Yes, it is true that Indian Schools (at least the good ones) expect the parents to have a substantial involvement in their kids education. It is not uncommon for mothers to quit jobs for the sake being with their kids, especially during the few years leading up to the crucial school leaving exams. I wouldn't say they stay home to help them with homework and such, but to take care of everyone of their children's needs so that the kids can concentrate on studying.

Posted by: on September 10, 2003 02:07 AM

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Schools have strict admission policies, particularly in higher classes because a school's reputation mainly depends upon the board result [nationwide standardised exams for class X and XII] it delivers. To deliver a great result, they must admit students with exceptional academic backgrounds.

Another reason is that unlike the US or Japan ours is not an egalitarian society. Even in large cities, you can find people from all walks of life. The divide is sometimes staggering to an outsider. Restricting admission to only a few is a way to filter out students who may not come up to the standards held by the school.

It's completely untrue that a child is rejected because of a working mother. That never happens. In an urban household, it's very common to have both the parents working. The interviews are simply to judge whether the environment at home is conducive to the standards that the school aims to provide to the child.

There are some schools in Delhi that impart compulsory western music classes to the child from class I, provide air-conditioned buses to them and get their lunches from five-star hotels. Then, there are also those that admit students only from a particular sect or community.

Of course, most schools do provide an egalitarian environment and do not restrict students based on their background. What's more important is the child's academic record and the fact that parents are well educated and can provide an environment necessary for the child's balanced growth.

And it's only the private schools that admit students through interviews. Those held by the government have no such policies.

About the amount of homework kids get... actually it is uncommon for a 4th grade student to have 4-5 hrs of homework. The average - I'm told - is only one hour.

Both my mom and my sis teach so I do know a little bit :)

Posted by: Manu Sharma on September 10, 2003 01:07 PM

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Hey John, if you wanted me to say something, you coulda just asked straight. ;)

It's been more than a decade since I went to school, but 4-5 hours does seem a bit unrealistic here.

That said, the exploding population of my country is not making admissions into good schools any easier.

And what Manu said...

(What's a banana lassi? We have lassis here, but never seen a banana-flavoured one.)

Posted by: MadMan on September 10, 2003 02:14 PM

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I don't think 4-5 hours of homework is a good idea. The Asian educational system geared to create "super students" has resulted in ridiculously high suicide rates, mental health problems, substance abuse. The Asian educational system there is also a problem for 2nd generation immigrants in North America. Immigrant parents are unaccustomed to the slackness of the educational system here (and the culture). I've had the displeasure of experiencing this culture gap myself.

Posted by: Francis Wu on September 13, 2003 05:37 PM

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Three features in today's paper discuss this issue.

Admissions restricted here

What Forms Ask

'No selection criteria at this age'

Posted by: Manu Sharma on September 14, 2003 03:13 AM

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