[NPV]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Our only concern is the difficulty level of the second language as compared to the third language. What do you guys suggest?

I think what Ranjit and Rajeev are saying is the most logical thing to do, but read on as I have a contradictory experience to share:
My daughter studies Hindi as the second language (ICSE) and Kannada as the third language (which is only upto middle school class 7).

Last year they introduced French as an alternative option for second language and many children opted for it though we continued with Hindi. Since the going was tough, especially the Grammar part, we got her into tuitions and since then she has improved very much and feels quite comfortable now. A classmate of my daughter was also in the same situation and joined Tuitions as well but still found it to be very tough. Both parents are Malayalees and after speaking to the teachers at school, guess what - they decided to switch to Kannada as second language

Like everyone else we were surprised too but turns out that ICSE Kannada is lot easier compared to Hindi and one can score very good marks with much lesser effort. The proof of the pudding is when my daughter's classmate has easily transitioned to Kannada and is scoring marks in the high 80's, without tuitions nor the parents helping her , all in a matter of 2 school terms this year.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Oxy

What do you guys suggest?

The reasoning would be based on where you intend to settle. If like Rajeev you don't see yourself settling in Bangalore and you intend to relocate to MH and further north, taking Hindi makes sense. If you intend to settle/already settled then it makes sense to take Kannada.

My experience, there are ways to learn Hindi privately and seeing TV/movies help a lot. I barely learnt 6 months or so formally, rest was through movies. On the contrary, my missus learnt Hindi as a second language and never had any exposure or usage outside. Years down the line, she hardly could get the correct words to speak when we were on our trip up north and I did all the talking. Being in TN, she couldn't read what was written either, that was another handicap that we faced.

[Oxy]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

We decided on Hindi. All your inputs really helped.

[A.R]

Guys, need some recommendations for good CBSE schools in Trivandrum, planning to get my son into class 5, presently in Bangalore.
Also, is Malayalam a mandatory language as part of the curriculum?

[vinay kamath]

Two prestigious schools of Bangalore open/invite LKG admissions

[penpavan]

Hi people, I have got admission for my daughter at NPS Banashankari for UKG (for 2017-18). We are in two minds whether to go ahead or not. Any reviews of the school will help me, I understand it is a franchisee of the NPS but I am not bothered about that fact as long as the policies of the real NPS are adapted, and I hear that they do. But any other points somebody might want to share, I will be very glad to hear. TIA.

[vinay kamath]

Another prestigious school of Bangalore opens/invites LKG admissions

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by penpavan

Hi people, I have got admission for my daughter at NPS Banashankari for UKG (for 2017-18). We are in two minds whether to go ahead or not. Any reviews of the school will help me, I understand it is a franchisee of the NPS but I am not bothered about that fact as long as the policies of the real NPS are adapted, and I hear that they do. But any other points somebody might want to share, I will be very glad to hear. TIA.

Finally admitted to NPS BSK. Realized there is no point putting lot of weight on the reviews and opinions about the schools. You will always get mixed ones.
Also I was a bit shocked to learn their transportation charges (its about 4KMS from my home) and charge is 20k a year. Not to mention already high tuition fees.
Anyway, now I only wish my daughter will have fruitful years in the school.

[Latheesh]

Need a help:

How about Montessori school from 3-6 years and joining regular CBSE school from 1st standard. Do the kid face any issues switching from Montessori to Regular school? I do not have much knowledge about Montessori schools, and would like to know from experienced parents before putting my son in one. I do not want to regret my decision later. Thanks.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Need a help:

How about Montessori school from 3-6 years and joining regular CBSE school from 1st standard. Do the kid face any issues switching from Montessori to Regular school? I do not have much knowledge about Montessori schools, and would like to know from experienced parents before putting my son in one. I do not want to regret my decision later. Thanks.

My daughter goes to a school that has the Montessori system followed by class 1-12 in normal CBSE Syllabus. Currently she is in Mont-3 (UKG). What this school does is that-In Mont-3, although the system is Montessori, they slowly start including some of the regular stuff that will be needed in 1st standard. (Simple example: Montessori is heavy on phonetics for spellings, but in Mont 3 they start getting the kids familiar with the normal way of spelling and alphabets)

Still need to experience the actual transition, but from what I see, there should not be too much difficulty in transitioning from a good Montessori system to regular school.

I have liked the Montessori system and way of learning. But the caveat there is that both the school and the teachers should be very comfortable with the Montessori system and should be well equipped for the same.

[dass]

Euro school in whitefield has been on a fee increasing mode over the last couple of years. What started out as a 60k annual fees for Jr. Kg in 2015 has not turned into 87k for 1st std. All this when they had assured during admission that fees wont increase for the first two years which we now learnt is just a hogwash.

If anyone is looking for admission at this school, do keep the regular fee hike in mind before you put down your money here. the fee hikes are in the rang of 18%-28% year on year for various classes.

[avimal]

Originally Posted by dass

Euro school in whitefield has been on a fee increasing mode over the last couple of years. What started out as a 60k annual fees for Jr. Kg in 2015 has not turned into 87k for 1st std. All this when they had assured during admission that fees wont increase for the first two years which we now learnt is just a hogwash.

If anyone is looking for admission at this school, do keep the regular fee hike in mind before you put down your money here. the fee hikes are in the rang of 18%-28% year on year for various classes.

This is the same case with vibgyor school here at Bangalore. They are increasing the fee 10% silently every year.

[kvish]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Need a help:

How about Montessori school from 3-6 years and joining regular CBSE school from 1st standard. Do the kid face any issues switching from Montessori to Regular school? I do not have much knowledge about Montessori schools, and would like to know from experienced parents before putting my son in one. I do not want to regret my decision later. Thanks.

I am a very big believer in the montessori system. My daughter is 5.5 years and I was in a big dilemma to continue her in the same system. Unfortunately elementary schools for montessori are still in infancy and they are expensive. I have admitted my daughter to a regular school (NPS) and I am reasonably confident she will adjust well (kids adjust way better than us elders )

The decision of montessori must be based on whether you are ok with the approach. It is a close knit environment where children of all ages are interacting. That way younger children adapt faster looking at the older ones and older children get the maturity (they are the bosses). To me, her positive experience over the last 3 years weighs a lot more than the initial glitches that she might face.

One thing is to make sure you are getting her into a school that is recognized.

http://www.indianmontessoricentre.or...dren-bangalore

Good luck!

[dailydriver]

Registration for seeking admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas across the nation is currently on. Here are the details:



On a related note, CBSE has made it mandatory for students to study six subjects from the next academic year.

6 subjects mandatory for CBSE Class X - Vocational Subject Now Compulsory

Students appearing for Class X board exams from next year will have to study six subjects instead of five, with the CBSE remodelling its assessment scheme.

Class X students have to presently study five subjects -two languages, social science, mathematics and science. Students also have a choice of studying a vocational subject as an “additional“ course. However, from the 2017-18 academic year, it will be compulsory to study a vocational subject. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has remodelled its assessment scheme for Class X Board examination for schools offering vocational subject as compulsory subject under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)...

Students will have 13 options to choose from for the sixth subject -Dynamics of Retailing, Information Technology , Security, Automobile Technology , Introduction to Financial Market, Introduction to Tourism, Beauty and Wellness, Basic Agriculture, Food Production, Front Office Operations, Banking and Insurance, Marketing and Sales, and Health Care Services...

Full article available at: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/A...11032017012022

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

How about Montessori school from 3-6 years and joining regular CBSE school from 1st standard. Do the kid face any issues switching from Montessori to Regular school?

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

My daughter goes to a school that has the Montessori system followed by class 1-12 in normal CBSE Syllabus.

Most schools using the Montessori methods of teaching, use them at the pre-primary level (meaning prior to class 1 of regular schooling). Very few schools use them from Class 1 onwards. This is because the system is most impactful in that age group and gives the students a strong foundation. Unlike the LKG + UKG 2 year system, Montessori's are typically 3 years (Mont 1, 2, 3) and take children in the 2.5-3 year age group in Mont 1.

The learning aids/materials used, phonetics etc are very good, so children usually pick up the art of spelling words from the sounds and they work with a variety of toy-like materials that teach them things like counting, textures, pouring, Math, etc. The Montessori classrooms (called "Environments") emulate a family living kind of environment and are usually a mix of Mont 1, 2, 3 students, idea being children learn from each other also. They learn to take the materials out, share with others, place the materials back in their designated places, etc - a great way to teach responsibility and discipline informally. They even learn to tie shoelaces, tidy the floor, handle common objects in the kitchen safely, etc....it's a great system if done the right way. Of course, not all schools are really prepared with the staff and materials for this system.

I do not have much knowledge about Montessori schools, and would like to know from experienced parents before putting my son in one. I do not want to regret my decision later.

If you choose a good school that follows the Montessori system, you will not regret your decision. Identify the namesakes from the real schools and you will be very happy. The transition to regular schooling from Class 1 is also handled by the schools now since they introduce them to writing and using chairs and tables in Mont 2 or 3 onwards.