In the 2019-20 Kolkata league tables of proprietary and franchised preschools, there’s only one new entrant in each category, perhaps indicative that the ruling TMC has not yet reversed the toxic legacy of 34 years of Marxist rule.
Political volatility supplemented by capital flight, corruption scams and varsity campus violence — the legacy of 34 years of toxic Marxist rule over the state which the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress party (TMC) has been unsuccessful in reversing — perhaps explains why the 2019-20 Kolkata league tables of proprietary and franchised preschools has only one new entrant in each category. This is in marked contrast to the league tables of other metros — Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai — which feature several newly promoted pre-primaries this year, indicating an entrepreneurial boom in the early childhood care and education (ECCE) sector which it is pertinent to note, is not subject — as yet — to the bull-in-china-shop regulations of government.
PROPRIETARY PRESCHOOLS
Promoted in 1964 as one of Kolkata’s first Montessori-inspired pre-primaries, Mongrace Montessori House, Short Street (MM-SH), has firmly established itself as the city’s pre-eminent preschool. In the EW Kolkata Preschool Rankings 2019-20, MM-SH is ranked the city’s #1 proprietary preschool for the seventh consecutive year with top scores under the parameters of teacher competence, teacher welfare and development, leadership, value for money and safety and hygiene.
Though the 647 sample respondents including parents of preschool children and ECCE principals and teachers interviewed in Kolkata by the Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting & Research (C fore) have retained MM-SH as the #1 preschool, they have voted for a major reshuffle of seating order further down the top table.
Swarnim International Preschool, NSC Bose Road, ranked #5 last year, has forged ahead to #2 pushing Mongrace Montessori House and Day Care Centre, New Town — an affiliate of MM-SH — to #3. Prarambh Preschool, BT Road has retained its #3 position even as Montessori Bal Nilaya, Lake Gardens, ranked #4 (6) and Little Steps School, Garden Reach, at #5 (11) have substantially improved their rankings this year.
Beyond the Top 5 too, there’s been a rejig in the EW Kolkata proprietary preschool rankings 2019-20 with several hitherto low-profile preprimaries rising in public esteem. For instance Stepping Stone Montessori House, Salt Lake has moved up to #6 (#9 in 2018-19), Bubble Blue, New Town to #7 (10), Little Scholars, Sarat Bose Road to #8 (17) and Leap Years Preschool, Bhowanipur to #10 (16).
Indeed the 26-strong 2019-20 league table of Kolkata’s top-ranked proprietary preschools is characterised by a major upheaval. Several pre-primaries have gained and lost rank indicating that the city’s aware and knowledgeable respondents have rewarded preschools focused on upgrading ECCE teaching-learning standards while demoting those that are slipping (see league table p.67). The only debutant this year is Morning Smiles Preschool, New Alipore, ranked #19.
FRANCHISED
Except at the very top where Kangaroo Kids, New Alipore has retained its #1 position for the second year in succession, the league table of Kolkata’s best franchised preschools has experienced a major shake-up. Tree House, Salt Lake ranked #6 last year is #2 in 2019-20, although Tree House, New Alipore, ranked #3 (2) has lost one rank. EuroKids, BB Block, Salt Lake has risen in the public esteem to #3 (5), Tree House, Ballygunge has retained its #4 spot and EuroKids, BJ Block, Salt Lake has slipped to #5 (3).
Franchisees of the Mumbai-based Kangaroo Kids chain of 100 preschools — which has been recently acquired by EuroKids International Ltd — have the maximum representation within the 15-strong Kolkata league table of sufficiently well-known franchised pre-primaries with six represented in 2019-20. Next is Tree House with three, EuroKids with two while the Delhi-based Little Millennium, Maple Bear and I Play I learn have one preschool each ranked in the Top 12.
Evidently the merger of Kangaroo Kids with EuroKids has had a beneficial impact on public perception with all Kangaroo Kids franchisees in Kolkata having improved/retained their rankings. For instance Kangaroo Kids, Bhawanipur has risen to #7 (#13 in 2018-19) and Kangaroo Kids, Bangur Avenue to #9 (11).
Ditto pre-primaries affiliated with the Mumbai-based Tree House chain of 200 preschools countrywide. The Tree House Ltd — a company listed on NSE — seems to have bounced back from its financial troubles which almost upended the company in 2017-18, and has improved its public reputation. Three Tree House franchisees — Salt Lake, Alipore and Ballygunge — are ranked among the Top 5 in Kolkata. In particular, Tree House, Salt Lake has risen high in public esteem, with Kolkata’s knowledgeable respondents promoting it from #6 in 2018-19 to #2 this year.