In a still largely conservative and patriarchal society where gender discrimination is rife, for cultural, theological and safety reasons, a sizeable number of parents prefer to enrol their girl children in all-girls school.

Even though the majority of newly promoted schools in the country are co-educational, the popularity of all-girls day schools has not discernibly diminished. In a still largely conservative and patriarchal society where gender discrimination is rife and sex crimes against girl children are on the rise, a sizeable number of parents prefer to enrol their girl children in all-girls schools for cultural, theological and safety reasons. Moreover, the country’s most respected girls’ day schools have built formidable reputations in their host cities for providing excellent academic results — they usually outperform boys/co-ed schools in school-leaving board exams — as well as rigorous co-curricular and sports education.

Consequently, it’s not surprising that the broad category of all-girls day schools — sub-divided in 2022 to create a new category of vintage legacy schools (over 90 years of age) — comprises 114 institutions (cf. 54 boys schools) indicating continuous demand for gender-segregated education for girl children.

In the latest EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR) 2024-25, the 8,700 sample respondents comprising parents, teachers, educationists and counsellors interviewed by the Bengaluru-based AZ Research Partners, have reaffirmed Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls Public School, Jodhpur (RKKGPS) as India’s #1 all-girls day school for the second consecutive year. However below #1 position, they have reconfigured top table seating.

Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata is promoted to #2 (#3 in 2023-24), Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur to #3 (6), Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad to #4 (5). Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh has lost ground and is ranked #3 (1) jointly with Sacred Heart Sr. Sec School, Chandigarh (2) .

Neera Singh, principal of the top-ranked RKKGPS (estb.1992), is “delighted and humbled” this 32-year-old school has retained its #1 ranking in a “competitive category”. “The management, staff and students of RKKGPS are thankful that our sustained effort to excel under all 14 EWISR parameters has been appreciated and rewarded by your survey respondents. It will motivate us to continue giving our best and nurture our girl students for leadership positions in society,” says Singh, an alumna of Rajasthan and SNDT, Mumbai universities with over 25 years of teaching experience in schools countrywide, appointed principal of RKKGPS in 2008.

Singh is especially satisfied that the CBSE-affiliated RKKGPS, which has 1,760 girl children and 152 teachers on its muster rolls, is awarded highest scores on the critical parameters of faculty competence (given double weightage), curriculum and pedagogy, sports education, and community service. “RKKGPS has been chosen by CBSE as a pilot school for implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, and our teachers are attending intensive training workshops to implement the curriculum and pedagogy reforms mandated in these documents. Therefore, I am not surprised that we have been awarded the highest scores for faculty competence and curriculum and pedagogy. Moreover, it’s very satisfying that RKKGPS is top-ranked on the parameter of sports education — we provide facilities and training for 25 games and sports and have recently laid the foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art sports complex,” says Singh.

Beyond top table, there has been a major rearrangement of seating in the Top 10. DAV Girls Senior Secondary School, Lloyds Road, Chennai and DAV Girls Senior Secondary School, Mogappair, Chennai have substantially improved their ranking to #6 (#9) and #7 (#12). Similarly, Sacred Heart Convent School, Jamshedpur has risen high in public esteem to be ranked #8 (#14). Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls, Delhi is promoted to #9 (#11) followed by Walsingham House School, Mumbai at #9 (#8). The previously unranked GD Birla Centre for Education, Kolkata has made an impressive debut at #10.

Sr. Mary Steffi A.C, principal of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jamshedpur (SHCS, estb.1945), is thrilled this CISCE-affiliated school has finally made it to the Top 10 league table of India’s best girls day schools with high scores under the parameters of academic reputation, co-curricular education, parental involvement, infrastructure and community service.

“We are very happy that in the latest EducationWorld survey, SHCS is ranked among India’s Top 10 girls’ day schools and #1 in Jharkhand. I attribute this achievement to the collaborative effort of our teachers and students, and unstinted parental support. There’s growing public awareness that in SHCS, we provide genuinely holistic education, enabling all-round development of our girl children — rigorous academics balanced with intensive co-curricular and sports education. The school average in the class X ICSE 2024 exam was 94 percent and in class XII ISC 87-90 percent. I am also pleased with our high score for infrastructure provision, as we have launched a massive campus upgradation drive including construction of a state-of-the-art new auditorium, additional classrooms, new pre-primary section and AI and robotics labs,” says Sr. Steffi, who took charge as principal in June. Currently, SHCS has an enrolment of 2,230 girl students and 70 teachers.

Likewise, Craig Anthony Lucas, principal of the CISCE-affiliated G.D. Birla Centre for Education, Kolkata (estb.1973, 2,800 students and 107 teachers), is elated about the school’s Top 10 debut with high scores under the parameters of curriculum and pedagogy, parental involvement, and special needs education.

“We are proud to be ranked among India’s Top 10 girls day schools, an overdue recognition. Established in Kolkata in 1973 by our founders Shri B.K. Birla and Smt. Sarala Birla, over the years, it has developed into one of Kolkata’s best day schools. Our high score for curriculum and pedagogy is especially gratifying as we review and revise the curriculum continuously, focusing on experiential learning and age-appropriate implementation to accommodate individual development needs and collective creativity,” says Lucas.

Further down the 66-strong league table of India’s best all-girls day schools, several institutions have risen in public esteem. Acharya Shri Sudarshan Krishna Niketan, Patna has leapfrogged to #15 (47), Carmel High School, Patna to #16 (37), The Diamond Jubilee High School for Girls, Mumbai to #20 (29), Shaw Public School, Kolkata to #25 (41) and Navnidh Hassomal Lakhani Public School (Girls), Bhopal to #31 (49).

Moreover, it’s pertinent to bear in mind that several schools ranked beyond Top 20 in the national league table are highly ranked in their host states and cities. For instance, Navnidh Hassomal Lakhani Public School (Girls), Bhopal, ranked #31 nationally is the #1 girls’ day school of Madhya Pradesh (pop.73 million); Aspee Kanya Vidyalaya, Bilimora ranked #43 all-India is Gujarat #1 and Sophia High School, Bengaluru ranked #30 countrywide is #1 in Karnataka (pop.68 million). (For vintage legacy girls day schools see p.274).

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