Elementary and secondary school education in India is available for many pupils from the ages of six to eighteen; however there are limitations on the availability of schools, teachers and educational materials particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged areas which, when coupled with the fact that there are high levels of extreme poverty across India, means that only around 60% of the population is fully literate with over 50% of all female students remaining illiterate throughout their life. 

For expatriate parents seeking the best alternatives for their child in terms of their education in India there are many considerations to go through, but thankfully there are almost as many options open to parents who can afford to educate their children privately which means that the majority of people find an acceptable solution to their children’s schooling requirements.

The decisions taken by expats living and working in India will be dictated by a number of factors including the duration of their proposed stay in the country, the age of their child, and any specialist educational needs they may have as a result of disability or advantage for example, as well as the amount of disposable income the family has available to pay school fees. 

As a rule of thumb one can say that the younger the child and the longer the duration of stay proposed for the family in India, the more likely the child will be to adapt to a local school…but if the child will be returning to a previous educational establishment after their parent’s sojourn in India or they will be required to complete the British GCSE and A levels, the International Baccalaureate or the US High School Diploma for example, then an international day or boarding school will likely be the preferred choice.

The majority of international schools available in India are located in or close to the main centres of employment.  Children can study for a range of education qualifications with schools such as the popular private boarding school Kodaikanal International School teaching GCSE and A levels, the International Baccalaureate and the US High School Diploma for example.  There are private schools, religious schools, Montessori schools and schools teaching a wide range of national curricula from around the world in India.

Expatriate families who relocate to India usually have at least one family member in fulltime employment, and because the majority of jobs in India are located in centres such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, so are the majority of international schools.  A quick search on the Google Directory will return a healthy list of educational institute choices in these locations such as the Jain International Residential School in Bangalore, the International School of Hyderabad which follows the British National Curriculum and the Cambridge School in Kolkata which is directly affiliated with Cambridge International Examinations from the University of Cambridge.

Expatriate parents who are relocated to India by their employer should look to them and their personnel department for initial guidance when it comes to education in India for their children; whereas those moving themselves to India will have to research their options depending on their location and the best place to start is probably the internet.