Class Apart

“You have to be an ace in Hindi,English,mathematics and general knowledge,at a level that is exponentially higher than usual,” says Mehra. “People take their kids to Dehradun to prepare for the entrance. That is when I thought of starting a coaching centre here to train children to crack the boarding school entrance tests,” she adds. While Mehra focuses on general knowledge,Anuradha Dutta hones the English language skills,Sanjeev Chopra teaches mathematics with Indu Khetarpal imparting lessons in Hindi.

But why do parents remain obsessed with boarding schools? “These institutions instill confidence in children and develop well-rounded personalities,” says Mehra.

The age at which children are admitted differs from one school to another. “Doon starts from Class VII,Mayo from Class IV,Welhams from Class V. The sooner the better,as by Class VII,children tend to have fixed ideas and friends and do not react well to separation,” says Mehra. This necessitates additional counseling for children and parents who have to be made aware of the demands of a boarding school. “Our clients include rich people from Mumbai,Delhi and Punjab,including affluent farmers — the parents usually have high ambition while the children suffer from low motivation,” she says.

With parents increasingly finding it difficult to spend quality time with kids,boarding schools act as a blessing. “Even if you have enough time,I would still want parents to send their children to boarding schools,” says Renu Walia. An advocate by profession,she gave it up to prepare her son for Doon School. “After a year of hard work,he was admitted with flying colours. Today,he has changed from a mediocre and submissive student to a smart and confident lad,” she adds. “All city schools do is add to the burden of studies,books and homework. There is hardly any attention paid to extra-curricular activities or personality development,” she adds.

Eight years after her son was admitted,Walia now runs classes along with Jayashree Raina and Varun,operating out of their homes in Sectors 34 and 35. “Over the years,the number of children preparing for such entrances has increased. Parents do not seem very happy with the standard of city schools and the antiquated curriculum they have on offer,” says Raina,who hones English skills and charges about Rs 2000 per month. “There are hourly charges too according to the need of the child and time devoted for the necessary training,” she adds.

The tutors feel that a minimum of six months is needed to prepare for the tests,though there are crash courses too. “Children hardly read these days,preferring to remain glued to the internet or television. They barely know Hindi and even mathematics is a tough subject for them. Boarding schools set very high standards,with written tests and interviews and different formats for different schools,” says Mehra.

“Children learn to value money,time,education and home. They understand and respect independence,inculcate manners,become self-reliant and develop a spirit of healthy competition,” Walia signs off.