, which is a pro. However, putting it bluntly, ISC is harder than CBSE and even ICSE. The difficulty is not about passing (which is fairly easy), its about getting high enough marks, such as 80's and 90's. If you chose the stream that's correct for you, and if you feel that you can do well enough, then ISC is a good choice. However, I've seen many people take science stream, but not been able to cope with it. If you can handle it, the next hurdle is entrance exams, which ISC doesn't cover. For this, even if you are in CBSE, it's better to go for coaching classes. I think that ISC is underrated, and that there is a good chance of scoring well here. Final verdict is 9/10 (provided you want to study further in India).

ICSE VS CBSE (LKG to 10th):

ICSE: Fees are usually higher. Less popular among all students. More popular among NRI’s. Importance given to all subjects. Syllabus is a little more difficult, but suitable for SAT exams. Scoring (especially in English) is tougher. English is of a higher level.

CBSE: Fees are usually lower. More popular among all students. Less popular among NRI’s. Importance given to Math and Science. Syllabus is easier. Scoring is easier. Basic level of English.

For 11th and 12th Grade, if you're opting for medical or engineering, regardless of whether you chose ISC or CBSE, it is better if you take a coaching class for entrance exams. However, many people think that CBSE is enough to crack exams like JEE or NEET, but in my opinion, it's very difficult to do it without coaching classes. If you decide to take CBSE, it is a good option, but I had several reasons for choosing ISC:

• I was very comfortable at the school I was at, and I didn't want to shift schools, so I decided to take ISC in the same school, which had teachers I was familiar with.
• ISC Science and Math is at a higher level than CBSE and it can be slightly more useful than CBSE, when it comes to entrance exams.
• The number of people in ISC is less compared to CBSE (in a ratio of 1:14), but this means the competition is less. 
• Since I went to Allen (a coaching centre), I learnt high levels of Physics, Chemistry and Math, which helped me do well in ISC. Since studying for Allen, was more than enough for ISC, I really only needed to study for English and Computers.
• Computers (and Biology) are not extremely difficult, and if you've done good in 10th Grade in these subjects, then it will be easy to well in 12th Grade as well.

By writing all this, I mean to say that ISC isn't a bad option. I've seen that NRI people who shift to CBSE after 10th, put more focus on entrance exams rather than SAT, which isn't a good thing. The SAT's are an important exam for engineering for NRI's, and it's like a golden ticket. If you do well in the SAT's, then you can directly go to a great college like BITS or NITS, rather than studying for the much more difficult BITSAT or JEE. Many people have this outdated view that the only way to get into a top college is to go to either to an mentally exhausting school like Narayana or Chaitanya, or go to a school teaching CBSE, which doesn't prepare you adequately for entrance exams. Rather than going for these extremes, NRI's can thrive in an intermediate option, which is ISC. That's why I think, for NRI's pursuing  engineering in India, ISC is the most viable option. 

IB/IGCSE:

These Boards are different from the previous ones, because they are based off the American System of education. There are 3 different ways I've seen people incorporate IB?IGCSE in their education:

• Study from the beginning in this Board.
• Study till 7th/8th Grade in CBSE or ICSE then shift to this Board.
• Study till 10th Grade in CBSE or ICSE then shift to this Board.

The bottom line is that students who study in these ways usually plan on going to college in America. So if you're planning to go to a college in America, then these Boards are very helpful. They are also helpful for SAT's, but don't specifically teach for them. If you decide on going to college in America and choose IB or IGCSE the only question that remains is which of the three options should you choose. IB and IGCSE are probably the most expensive ones with fees triple to other Boards like ICSE. So it's basically a battle between money and experience. The more time you spend in IB/IGCSE the more money you spend. The first option ensures an adequate time experiencing the Board along with the school, exam papers and patterns, but that many years, means a lot of money spent on fees. The second option means that you only pay for 4 years and get 4 years worth of experience. The third option means that you only study here for 2 years, but only need to pay for that long. So based on your preferences and if you can spend that much money, any one of these options may be the right one for you.