Jostle for the best

Ranchi, Nov. 22: Rising fee structure has failed to deter parents from flocking to city schools to seek information and to collect admission forms.

Take for instance Punit Kapoor, a government employee, who does not mind spending an exorbitant sum on her daughter’s education at one of the most expensive city schools, Sapphire International School, located on the Ranchi-Khunti road near Hardag.

Even though the admission process in nursery classes is getting costlier by the day, city parents are not backing out. The trend is evident from the serpentine queues seen at some of the city’s most prominent schools.

While it takes Rs 150-500 to admit a child in an ordinary school, in prominent schools, it ranges between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1 lakh.

Many eager parents could be spotted seeking admission forms at kindergarten schools like St Mary’s, Euro Kids, Bachpan, Guru Nanak Higher Secondary School, Kairali, Army School, Oxford Public School. Meanwhile, many schools like Delhi Public School, DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali have decided to announce the date of sale of forms in December.

City nursery schools have started distributing forms from the second week of November that is expected to continue till the third week of December. Anupama Singh, the principal of Sapphire International School, said they provide their students with sports, food among other added facilities.

“We are providing world-class facilities which no other school offers,” said Singh, before adding that the school has classes from kindergarten to Class VI. “The basic criterion for admission which we see in students is aptitude. We receive good response as nowadays parents want to give the best education to their children,” she added.

“We charge an annual fee of Rs 60,000, while the admission fee, including registration charges, cost of the form and caution money come to Rs 45,500. Of that Rs 20,000 is refundable,” Singh said.

Likewise, Anupama Singh, who runs Euro Kids, has started the admission process for the playgroup, nursery and Lower KG classes. “From November 15, we sold 100 forms at Rs 200 each.” Admission charges come to Rs 7,000. “We also give study kits to the children. The monthly fee is Rs 6,000 for all classes,” said Sinha.

“These schools, which are coming up, do not pressurise the child and the playway method has become a hit in big cities. So, we thought of admitting our child in one of these schools. Earlier, we had decided to admit our daughter elsewhere. Though it would have been cheaper, we had to spare a thought for our daughter’s future,” Rita Kapoor, a mother said.

Even the director of Bachpan play school at Kanke, Anil Kumar, said: “Money is no longer a criterion for parents eager to admit their children in good schools.”

However, the principal of Oxford Public School, S.B.P. Mehta said: “We do not lack in providing quality education. We charge just a monthly tuition fee of Rs 150 for nursery class. The cost of admission is Rs 7,000Ranchi has the lowest fee structure compared to other cities in the state.”