Everything You Need to Know About Boarding Schools in India

The tradition of sending children to boarding schools in India has existed for centuries. In ancient times, gurukuls provided children with academic, physical and military training at the guru’s ashram. Today, there are many modern boarding schools scattered across the county that focus on providing holistic education to students.

Here is everything you need to know about boarding schools in India:

1) Academics:

Most private boarding schools in India have always been associated with academic rigour and smaller class sizes when compared to their counterparts. Some may even offer a wider variety of subjects than day schools. Traditionally, many schools such as The Emerald Heights International School, Indore, offered only the central boards, either the CBSE or the CISCE. Recently, more schools have started offering international curricula in addition to the Indian curricula. For example, at Jain International Residential School, your child will sit for the national CBSE board exam or the IGCSE in grade 10, before deciding between CBSE, A-levels or IBDP for grades 11 and 12. Some schools, such as the Kodaikanal International School, offer only the IB curriculum.

Below, are some schools and the boards they offer:

* School offers both day and boarding options
** Individual schools may offer different curricula

2) Admission requirements:

The education requirements are extremely school-specific, however, there are some similarities. Most schools will require your child to have high academic scores in all previous years, especially the previous two years. Along with this, your child needs to be proficient in English. Some schools, such as Jayshree Periwal International School, may also require your child to sit an entrance test. This might be a general academic test or be in particular subjects, such as English, Hindi or mathematics.

3) Application process:

Each boarding school has its own application process and your child will have to directly apply to each individual school. Many boarding schools accept students from a young age. However, schools do allow students to transfer before grade 9 or grade 11. Admission to boarding schools in India is competitive and you will need to start your child’s application at least one year in advance. However, many schools may require you to register your interest when your child is just a toddler. The application form will generally ask you to provide some basic details about your family and child, including information about their current school. Along with this, you will need to send your child’s school records from the previous two years. Other than this, some schools may have certain additional requirements such as recommendation letters from teachers, essays or personal statements and even an interview, which is the case at Woodstock School, Mussoorie. The interview can be done when your child visits the campus or virtually if that is not possible. Apart from this, you need to be aware that deadlines for each school vary. For example, UWC Mahindra College, Pune has a fixed deadline in September, while The International School of Bangalore has rolling applications.

4) Fees:

The fee structure for boarding schools varies depending on the curriculum. On average, a boarding school would cost about INR 10 lakhs per year. The fees will include your child’s tuition, boarding, extracurricular fees and meals. Expenses such as school trips or private lessons will be additional. Scholarships are rare, however, some schools such as The Doon School, do offer financial assistance.

One of the main benefits of choosing to send your child to a boarding school in India is the proximity to home. Alternatively, you could consider boarding schools in the US and Canada, the UK or Switzerland. When deciding on which boarding school is right for your child, we encourage you to visit the campus. For more information, get in touch with us.