India is now in second place in ‘the number of International Schools operating in the country’ – just one position behind China.
Back in 2012, it was two ranks behind China, with UAE, and Pakistan ahead.
In 2012, India had around 313 international schools with approximately 1.52 lakh students. But now, in 2019, there are about 708 schools with 3.73 lakh students enrolled in them. Along with the rise in International Schools, the enrollment of local children into these schools has also increased in the past years.
According to a report by The Times of India, local children have outnumbered the children of expats – the market to which such schools used to cater to.
“As in many other countries, parents in India have high aspirations for their children’s education. There is growing recognition of the advantages of private education, including international education,” International School Consultancy (ISC) director Richard Gaskell said.
A big roadblock that the parents face is the exorbitant fees. However, many schools have lowered their fees in order to accommodate more students. Gaskell remarked, “The average annual fee of International Schools in India, is among the lowest in Asia, at $3293.”
The most prominent foreign curriculum in India is Cambridge Secondary, Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Advanced programmes. The secondary programme is delivered in 56.6% of the international schools in the country, with IGCSE being the primary board for examination.
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