The concept of boarding schools is extremely old, mainly meant for the elite or those who wished to be absorbed into priesthood or take up a religious vocation. They were primary associated with a convent or monastery and it wasn’t easy to secure admission into one. The concept was most prevalent in Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland that has later taken proportions of a slight’ snootiness’ around the label of being educated in a boarding school, especially in India.
Boarding schools today
Currently, boarding schools provide a wholesome educational and growth environment to children. They are self sufficient home-away-from-home and provide state-of-the-art facilities in sports and fine arts. The boarding experience has (most of the times) a positive impact on the overall personality of a child, focusing on his/her hidden potential and making concrete effort to bring it to surface.
The boarding school experience is being preferred by many working parents today. However the whole educational proposition is extremely tight on the pocket. They are architectural marvels that are usually set away from bustling cities, giving a peaceful and rich green environ to children to grow and thrive in. These elite schools are either for only boys, girl or can be co-educational facilities as well.
Best out of the lot
According to popular statistics, the best boarding schools comprise of the following:
- The Doon School, Dehradun
- Bishop Cotton School, Shimla
- Mayo College, Ajmer
- Rishi Valley School, Chittoor
- Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer
- Sherwood College, Nainital
- Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun
- Welham Girls School, Dehradun
- New Era High School, Panchgani
- Lawrence School, Sanawar
Salient features
Boarding schools that are conservatively known as ‘private schools’, will always have seasoned, cultured and well mannered team of educationists. They are not interested in rote learning, but actually ‘teach’, opening a new world to the children and giving them the pleasure of education. Such boarding schools also have a set and well organized curriculum that gives a sense of fair play to your child. Their coffers are full, so you know that your child’s need (and more that) is taken care of. Moreover, these schools are extremely strict and disciplined and expect parents to respect that- that is what you are paying your child to go there for. Obviously, parents are expected to shell out huge amounts of money to send a child to such elite educational establishments.
Sense of belonging
If you have been associated with a boarding school, chances are you will associate with that feeling for the rest of your life. Yes, the sense of ownership and belonging is extremely strong. The grooming and upbringing speaks for itself and such batch mates will associate, bond and get together, even after 20 years, like a house on fire. When you are away from home, you essentially learn to look for comfort amongst your peers and teachers. A good boarding will fill this gap and create an environment of happy growing up and nurturing.
Academic excellence
The best boarding schools are known to produce the best scholastic and co-scholastic results. That is because the systems and disciple is so tight that children are molded and their energies are channelized from a very young age. A sense of community living and working together is also achieved at this stage. All this helps children develop the right kind of skill set they need to be employable or be absorbed into a competitive work environment.
Hopping onto the business bandwagon
Educationists vouch for the fact that the entire process to starting your own boarding school is far more tedious that bringing up a child. However, owing to the sudden preference of cash rich parents opting for boarding facilities over private schools in vicinity, a boarding school guarantees to be a profitable yet noble business option. You may decide to take a franchisee model or start on your own, but be prepared to invest finances and time on establishing a credible brand.
