Friday, June 26, 2009

Reviews On Prakriya Green Wisdom School,ICSE,Sarjapur Road

I am putting the review in my blog as so many parents are concerned about the alternate way of education which Prakriya follows.Hope this helps them to decide.I have put across some of the reviews got from other parents as well.

Prakriya follows unconventional way of teaching.They mainly teach kids once they are ready to take it..For my kid writing ABCD starts only when she is in UKG/1st Standard.Kids develop their hand coordination by that age .So they shouldnt be forced to write.Thats what school says and i do believe in that..

But at the same time ,they give drawings,painting sheets and other work sheets which helps the kid to improve the hand coordination.My kid though none taught her writing ,she writes on her own by looking at alphabets and i just correct her mistakes.So she takes her own time to learn and she is happy because noone is forcing her.

We shortlisted cambridge school and Prakriya and when we went to meet the school incharge ,we selected Prakriya as Cambridge headmistress told us openly that they want kids to get ranks and they give only preference to studies.We found Prakriya to be good for

1) Unconventional way of teaching.We wanted our kid to learn everything taking her own time than having so many pages of homework everyday.When i asked some schools ,they just wanted to get ranks for kids which is against my way.I wanted my kid to enjoy every step in her life,play and learn along.

2) School had lots of place to play with trees around and it is not like only concrete buildings.Its almost similar to our village schools.They also have a pond with fishes and a small hill all made by kids of higher standards as that was one of the projects they had to complete for their class.

3) They promote healthy eating habit - no choclates,cakes or other stuff allowed in school.For birthdays also ,only fruits/chikkis allowed.

4) Teachers are very good and they understand students very well.Also teachers undergo training every year for improving their skills.Teachers are called as aunties and kids have entire freedom to talk to their aunties.In lower KGS ,you can also see kids freely sitting on teachers lap not a familiar picture anywhere in Bangalore nowadays:)

5)I am happy with overall development of my kid.My kid was earlier put into a school where she was taught ABCD and all eventhough she was only 2.6 which was very difficult for her..here they teach everything in the right age which is helping my kid a lot...

My kid understands whatever she learns and she knows how to apply it or explain it to others.She is not byhearting everything.They learn everything in a fun way either going for outings or through skits which teachers do for them.for ex:- they teach word reflection by showing kids their reflection in water and also telling stories.

6)Everyone say the right things and don't overcommit on something..they say right things even if it is not easy for us to digest...I like this as some schools promise so many things and they dont even give that..so many of my friends had that problem.

7)In addition to the curriculum prakriya takes positive steps in terms of making children closer to nature, making children aware of problems faced by the urban world, through the projects, field trips, street plays etc. (From reviews by another Parent)

8)Teachers follow the Prakriya methodology at higherclasses as well. Usually most of the teachers come well prepared forthe classes with lots of examples and also when theyteach, they simplify the explanations to a greatextent so that the child understands. Also, the teachers use alternative mechanisms formaking the concepts clear if at the first shot it is not understood well. They make good use of audio-visual aids.(From reviews by another Parent)

9)The children are given lots of self-studyassignments which improves their information organizational abilities.(From reviews by another Parent)

10). The child is asked to make presentation in the class on a particular topic again which will improve general public speaking skills and presentation skills.(From reviews by another Parent)

11)Language teachers are putting in lots of effort to ensure that the child learns a particular language in both oral & written skills. They encourage children to read news papers, news items on TV, write on their own etc...which is again good. Other teachers are also good.

I do remember one incident where my kid wanted to see Chandrayan telecast in the news.It seems her aunty (they call teachers as Aunty) told her to watch it.She asked me to call her up in the early morning so that she can watch the news.Remember that she was only 4 and normally @ this age we dont talk so much about the happenings.She knew all the planets and what is milky way and she was able to explain all these in her own terms.This all she got from school as i never taught her.I was really surprised.

Will kids face any problem in joining other schools??
This was there in our minds when we opted for the school ,then we got mail from parents whose kids were in higher standards and they all mentioned one thing -their kids were good in everything not only in studies.also they were able to think independently.We are really happy to have put our kid in Prakriya and we want her to complete her studies till 10th in Prakriya.This year schools first 10th standard batch will be coming out.So you can also see the results.One of my collegue aso joined his kid in LKG and he is really happy with the improvements he is seeing in his kid.

This school is good for you if you are the person who doesnt compare your kids every now and then with other kids of same age and also if u give preference to kid's overall development than only concentarting in studies.If u compare ur kid with the kids of the same age ,then u can find slight difference as in other schools in pre nursery itself they teach ABCD forcefully but here its not the case.But i think higher standards wont be having much problem.

One parent asked me about admission procedure in Prakriya.I forgot to mention it in the post.Please find the same below.

Admission process is very simple in Prakriya.
-You have to fill up a form regarding kid's details and other information.
-Scool will call you for a meeting where they will discuss the concepts on which the school is based on.There is no interview for the parents.
-Kid has to be put into a class with other children where teacher just observes the kid.No questions asked.No interviews.
-They will put up the shortlisted list of names after a week.

One more review which i found about the school
In ParentTree

One more review which i found about the school
From Vishwa

Please note:- There are more than 100 comments for this post. Please do read the comments too as some parents has shared negative reviews on Prakriya too.

184 comments:

  1. Hello,
    I was searching for PRakriya school and came across your post on it. I was so much impressed, that I have decided to look up the school for my kid this year. I have posted a link to your post about the school so that others can see your review. If you wish to remove the link, you may write back. I have posted the link here:

    http://schoolsbangalore.blogspot.com/2009/08/prakriya-green-wisdom-school.html
    Hope you have still good reviews of the school now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THIS IS THE WORST SCHOOL trust me .they are frauds they take toom much make and its not worth it .and say you son or daughter becomes older it becomes teachers are bad rules are stupid . the government school have better facilitates . the main thing as a kid in school is competitions and they have it because some kids cry if they don't win . i suggestion dont put your child there

      Delete
  2. Thanks Ritat.

    Though i mailed you personally ,i am just updating my blog with the reply.

    I hope link which you posted in schoolsbangalore will help other parents as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi..i was also looking for reviews about this school. This was very informative. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi- thanks for the detailed review. Any idea how this school compares with The Valley school(Krishnamoorthi foundation)-Blore?

    Raji

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Raji.

    But i dont have any information about the Valley school.You can check out in
    www.parentree.in and http://schoolsbangalore.blogspot.com

    Hope this will help you

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, we are considering Prakriya for our daughter and this review was a very helpful guide for us.

    Could you also share some thoughts on the actual admission process, the interview for the parents and observation of the child..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Debleena,

    Admission process is very simple in Prakriya.You have to fill up a form regarding kid's details and other information.

    They will call you for a meeting where they will discuss the concepts on which the school is based on.There is no interview for the parents.

    Kid has to be put into a class with other children where teacher just observes the kid.No questions asked.No interviews.They will put up the shortlisted list of names after a week.

    I will surely add this also to my review.Actually i missed to mention this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. hi i heard that little kids are made to sit in dusty floors and the school is dirty... Is it true??

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cynthia,

    Kids will be sitting in mats and not on benches.I found this to be very good and never saw dusty floor or dirt in the school.

    Ofcourse you can't compare with other schools with imported furniture and AC.It all depends on whether you are ready to accept the concept of the school or not.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi
    Thanks a lot for that detailed review.could u please let me know about the following points:
    age criteria for admission to LKG.(2010-11)My twin daughters will turn 3.8 by june.Is 3.10 mandatory?

    Donations if any?

    Annual fee sructure.

    Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sripriya,

    When i joined my kid ,they were really particular about the age..She was June born ,so somehow we could manage.You can check this with school.

    Not sure about the donations and fees as they got changed last year..for my kid i am paying 52,000 for an year..School has some other concepts where if only one person is working in the family ,then fee is little less.Better to check with school.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, my son just got through at Prakriya for prep. Your review is extremely reassuring as we plan to shift base to Sarjapur just for the school. Wanted to know if you have any idea how students post standard IV fare during the shift to formal exams.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your shifting will surely help your kid and you will be happy that you did it.

    I am not much sure about the shift to formal exams as am yet to experience it myself..my kid is in Prep II only..But i can state few incidents..

    I heard from one parent that due to some circumstances ,he had to move to Delhi so his kid had to attend entrance exam and he was really worried.But his kid performed well without much issues and also came first in the entrance.So he had conveyed this message to the Prakriya mail group appreciating teachers and the school for providing practical knowledge to kids.

    Recently ,i was in contact with a parent whose kid is in 2nd standard.They were really happy for their son as in Prakriya they teach kids everything through practicals that they have clear idea about whats happening around than just bookish knowledge.The same parent was planning to move the child from prakriya durng his prep 1 days as they thought he is not learning anything..:)..but after 1st std ,they changed their opinion and they are really happy for continuing in Prakriya.

    I am also a happy parent who feels that my kid should be in Prakriya till 10th..But it all depends on how you understand their concept than compairing Prakriya with other schools.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks a lot Ritat and others for the useful info. We have submitted the form for my son and now tomorrow is the observation. Plssss wish me luck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thats nice Manisha.
    We all wish you good luck and welcome to the family of Prakriya Parents.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello,
    I am pretty happy with the Prakriya way of teaching. I can see that my daughter (now in Prep II) has learnt many things in a practical way and she talks of eclipse, mythology (since they have role plays on mythological stories during festivals and many more). Now, I have enrolled my son also in Prakriya.

    And, regarding a query on age criteria, the cut off date is July 31st. The kid should complete 3yrs and 10mnths by July 31st else he/she will be eligible for Playgroup only. The school is pretty strict about the age criteria. Hope this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice to hear from you Saritha..Hope this will help all the parents.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi,

    Thanks a lot for your review of the school. We were very keen on the school and your blog confirmed our decision even more. Our daughter has now got admission for Prep 1 next year, so we are all set now to become part of the Prakriya Community

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Debleena,

    Welcome to Prakriya Family:)
    You will be really happy taht you are part of it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Smitha...

    Thanks for your work in helping parents like me.

    I have zeroed onto Prakriya and shishu Griha after much deliberations. Am actually looking for my daughters admission for the year 2011-2012. She would turn 3 in May 2011.

    Whats your view on Shishu Griha ? My only only concern is how would the children coup the demands of highschool, PU and college when they are nurtured the way thats did in Prakriya. I want to know from you how much of their education is oriented towards inculcating scientific temper. I am very particular on this.

    Am really confused....cannot give up and at the same time take outright decision. Plz guide me here.

    Regards
    Arun

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks a lot Arun.

    I don't know about Shishu Griha:(

    From the Prakriya parents of older kids ,what i could make out is that kids are good in all the levels -not only in studies and they have real knowledge on topics than just byhearting ,which helps them to excel in exams..This is what i heard from parents and am damn sure that even incase if school is lacking something (which i dont think so) ,by the time my kid or your kid reaches 10th .surely school would have improved in all fronts which will make it the best school.

    Prakriya concentrates more on learning by experiments be it science or any other subject.This helps the kids ..They had a project where school kids dig up a pond and learned about ecology

    I really love the school and would surely recommend the school to anyone who doesn't compare their kids with others

    You can go and talk directly to school authorities as well..

    Please do get back to me incase if you have more queries

    ReplyDelete
  22. Joji,
    This is not a place where you can advertise your education center.So please don't do it again

    ReplyDelete
  23. Aaron,
    I have deleted the comment that you inserted as it was not making any sense and i don't entertain comments without any meaningful information

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hello, Thanks for your review about Prakriya. We will be relocating to Bangalore soon and I am looking for a good school for my daughters ages 7 and 11..I am looking for an education without too much academic pressures, where my kids can nurture their talents and grow to be thinking, confident individuals, more of a holistic education. Do you think Prakriya is a good choice for me. Please give me any additional info, do they have transport facilities, fees, food etc..Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi vwadiyar ,
    Prakriya will surely suit your requirements and is a very good choice too.

    They do have transport facilities and canteen for elder kids where they provide healthy food.Fees- you can check with the school

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks Smitha, I have contacted the school and also filled their online forms,will visit the school soon.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi,

    I found your review of Prakriya very useful. We hope to try for admission for our son for the next academic year.

    Do you have any idea what the latest fee structure is? Is there any startup fee / initial payment?

    Do they have any sports facilities?

    Thanks,

    Jyothi

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Smitha,

    Your blog on Prakriya is the most comprehensive information source available on the Net. We currently reside overseas, and are planning a return to B'lore in 2011. Prakriya is our first choice for our kids - we visited the school and liked what we saw. One concern I have is on the approach road - is it still the same? When we visited one year back, it was very bumpy and must be rather tough for the kids to go through that every day? Or do they get "used" to it?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Vinod,

    Fees is on little higher end ..you can check with school for the same..

    Reg Sports ,they have tutors for the same.As my kid is in lower KG ,i don't have much ideas on what all are there..But they have dedicated day for sports where they are taught basket ball ,hulla-loop etc for lower KGS

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks Karthik.

    Prakriya is a very good choice..Approach road is much better than before..most of the parts are tarred.

    But don't worry abt that..Kids enjoy the bumpy ride and the shanthi path (temple on the way..where they should keep quiet)..My kid never complained about it instead they love it.She didn't even realize that road is bad :)

    It's all -us parents who worries much abt those..So don't worry..Your kid will enjoy the bus ride.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hello Smita, Both my daughters have secured admission in Prakriya and we are really excited about joining this year. Do you have any idea how old the school is, like how many years it has been functioning.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi vwadiyar ,

    Nice to hear abt your daughters admission..Congrats:)..
    For your question ,Prakriya's first 10th Standard batch came out last year..

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Smitha

    Thanks much for all the information. I'll certainly consider Prakriya for my child for Garde 1 admissions once she finishes her Montessori schooling. Any idea about who the promoters of the school are?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Any update on the Class X results of Prakriya school?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Sumedha,

    School is started by a group of teachers who felt the need to start a new teaching method so taht kids are happy and they learn too in the process..As far as i know ,there are no promoters as such..You can also check with school

    I am yet to get info about the 10th results ..might be once school reopens ,i may get to know..

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks Smitha. Will wait to hear from you on class X results. I'll contact the school directly regarding their background, promoters etc.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Sumedha,
    The school is registered under KNA Foundation and Prakriya was started in 1999.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for the update. I shall check out further details. I am sure they are a very sincere bunch of people since they seem to be doing such a good job. What were the Class X results?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Sumedha,
    10th results are on a average of 80%.Thats the information i got.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hi Smitha,

    Thank you for this detailed review. I was looking for a school for my boys (ages 6+ and 2+). The elder one already goes to Cambridge (HSR Layout). As you rightly observed, Cambridge is this typical traditional mindset school where exams and ranks take precedence over 'learning'. Having said that, my son has managed to do pretty well so far at least. However, we feel my younger one may not be that well suited to a conventional school set up and would be better off in an informal learning atmosphere. He has just started preschool.

    Since it makes a lot of practical and logistcal sense to send both kids to the same school, I was contemplating changing my elder one's school and send them both to a different school. It is this search for a 'different' school that brought me to Prakriya and eventually your blog. I strongly feel Prakriya is the closest to my idea of an ideal school. I thought it was a fairly new school but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it has been around since 1999.

    If and when you find the time, can you please answer the following questions:
    1. How far is the school from the Sarjapur Road-Outer ring road junction?
    2. Do they have a one-time donation/admission fee? If so how much?
    3. What would be the approximate cost per child per year (including fees and transport)?

    I am in the process of getting in touch with the school online and will probably get my queries answered, but would be really grateful if I got these inputs from you.

    Nice review again! and thanks in advance.
    Vasudha

    ReplyDelete
  41. Vasudha
    Thanks a lot for leaving your comment.You will really love the school..

    1. How far is the school from the Sarjapur Road-Outer ring road junction?
    It's about 20 mts from the Sarjapur signal.The roads are bumpy.But My kid loves her bus ride.

    2. Do they have a one-time donation/admission fee? If so how much?
    For 1st standard to 10th standard ,its around 24,000 and for Nursery,i paid around 10,000..This might be revised,so check with school

    3. What would be the approximate cost per child per year (including fees and transport)?
    Now it's revised to 66,000 inclusive of transport.

    They do have canteen facility too..this will be separate.

    ReplyDelete
  42. My son was born on 23rd Nov 2008 and he would be 2 years 7 months by July 2011. The question is what is the minimum age for admission to Prakriya?

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi Sridhar,

    When we put our daughter in playgroup ,they mentioned that kid should be 3 years by June 20 and that was mandatory.This was 3 years back..You can check with school now for the latest information.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Smitha,

    Thanks a lot for your review of the school.
    Do you have any idea how much stress they out on sports ? in terms of how much time, dedicated coaching etc ? From which std onwards ? Is Chess part of sports taught there ?

    Vinaya
    They mentioned they have 1 hour of dance/ music every day. Any idea whether they teach instrumental music ? and from what age it starts ?

    Do you know the school is compared to vidya shilp ?

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks Vinaya

    They do have sports hour (1 hr) from LKG itself.But i am not sure about dedicated coaching as my kid is in 1st standard only.

    Chess..am not sure..check with school

    They do have 1 hour of dance/music every day. My kid had a session where the uncle was showing them how to play guitar but that was just for fun..so do check with school

    I don't have any idea about vidya shilp ?

    ReplyDelete
  46. Dear Smitha,
    Thankx for ur informations and comments about Prakriya school.I am planning to get admission for my 3y 10m old kid for the year 2011.For that i have several queries about the school.
    1. Till which class they will teach in montessori method.
    2. They follow ICSE std.Then is it possible for kids to clear all CET exams in future.Becoz most of our common entrances focus on CBSE syllabus.
    3. Kids hve everything in practical manner..Then hw is their theoritical knowledge.
    4. i came to know they dont hve uniform is it true???becoz uniform make to see the kids without partiallity..
    5. After 10th whst the kids will do,,,They can get admission in other schools easily or in future they will get 11th and 12th.
    6.We hve 3 schools in our mind..CBSE school cum montessori method - Gear International, CBSE cum good knowledge to compete common entrances - New Horizon Gurukal and this Prakriya...(only thing i m thinking is this is ICSE School) Can u plz clear me out of these 3 schools.

    Thank u very much if u clear my doubts.

    Thankx,
    Thivya.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I am also concerned from the view point that you mentioned which said thier ICSE results are 80%.

    There bein g no pressure is fine... but the exposure should eb good too.
    We are not looking for a very sophisticated school ( no ac romms and elite background etc) but a swimming pool, good tesnnis court and solid training in sports is a must. We are looking for a school that doesn't put pressure from acdemics view point but they shoudl engage the kids totallya nd help them reach thier best potential.. Shouldn't be so cool that they become lazy . No so cool that they cannot handle pressure of ICSE later. No so cool taht they cannot compete outside..
    I heard that there is stress on Indian sports in Prakriya, which i am not keen on... If they have chess thats good but stress on kho kho, kabaddi doesn't make sense to me
    Do you know if they have gifted program ( where kids who have more potential are taught at a different level ) ?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Dear Thivya,
    I am sorry for late reply..

    1. Till which class they will teach in montessori method.

    >>Till 5th Standard

    2. They follow ICSE std.Then is it possible for kids to clear all CET exams in future.Becoz most of our common entrances focus on CBSE syllabus.

    >> My gut feeling is should be as kids understand the topics without blindly studying so should be able to apply anywhere

    3. Kids hve everything in practical manner..Then hw is their theoritical knowledge.

    >> Pretty good..heard from other parents as well

    4. i came to know they dont hve uniform is it true???becoz uniform make to see the kids without partiallity..

    >>They don't have uniform but till nursery one day is dedicated for school TShirt and once they are in 1st ,4 days are dedicated to School TShirt

    5. After 10th whst the kids will do,,,They can get admission in other schools easily or in future they will get 11th and 12th.

    >>Please check with school

    I don't have any comments about other schools.

    Thanks,
    Smitha

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi Vinaya,

    From your mail

    I would say that Prakriya is not a school meant for you as you won't be able to digest their philosophies..

    I would love my kid to excel in Indian sports as being an Indian they should be good at Indian sport than any other game.

    Also the way our kids perform is not totally dependent on school..It depends on his/her ability to cope up..It also depends on our hereditary factor too to a small extent..So wherever they are whichever school they are they will achieve good role in life if they are able to work hard and take life as it is..It all depends on Parents mentality too.

    Also i feel that all the kids are gifted in one way or other so you can't differentiate them..But yes ,we can surely differentiate kids who are really low performers and can't cope up with other kids..So Prakriya do have such programme where they give enough time for the kids so that they pick up and become fast like their counter parts

    Thanks,
    Smitha

    ReplyDelete
  50. Thankx Smitha..
    Really got cleared my doubts..
    I want my daughter to be Prakriya Student.Becoz she is by birth more independent.For that type of people Prakriya is good.Last week we wnt to school for admission..The road to school is very bad..So we were thinking to put my daughter after one or two years.till that period she will be going to same our apt school where pure montessori method teaching is going on..Anyway we go through admission process and want to see the teachers.
    And one more thing do u have any idea about last year results in that school.
    Thank you smitha..By the by where r u staying???

    ReplyDelete
  51. hello smitha,
    I came over your blog while searching for reviews on Prakriya. your Blog is really impressive :) The review is very informative and it helped us a lot in framing an opinion about the school. We are trying for LKG admission (2011 - 2012). Infact we are a bit tensed since we are not applying in any other schools.We really want our kid to be in an atmosphere like that in Prakriya.But I have read reviews on kids lacking general academic awareness in Prakriya .Is that really a concern? Also how do you rate the teaching faculty and language skills in children studying there? please reply me when you get time. We dont know any other prakriya parent :)

    ReplyDelete
  52. Thanks Thivya..
    Last year results were also around 80 %

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks Rukmini..

    I would suggest you to apply in 2 to 3 schools so as to avoid the tension as last year many kids whom i know didn't get admission in Prakriya..So just don't take any risk..It all depends on school authorities to decide the criteria on which they are taking kids..

    I never felt kids are lacking general academic awareness and if you have read somewhere then its better to ask your questions there as that would be the right place

    I would rate teachers in teh high scale and language ,as far as my kid is concerned (she is in 1st only) ,I am impressed

    Thanks,
    Smitha

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hello,

    We're relocating to Blore this Dec. Currently based on Kolkata.

    So naturally we're looking for a "good" school (though not clear about the definition of "good" here, at least to me). I do not have much idea about Prakriya, but I can, at least, resemble it with the Santiniketan (founded by Rabindranath Tagore), by looking the picture in their site. I hope they can keep up the standard.

    I've put them a mail. They replied the following:
    "
    Dear Parent,

    We thank you for your interest in our School.

    Kindly keep checking your mailbox regularly to hear from us on the registration dates.


    Thanks & Regards

    Prakriya Green Wisdom School
    Bangalore
    "

    When re-checking their website once again - I have found that they requested for an online registration.


    Thanks,
    Pradip

    ReplyDelete
  55. Pradip,

    I would say contact the school at the number given in their website..Dont wait for any online communication

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi Smita,

    Do you know if there is a private school van service from Prakriya as an alternative to the school bus they provide?

    Thanks
    Zeenita

    ReplyDelete
  57. Zeenita,

    I haven't heard of any parents using private school vans as the bus service of Prakriya is pretty good and it is secure too as there would be teachers and one maid who is available in the bus for kid's safety..

    ReplyDelete
  58. Dear Smita,

    Gud job!!. I am also a great follower of Prakriya's ideology. My daughter is in Prep II and she enjoys every moment in school. Parents should realise that only studies( ranks) will never a make a child a good human being. Being a Mother, I am very happy that I made a right choice for my child. And I am sure( when she grows up) she will appreciate my decision.
    Regards
    Meena Uthaiah

    ReplyDelete
  59. Thats a nice comment Meena..Loved it..:)
    Thanks for putting forward ur views abt the school

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi Smita,

    Is nursery admissions closed for year 2011-2012?
    Secondly what are admission fee? for nursery student

    -KK

    ReplyDelete
  61. @Anonymous : Yeah i heard its close..not sure..u can check with school too..normally admission process finsihes by sept nov time frame...Admission fee is increased this year and its on higher end too..

    ReplyDelete
  62. Hi Smitha,

    A great review abt the school. It definitely cleared all the Q's that I had about the school. I am planning to put my kid in Prakriya too, next year. But my only concern is abt the travel. We stay at HSR Layout and I am not sure if my 3 yr old can travel of 8-9Kms one way everyday. I heard admissions to I Std is a little tough. Is that so? Also, what are the school timings for KG's?

    ReplyDelete
  63. hi As,
    Thanks a lot for your comment.I had put my kid in Prakriya when she was of similar age..But she enjoyed the travel and sometimes by the time she is back,i can find her sleeping in the bus..But now she is grown up and she loves her trip..My opinion is not to worry about this part..Kids are very adjusting and they try to find enjoyment in whatever they do..

    Now admissions has become strict and tough as many parents are opting for Prakriya.School timings for KG's are around 9.30 to 12.00

    ReplyDelete
  64. Hi:

    Both my son and daughter are in Prakriya. My son who is Class 7 started from the beginning and both my kids like Prakriya as there is no pressure.

    When my son was in 4th his class aunty had gone on a 2 week emergency leave. The kids missed her so much that when she came back, they overpowered her with hugs. I think that is something you don't experience elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I have put my son in Prakriya this year and he'll be joining the Playgroup class starting in June.

    Looking forward to be part of the Prakriya family. And yes, the school timings are from 10:00AM to 1:45PM for the nursery section.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Hi Smitha,
    It was really nice to read UR blog and I appreciate how patiently you have tried to answer every Q. We moved from US and my son is currently inUKG @ Brigade Gateway Malleshwaram.the school does not allow the curious/ anxious parents inside and we are allowed to meet the teacher only 2 times/ year.
    Our son can read very well, can write stories and does basic addition and subtraction which he got his knowledge from Montesorri school back in US. Currently here there is no differentiating program and is the same homework for all the kids. My concern is, eventually he will get bored and slowly he might forget whatever was taught in his previous school and may loose interest in going to school. He dos not like to going to his school. He is an independent child and more of a visual learner.
    I would love to know your suggestion on putting him to Prakriya for grade 1.

    2. Also I wud love to know The teacher's attrition rate in this school? Do they keep changing? This wht I have heard my sister that all the schools in Blore are the same since teachers keep hopping for the fat salaries and there is no bonding between the student and the teacher as it is very essential. ( my son was with the same teacher for 2 yrs in his US school & she knew in and out of him).
    3. How is shibumi school?

    Kindly reply back . Thanks in advance.
    Rush

    ReplyDelete
  67. Hi Smitha,

    Thanks a lot for this wonderful website
    about Prakriya.

    I have heard a lot about Prakriya and I'm very keen on putting my son in Prakriya. My son is 1.6 years old (Jan month born).... Any idea what'z the age criteria for playgroup?

    What'z the ideal age for playgroup school? Can he get admission for this year ? or should I need to look for admission next year ie, 2012-13, when do they starting handing out applications etc.....

    Kindly help!

    Regards, Balaji

    ReplyDelete
  68. hi smitha,

    that was a more less complete description of prakriya. we know a family whose kids are in Prakriya. So we had decided to put our kids there even before we had them. We both are of the opinion that a school need not have fancy classrooms, bathrooms, swimming etc. We just want our children to be aware, independent and have good values at the end of the day. I dont care whether they do well in exams. But i had 2 Qs to ask you:
    1. Prakriya is quite far. In case the child is sick and parents are unable to reach soon, do they have adequate facilities to look after the child until then? esp for the nursery and KG children.
    2. would you be able to suggest any other similar schools where we can apply just in case he does not get admission at Prakriya. Prakriya is the first choice.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Hi Gayatri,

    Sorry for the late reply. Didn't check the blog for a long time.

    To answer your queries, I would say Prakriya is the best school for your kid. I love this school and my love for this school keep on increasing year after year. School is best for Visual learners as they teach kids by visual aids or via experimentation which helps to keep the basics right for any kid.My kid's basic's in any subject is really good that she can pick up/relate when she sees something new.I have seen and experienced this in my kid.

    Teacher's attrition rate is less as school has taken care in increasing their salaries.But this has affected us badly as the fees has gone up in few years.Fee is the only one concern I have about Prakriya.But this made sure that teacher's are happy and more and more teacher's are joining Prakriya and batches are also increasing per class.

    I read a lot about shibumi school.It's again gurukul way of teaching and no textbooks and it's far off from city.I have iterated with one of the founders and found them to be good. Prakriya also started in similar way and it took them years to get into a state where people are waiting to get in to the school.Similarly I feel that Shibumi will also come up in no time.But it all depends on our discretion to admit our kids there or not. We had a time when we had to rethink twice before admitting our kid to Prakriya as none of the parents used to support the Prakriya philosophy that time.We took a risk and we are very happy that we did take a risk.So surely check out Shibumi as well.Even check out Valley school. I heard that's also similar concept and heard good things about the school.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Hi Balaji,

    Prakriya is very strict about age criteria.For playgroup, your kid should be 3 years.Please verify with the school again.

    So you have few years before you can opt for the school.Please check with the school for the admission procedure.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Hi akamonica,

    Yes. They will take care. I would say that it's the basic framework in any school.

    About other schools, you can checkout Valley School and Shibumi as I suggested in my reply to Gayatri.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Hi Smitha,

    your blog comes up at the top when we search for review on prakriya:-). We'r actually keen on admitting our daughter to prakriya for the next year (in playgroup). a few queries/concerns that i have and it would help if you provide your views on them:
    a>One of the concerns that most people express is that while Prakriya is good for primary education, it does not scale up for secondary/higher education and i hear that a few parents have been taking their kids out of the school and putting them in other schools for secondary education?
    b>What are the current fees? i know it has increased from Rs 50k? but how much are the fees currently?

    thanks
    --sandeep

    ReplyDelete
  73. I myself have studied in Prakriya for 4 years,and i miss it sooooo much right now.Even though they give you a lot of homework,it still was the best part of my life <3

    ReplyDelete
  74. Hi Sandeep,
    Till now I haven't end up with a concern of moving my kid to other school as we felt Prakriya is best in education.But fee wise it's on the higher end which is one negative remark :(.

    My kid is only in 2nd standard now but I have heard only good report from the parents of higher KG kids too.Everyone who support Prakriya has a same opinion that kids understand a subject and learn and never ever mugg up which helps them to perform well in competitive exams too.Recently I had a chat with one mother who had both her kids at Prakriya and she happily added that her kids GK levels are higher and kids are more knowledgeable when compared to their counterparts.

    But at the same time I met few parents who were worried that their kids couldn't compete with other kids from all reputed schools. Here they were comparing the syllabus followed.So if you are worried about ranks, then Prakriya is not the one for you.

    Current fees is on the higher end. Please check with School Authority on the same.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Dear Smitha,

    This year we are trying for Prakriya for my 4 year old daughter for UKG.But they asked us to come on October 3 week..Is it correct period for admission enrollment.

    Already she is ahead in studies..When compared to other school syllabus,nearly 75% of UKG syllabus she covered now..So her teacher suggested me to continue here another one year...But i m worried about admission,,She is telling me if i put my daughter now in UKG,she will get bored of school.So can i block seat for I std in advance or else prakriya school will engage her in different methodology..(Depend on her knowledge they will teach or common syllabus for all kids as in other schools)

    My neighbor whose son was before in prakriya but now in dps.He is telling me the reason that his son is very fast in studies and all other activities.But school is too slow for him to teach new things....Is it true Smitha???Becaz all Montessori mtd teaching will allow kids to think in their own and full freedom to learn things right???

    Can u plz clear up the above mentioned things,,
    Thank you very much.
    Thivya.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Hi Thivya,

    I am really not sure on how to understand whether a kid is fast in study or not.Few kids they learn and know a lot but doesn't exhibit unless asked,few kids takes up time in understanding some topics which other kids may find it silly but at the same time they will be good at something else.

    In Prakriya each kid is given their own space and time but yes as a class you can all progress together only.No one is taught fast or special. But as a class they repeat the same topics again and again until all the kids in the class are fine with the same.It may be boring for few but it actually teach the kid about unity and they in turn try to help the kids who are slow which is a very good habit.

    Having said all this, I would surely say that Prakriya don't push a child or compel them to learn instead each kid learns at her/his own pace.But everyday they learn something new - be it something about gardening or something about eclipse or about gooseberries or rainbows or healthy foods ,pottery, weaving, kabbidi etc

    Your neighbor would have told so as he would have been interested in more fast paced learning which is in regular schools.To continue in Prakriya you need to understand the school philosophy though year after year school is forced to change something due to parents compulsion.

    Yes.Prakriya admission or any admissions in Bangalore start by Sept or Oct and it's very difficult to get admission in 1st standard than in UKG.So if you are planning to try in Prakriya, this is the best time.

    I hope I answered your queries

    ReplyDelete
  77. dear smitha,

    thankx for ur immediate reply..

    As u told, this year only i wnt to apply for prakriya..As parents we r in full support for prakriya..

    Currently my daughter is in Montessori mtd of learning.Watever u feel for ur daughter in prakriya as mentioned in ur review the samething i feel here from the day one of this school.Their strength is not more than 20.They r giving full concentration on my daughter.She is reading and writing 3 letter words now.Her teacher will introduce new things to her daily and give her practice until she fledged in that topic..
    I came to know only prakriya is giving the same in bangalore.That's wat i asked u that question.
    Anyway now i cleared in my doubts...Really very happy and eager to be a prakriya parent.

    Thank You,
    Thivya.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Thanks Thivya.
    Wish you all the best. Hope to meet you next year @ Prakriya.

    ReplyDelete
  79. smitha..
    it's really very shocking to me..This year for 2012 there is no opening for UKG in prakriya..They told us to keep on tracking them, once any transfer or any other case kid leaving the school then v get chance it seems..
    Hope God helps us..
    Pray for us.

    Thivya.

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  80. Thivya,

    That's a bad news.Nowadays more parents opt for Prakriya.So looks like there are no drop outs this time.
    You can try next year too.I hope your kid gets a seat next year.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Dear smitha,
    this week end we wnt to school to see the status of admission..There i got one shock.We enroll our kid name for prep2.But the incharge told that my daughter is eligible for prep1..Is it so???My daughter is August born.2007.
    Really if this is true then we have to leave this school option..Because she is already 10 months ahead in studies..Why we have to degrade her??
    Waiting for ur positive reply,

    Thank u,
    Thivya.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Thivya,

    You may have to look out for other options if you feel that your kid can pick up. Prakriya is very strict about the age.

    Thanks,
    Smitha

    ReplyDelete
  83. Hi,

    Our child is studying in Prakriya for the last couple of years. We initially liked the school and was impressed by the methodology that they have adopted. Yes, children do learn by doing, there is freedom of expression, and all "frills" that has been discussed in this blog. I would not like to reiterate the same. :) But while they focus more or extra curricular development, the focus on academics is lot less. While I myself do not advocate private tuition and never resorted to one in my life, I had to send my child for the same in Maths. This time I have opted for a much better form of coaching and the child is showing very good progress. I am not representing the coaching center and hence would not mention about it here or else it would look like an advertisement. :) The methodology of teaching Maths in Prakriya is not only bad, it's pathetic! Children were given problems in class that they have never dealt with before. The teaching methodology, steps are sometimes outright irrational. They were also forced to cram some of the science concepts without providing proper explanation. Thanks to our science background, we could help our child at home. Coming to history, the children were given photo copies/printouts of materials from the net. The prints were small and difficult to read even though I do not have myopic eye, I had to struggle to read them. :)How do you even expect a child to read that? It was an information overload, snippets extracted from the wikipedia. We did not send our child to "Prakriya" for this. It is "learning by cramming" rather than "learning by doing" especially for the middle school. Having said all that, I would still recommend Prakriya for primary section, or better still pre-primary (or anything of that sort). They inculcate moral values, compassion and freedom in the little ones! Cudos for that. But middle school and high school is disappointing especially if you would like to see your child to grab the concepts and survive in the cut-throat competitive age, IMHO. At least they can focus more than academics rather than holding symposium/workshop for "avoiding junk food". :)

    ReplyDelete
  84. Thanks a lot Anonymous for your candid feedback. I have heard lot of good reviews from middle and high school parents too and this is the first time coming across a bad remark.

    If possible, provide your email id too so that other parents can talk to you and make a decision on having their kids education @ Prakriya.

    As of now, I am happy with the education system.But as you mentioned ,my kid is still in primary.So may be yet to experience the same. So I am not in a position to comment on the same now.

    Also one more suggestion would be to complain the school authorities so that they can take care. I found that many cases related to education system, the parent's suggestions are considered.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Hi Smitha,
    Yes, I would like to talk to school authorities shortly about the issues that I have noticed, but my work is keeping me out of town for a short while. We had searched extensively on net before admitting our child here. We are doing the same again. :)
    The other thing that I would like to mention is that, does any of the parent think that the way the children are learning is good for them to tackle the competitive exams? How well do the children perform in the 10th board. How well can they equip themselves in the +2 with the knowledge that they build till 10th. How many students of Prakriya have come up with flying colors in the competitive market. The foundation should be strong and well laid at the very onset. Well, many might say, that is a different ball game all together and the school is not preparing the children for competitive exams. Agreed. But do our children having a good foundation for the same? My answer is unfortunately in the negative. As far as sharing email id is concerned, I may not be able to answer any specific question. I just posted my views and expressed my concern. I think Prakriya parents are intelligent, well read, good decision makers and some of them are in the highest echelon of the society. :) Who else can be a better judge? But thanks Smitha for your blog. It's indeed a commendable job. :)

    ReplyDelete
  86. Other thing that I would like to mention here, is as one of the parent has mentioned, that they are keeping the attrition low by paying the teachers handsomely. True. The burden is borne by the parents. Every year they are increasing annual fee and the amount is exorbitant! We do not really mind bearing the amount, but are we getting quality teachers. Having said that, some teachers are really good, understanding and not everybody forces the children to cram. But at least they can do some preliminary check to appoint the teachers. What I mean to say is if we are paying that high, then don't we deserve a better coaching as well. Is it worth that amount? I will give another example which is not related to academics. Children were issued house T-shirt for quiet a fancy price. I am sad to say it looks like a floor mop after few washes. The same question again? Did we get value for money? Here I am giving an example of house T-shirt, which can no way be compared with the future foundation of our child where price factor becomes secondary as long as we can afford. I am sorry to say it is not worth spending that huge sum for a very average (or may be a level lower) education that they are providing. My child talks freely, has good overall general knowledge, loves to watch scientific channels, discusses matters freely with parents, respects elders and has good moral ethics. I think there has been a good overall development so far. But as I said, they need to focus more on academics. Enough of lecture on "Food technology", nature-walk, gardening, needle threading (!!!!), usage of shovel after primary classes. This will not help them survive in the tough years ahead. I will try to refrain from commenting any further if the moderator considers to publish this. Just kidding, Smitha. Good job once again. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Smitha,

    Perhaps you would not post this information on the blog. Never mind. :) But I did talk to the coordinator of the school recently. They admitted that getting a "good" science teacher is really a problem. Feedback was given to them by other parents as well. They are "working" on it. How can you possibly work on teachers to increase their competency if they lack basic skills and knowledge. Even though they acknowledged the problem, but sadly enough they can't do much about it, unless they can get a substitute teacher. I still think it is not hard to get a teacher, provided they pay well. I have heard about schools paying up to 2 lac to good science teacher yet, whose fee structure is less than Prakriya. Anyway, my intention was to spread awareness, not to malign the school as such. This is not about a single teacher, in general, the quality of education is not up to the mark. I have heard similar things about DPS as well. Anyway, we have taken measures at our end to help our child. Thanks, for reading this. :)

    ReplyDelete
  88. My son has been with Prakriya since playgroup and now is in 2nd standard. While I agree with most of the positives highlighted in this blog, below are my areas of concern
    - will he be able to cope with the competitive environment outside later. The current setup I feel is too relaxed...almost nil homework. The first time he is going to have an examination is in 4th standard. Also too many holidays (apart from sat/sun, 1 friday in a month is a holiday)
    - though you pay hefty school bus charge, there is no pick up/drop from your layout entrance (all other schools do). We have to arrange for drop and pick up from the main road daily
    - fees are continuously increasing year on year. Money might be less of a concern for many, compared to the child's education; but if you have to admit 2nd child, it might be taxing

    It would be useful if there is particular feedback on the middle & high school performance...and how the students have performed after passing out of Prakriya.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Hi Smitha,

    Is it possible to get admission , now for Pre-school for the year 2012-2013 , as we have just moved in to bangalore, will there are any special quotas available? i dont want to miss this type of education for my kid, who is very creative and i just want to develope that. Any recommodations will work? whats ur opionion?

    sadhaana.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Let me put our perspective about PRAKRIYA hope it helps other parents, but before going ahead we would like to appreciate this blog which has not only helped us but also many parents so we choose to write only here about our experiences:

    Me & my wife started with searching for school for our daughter and as with most of the parents we were confused with lot of options around...

    The schools we considered were Prakriya, HeadsStart, Harvest, Chrysalis High, DSP (East), Vibgyor, GreenWoodHigh, Gear, Primus, India International... all in Sarjapur area because we live in Bellandur..

    We finally got admitted to Prakriya after extensive search because:

    All the points/positives mentioned above in this blog +

    1. We want our kid to learn and open her mind rather than close it with mugging and getting top marks...

    2. You need to spend some time in Prakriya campus to believe what it can do or has the capacity to do... "Its a different world"

    3. They are NOT going to increase their infrastructure because if they do so:

    a. Will your kid get personalized attention?

    b. They will have to set a "PROCESS" which is against their Philosophy of "churning out products from a factory"

    c. The infrastructure they have considering the no. of students in school (~450 all class inclusive) is huge... [Just consider DPS where just nursery has 10 sections with 40 kids each = 400/class OR ~few thousands all class inclusive]

    d. We would little disagree with the FEES part as well because they are maintaining very good teacher:student ratio + they are retaining very good teachers (just meet any of their teachers, they are just excellent or we would say different, you can read from their face), Now if you compare with BIG schools they can bring down cost because they take kids in BULK and distribute the cost, but is it what you want? infact they turn out to be costly for what you get ;)

    ReplyDelete
  91. (CONT...)
    Few observations on Prakriya (the reason we told why you need to spend time in campus):

    We saw a class 8th Aunty (teacher) having a chat with student with hand on her shoulder, tell me 1 school where you see that?

    We saw "lost and found" corner in school maintained by kids, where do you found such things? (don't tell other schools have that, maybe but who owns/maintain it is a question here? do kids do that or security/house-keeping)

    Where do you see every kid doing what they want/wish to by giving a choice to express him/her? (In other school in name of discipline if its Sports Period every kid has to play irrespective of he/she want it or not)

    Now question will come why not other school, we will put our prespective, it might be wrong:

    HeadsStart: No seats for current year at entry level... (but this was good option which we were considering), but indeed a good option if you dont get Prakriya

    Harvest: Good infrastructure but 1st year of operation + looks very person dependent (the Principal Dakshyani), she is very good, but what if she moves?, Also no proven track record but indeed a good option if you dont get Prakriya

    Chrysalis High: Very reasonable fees to attract kids for this year, Good infrastructure but 1st
    year of operation + looks very person dependent (the Principal Archana), she is very good, but what if she moves? she has plan to head all school under that trust (all Chrysalis) and management want to open many schools every year in Bangalore and other cities. High probability of standard going low as what happened with Vibgyor when Principals moved

    DSP (East): If you want your kids to have attitude at the end of schooling prefer this school, they will surely make your kids smart and maybe so call intellegent, if your definition of intelligent is "high scoring marks", you can get a feel of how densely India is populated... you can see a CROWD of kids and also the admission process is not fair.. lot of jacks, internal preference etc etc.... NOT at all an option for us, It was hard to believe that just Nursery has section from A till J, what a joke in name of education..

    ReplyDelete
  92. Vibgyor: Heard lot of negative comments due to detoriation in quality with Principal leaving the school... be cautious what they claim. Also since its a Mumbai based chain nothing is in control of Bangalore Mgmt... heard that whenever you complain they will have only 1 answer "Its all from Mumbai" and this I heard from their previous Principal ;) who left because she was tired & frustrated for having this 1 answer for any problem which parents bring in.... So again NOT a choice for us...

    GreenWoodHigh: Its a typical school, nothing new, OK if your priority is studies...

    Gear: Very proud staff right from lower to upper level... its just their attitude over my phone chat which discouraged us to even visit them and these days they are promoting their new HSR branch even though they have seats left in main branch, again we dont trust their selection process... also read lot of negative comments, Principal is just like "HITLER"

    Primus: This is one good school and indeed a good option if you don't get Prakriya, but nothing unique about it..No doubt people are very approachable and very good atmosphere...

    India International: Heard negative comments about this school...

    So after doing extensive search over net and everywhere we can, PRAKRIYA was THE CHOICE...

    We have even searched "negative reviews about Prakriya" on net and mouth-shut.com BUT to our surprise we dint find any... and for a school which is 12 years OLD that is remarkable achievement... Look at other schools which are just <5 years and lot of negativity already floating in market....

    If you have PATIENCE and BROAD MINDSET, go no other than PRAKRIYA...

    We would also touch upon some concerns which we also had but as we told you have to be in campus to believe it:

    Floors are dirty: a very wrong comment, their housekeeping keep the rooms very clean, now you need to understand that school maintains natural way or earthy way, so small kids are bound to bring some sand in class if they play out, but again they are taught to keep their footwares outside... which is Indian culture...

    Its not Posh: Agreed, no AC's, why do you require AC in such green environment and in a city like Bangalore??

    Infrastructure: Once you go there look minutely you will know... they have got GRANITES in flooring for middle/higher section, how many schools have it (you will find KOTA STONE or Vertified tiles in most schools), also their labs are well equipped... we would say they are NOT big, but there is a reason: For a class size of 20 kids how big lab you require? (Dont compare with other schools where they have >40kids per section) be realistic what is per share that your kid is getting... at Prakriya its more than anybody provides....

    Final Conclusion (again our views): If you want your kid to be a better human being + independent personality with broad/open thinking and not just "marks/score bug" think this school else you will regret...

    ReplyDelete
  93. Hi Smitha,
    Your comments were very useful as we were interested in Prakriya & wanted some feedback from parents who have their kids going to Prakriya.
    Do u hav any idea if they deny admission after getting a call for interview? i mean, do they use the interaction session for judgement or a call means we would be getting admissions? The reason i ask this is, we got a call, but thr is one more school for which the admission payment needs to be made before the prakriya interview date. Was just wondering if you have any idea.

    ReplyDelete
  94. I have read lot of reviews about schools in and around sarjapur road, Yesterday I come across this school(Prakriya) through google search.
    I am totally confused ,we relocated to Bangalore just 5 months before and right now my daughter is doing UKG in Little Elly.

    I am looking for a clean and hygienic school.They must be good in academics also.

    Thank you

    Regards
    BZH

    ReplyDelete
  95. I was looking to change the school of my daughter recently and happened to come across this school. While I like the concept of the school, I found the fees they charge has become exorbitant. For admission in primary class, they are asking a tuition fees of Rs 85,000 + Rs 25,000 as admission fees and another 13,000 for bus. I find that too much for me to afford and hence is looking at alternate schools. Her current school fees is in the range of Rs 40-45k per year.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Hey Anonymous,

    Thanks for providing your comments. It will help other parents.

    This year I came across such issues reported by few more parents. So even I have started thinking twice. But until I get to see the truth, we will continue with the school.

    But as you told fee hike is really high. But it's almost same in case of other schools in the same area.

    Regarding T-shirt concern, it's the same for majority of schools.Forget schools, even in IT firms, we get similar T-Shirts which are not value for money. Until and unless school manufactures the same, we can't guarantee good quality T-shirts for 150 Rs.

    Also considering the results for 10th. School hasn't improved from last year and this year actually the results are poor compared to last year. We are not even getting 80% marks where in ICSE, 90% and above is considered as normal marks.As my kid is small, this is still not a major concern for me right now.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Hi Shai,

    Please keep on referring this space for more comments. Even I may be posting few things based on my experience as I also started getting the heat of few of the concerns raised by parents here.

    ReplyDelete
  98. Hi Sadhaana,
    The admissions in Prakriya gets over fast and I really don't think recommendations work.

    Also one more Anonymous comments: Hmm..Why don't you guys put your names?

    This one is a very positive comment on Prakriya

    ReplyDelete
  99. Hi Remya,

    After interaction session, Prakriya will put up a list of selected kids. Only then you can confirm the seat.

    Hi Zahir,
    Please do go and check the school by yourself.Also read the comments in this post by various parents.

    Hi Deepak,

    Yes. Fees are on the higher end.

    ReplyDelete
  100. Hi Smitha,

    My daughter just got admission in Prakriya for Year 5. Do you know anyone in the middle school who I can speak to or mail to get a more immediate feedback on the school? We are moving her from a premier school so we want to be sure we are making the right decision.
    Basu

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  101. Hi Basu,

    I don't have any contacts as of now as my daughter is only in 2nd right now. Whoever has provided comments above was not willing to provide their email id or phone number.

    So I would request you to check with school on whether you can get any contact numbers or check with Parent tree groups or apartment groups.It's always better to get an input from parents from senior classes as it's difficult to get admissions elsewhere if you decide to move again.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Hi Smitha,

    In month of june i'm relocating to bangalore . My daughter is 5 yrs old and here in gurgaon c goes to Montessori school. my main concern is whether Prakriya is montessori school or not?

    ReplyDelete
  103. Smita, First of all, Kudos on having taken time to write such a comprehensive review. That defenitely shows the passion you had, when you put your kid in the school. And reading though the 100+ comments certainly helps in making some wiser decisions. It did bring up few new thoughts into my mind , which I hadnt thought of. Thanks a ton

    ReplyDelete
  104. Hi Anonymous,

    Prakriya follows concept similar to montessori. So your kid shouldn't face any issue here. Only thing you need to decide is whether this school suits your requirement for the higher classes as there has been few negative remarks on the same.

    Hi Aashiana,
    Thanks a lot and its good to hear that the comments helped you to take wiser decisions. That was the main reason of publishing all the comments here including the negative ones.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Hi Smita,
    I was in Prakriya today. One thing which is striking about the school and its staff is that, they are genuinely interested in you and the kid.Having been to many schools, I have always noticed that they consider telling you about the school and clearing your doubts are a favor. These people are really helpful right from the lady in the reception to the coordinator.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Great blog and reviews... Social collaboration at its best. I have a question for this group please. In Prakriya... Are the fees same across the board or are the fees custom by who you are, where u come from and where the parents work? Are the fees published or negotiate?

    For UKG! Do they admit children mid year if we relocate to Bangalore mid year? Are there any considerations in fees for the 2nd child (twin)?

    ReplyDelete
  107. I am thinking of relocating to Bangalore from US in Sept./Oct. timeframe.Is it possible to get admission in Prakriya in that timeframe ? Also any other school in Bangalore East/Sarjapur road are open for mid year admission ?

    ReplyDelete
  108. hi i am a child from prakriya
    i am in midle school and i have been in this school for a long time and i like it a lot and i am happy you all like it to well i will tell you a few things our school dose we have field trips and night outs . we also go for a few trips that we go camping.we also have classes that consider games,computers,dance,music,gardening and nature walks.in gardening we learn how to grow plant and take care of them.in nature walks we go outside school to lakes,fields and villages.our nature walk periods are for 1 hour so we do enjoy alot.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Hi Thirku,
    Fees at Prakriya is different for different people.They actually check your Form-16 to decide the category of fees - lower or upper. They also check whether the mon and dad is working.If both working, then surely you have to pay a higher fee.This is a big issue as business men show low returns and get a lower fees while IT guys like us has to pay the higher fee. The decision made by schol is not negotiable.

    I heard taht they admit kids in mid year too. Please check with school for more details. I don't think you get any reduction for twins


    Hi Anonymous,
    Please check with school directly.Many of the international schools offer admission mid year for US returns. Please check with those.

    Hi Anonymous,
    Good to hear about Prakriya. I am publishing this for others reference.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Dear Smitha,
    Appreciate your blog.
    My kids go to Inventure Academy. While kindergarten is great at Inventure, the same cannot be said for older grades. The school is lacking in terms of quality teachers and management. My older son is a victim of serious bullying and the school is yet to take any positive action to remedy the situation in spite of numerous complaints and meetings. as a great many kids belong to influential families, their kids get away with being bullies and remedial action is totally missing. My son who is a sensitive bookworm, gets roughed up routinely and his grades and self esteem is continually flagging. Plus children are left largely unsupervised during PE sessions making bullying a routine activity for some children . For the exorbitant fees charged Rs 2 lacs plus/child, the quality of teachers is mediocre with a high rate of attrition. we are seriously thinking of moving him out of Inventure. Could you please let me know if bullying has ever been noticed at Prakriya and if children are left to their own devices for extended periods of time each day?
    Many thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  111. I never heard of bullying in Prakriya. I don't think it will ever happen as administration takes care of these things at their level and makes sure that none of these happen.

    Also children are taught to take care of all living things in a good manner and they respect their ayi's as well.So these kids cannot bully their fellow mates.At Prakiya, less privileged students also study along with the high privileged ones. But kids mingle well with them.

    I have seen this many times. So bullying in my opinion is out of question in Prakriya

    ReplyDelete
  112. Thanks Smitha for posting my comments (last year)
    It is going to be almost an year that I pulled out my kid (middle school) from Prakriya. As a mom, I am happy to say that the child's performance has been remarkable so far. In IT parlance "Exceeded expectation" :) I wish I had done this earlier.

    Yes, bullying does exist in a very subtle manner for the middle school kids. Usage of foul language, making crank calls at home, threatening kid by saying that a wrong FB identity has been created with lewd messages etc. I wonder from where to they get such innovative ideas!!

    I was lucky that my kid was able to handle this, by saying, "Do you want my mom to intervene and look into this cyber crime?" Needless to say, the caller (don't want to name him) and his cronies stopped bullying my kid as they got scared.
    To tell you more, girls challenge each other (betting of Rs. 50) to propose boys. The list is endless and well, interesting!

    No steps are taken to curb these issues. They believe in freedom (of speech and action).

    Bullying not only exist by the fellow students, but also by some teachers. My kid was demotivated and was ridiculed for asking questions (chemistry , phys, maths). The questions were very pertinent but the answers were unknown to them. As a punishment or should I say vengeance (mind you there is no punishment as such in Prakriya) the kid was made a permanent backbencher, and any question going forward was ridiculed and condemned in public. Yes, the kid's self confidence was declining fast.
    1 year from that time and I am seeing a remarkable change in my kid. No longer afraid to ask questions (because they are answered), takes challenge, works hard, thinks, analyses...I got my kid back in the true sense. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can i know which school your child is in ? We are in the process of shortlisting schools for my 2.5 yr old son.
      We have shortlisted Greenwood high and Prakriya after going through various schools.

      I was impressed by Greenwood High since they have an excellent blend of academics with co-curricular activities + extra-curricular activities. The negative part is exorbitant fees approx 1.70 lakhs per year including transportation.
      I still have a good impression about about prakriya but i strongly believe that their style is effectively only till 4/5th standard. We have read lot of negative reviews from parents of Prakriya's middle level. Many have complained about the lack of focus on academics which is especially important for middle level since the base starts forming during those years.
      Let me know what you think

      Delete
  113. Thanks Anonymous.I am publishing your story so that other parents gets a view on the same.

    ReplyDelete
  114. That is very kind of you, Smitha. Kudos to you for doing an excellent job. :)

    ReplyDelete
  115. Thanks :)I am posting both bad and good opinions on Prakriya so that parents can take a good decision.

    ReplyDelete
  116. One criteria any parent should consider when they are evaluating Prakriya is regarding how important transportation and flexibility around transportation is. In my conversations with Prakriya (and I had evaluated the school for my 2.5 year old son for next year), they were extremely inflexible with the transportation arrangements. They keep repeating the same justification that we cannot make allowances for each and every parent. Which, while being somewhat valid does not hold good for many cases. They do not agree for even adding a single stop along the way of a bus route even if its on the same main road.
    They also very clearly mentioned that they expect either the parent or an ayah/caretaker to pick up the kids in the afternoon from the bus drop point. Now for me, this sounds like they are specifically catering to a demographic, which is either kids with stay at home moms or families who have a nanny. Other demographics like working mothers cannot and probably will not choose this seriously because of this.
    Mine is not a single instance of inflexibility either. There are about 5-6 kids from my apartment who go to prakriya, despite which they refuse to have the bus come into the complex. During afternoons, children get dropped on the opposite side of an extremely busy road with almost zero supervision and the kids have to cross by themselves. One of the kids a couple of years ago, met with a very serious accident while crossing the road, which is plied by not just usual traffic but also trucks etc. as its a feeder road to the highway.

    This is not a suggestive post, but I believe that this maybe a criteria for many parents. And it is good to know upfront.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Hi Smitha,

    Thank you for a very well written review. Honestly, this is one of the best feedback on any school that I have come across in my research. The quality of people and their comments have made this a very enriching read for any parent. Thank you again for keeping the conversation going for 3 yrs and making sure both positive and negative feedback are represented.
    As parents, our aim must be to equip our kids to excel in a world 20 yrs from now. The world was a very diff place 20 yrs back when our parents had to make this decision for us and like us today, they did not have a clue on how it would turn out!! I am convinced that pure academic excellence will not be enough in the coming years. Overall development grounded in morals and a respect for nature and other living beings will be critical to succeed. From what I read, Prakriya seems to be on the right track in identifying and addressing this.
    Sure, nobody is perfect and there are bound to be hiccups. I would rather have my daughter go through a bit of everything including bullying to prepare her for life in an un-moderated environment! More important, show me a school that claims none of this happens there.
    Prakriya just went to the top on my list of schools for her and hoping that we will be able to get her enrolled next year.
    Thanks again,

    Pramod

    ReplyDelete
  118. Replies
    1. Hello Smitha,

      Thanks a lot for the comprehensive information. My child has special needs. Would you know if Prakriya has an inclusive culture of teaching? Are special children taught along with other children or are they in a separate section? Thanks Again.

      Delete
  119. Dear Smitha, Thanks a lot for a great review and managing this whole blog for such a long time. My only question if 3 years in June 2013 doesnt necessarily mean that in June the child should turn 3( i have heard some schools having such a criteria). My daughter is turning 3 in November 2012 so i hope its ok to apply for 2013 preschool.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Hi Anonymous,

    I haven't heard of special need children being put in the same class. Not sure though. Please check with the school itself.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Hi Smitha,

    My son also studies in 2nd std in Prakriya. I have many a times come to your blog whenever I felt I have to get more updates on Prakriya :). Look forward to chat with you sometime and know your child name and class. My mail id is shrivi78@yahoo.com . We could share our number and have a chat if you are fine with it.

    Thanks,

    Shrividya

    ReplyDelete
  122. Hi Smitha or Anyone,

    Do you have any inputs for the Primus School? I am looking for admission for my son for Class 4 and Prakriya doesn't have admission available. So, thought of considering Primus.
    It would be great if someone can give input for this school.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  123. Hi Animesh,

    Prakriya was very strict about age.It was not allowed when I admitted my kid. But do check with school as they might have changed it too

    Hi Shrividya,
    Nice to her about that:) sure..My email id is smithajacobk@yahoo.com

    Hi Anonymous,
    I donno much bout Primus.

    ReplyDelete
  124. Hi Smita, We're moving to Bangalore in January 2013 and I was looking for schools for my son. I've read about Prakriya and Genie which seem to have similar styles of schooling. Do you have any feedback for Genie ?
    Thanks in advance.

    Veena.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Hi Veena,

    I am really sorry. I don't have any information on Genie.

    Thanks,
    Smitha

    ReplyDelete
  126. Great post! Such an eye opener for me. Sets Prakriya apart from the rest just by the words of parents. Called them up. A son who is 2.5 will be able to go to preschool only by 2014 and I dont think its an issue for me. But for this blog and post I would have got caught up in a rat race. I am off to talk to the 2 little boys who live in my apartment to talk about Prakriya. I am going to be coming here often to see if there has been more development.
    Age is a strict criterion at Prakriya.
    They say that the kid has to be 6 to be in 1st grade and only then will he/she be able to sit in the class for long hours...which I think makes sense to me.
    Great job Smitha! And I think with such a nice earthy campus and a good student-teacher ratio, the fee becomes justifiable. Small schools within a house are run for 85k-1L and we say a school such as Prakriya is expensive :)

    ReplyDelete
  127. Hi Smitha
    Thanks for this wonderful blog. My son studies in Waldorf environment which is conceptually similar to Prakriya. As we are moving to Blore, we would like to have him study in Prakriya. He is in Class V and wanted to know if the school encourages admission in mid year? Would you know if they have vacancies in Class V?
    Thanks/Puneet

    ReplyDelete
  128. Thanks a lot Swathika.

    Hi Puneet, Yes schools allows admission midyear too.Please check with them directly.

    ReplyDelete
  129. Hello Smitha, my daughther is studying in Prakriya Prep2. I would like to get some feedback about middle and high school teaching in prakriya. Also is it a common practice to change from prakriya to other school after 4th or 7th due to less academics focus? In that case getting admission to other schools and coping with them isn't it an issue? Can you pls connect me to some parents who have kids in prakriya in 7th std and above? Thanks, With warm regards, Prakriya parent

    ReplyDelete
  130. Hello Anonymous, I don't have any contacts with me.But what I would suggest is to check with school directly and they should be able to provide parent details. Else during Parent teacher's meetings at school, you may come across few.

    I have heard many cases where parents shifted kids once they are in middle school but heard from few that they still repent.But at the same time heard from many that they are happy with the decision.

    Getting admission in other schools will not be a big issue as many has tried it and got it too.Even I tried to check other school for my daughter as was not happy with the fee increase and few incidents at Prakriya. Though we didn't train our daughter for any exams, still she got through in the school we checked without any issues.That means Prakriya has helped her to understand what she should know though it really seemed that they don't know anything :)So coping up also shouldn't be an issue.But yes Prakriya is far behind when compared to normal schools.These kids may be still learning multiplication table whereas other schools may be into tough division problems.But these are the decisions we take for our kids so we shouldn't get worried about this part.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most of the pre schools follow this approach now a days in Bangalore. Its only in the mid and high school where we get to know how the school actually is as by this time kids are more aware and have more attractions than studies. If the school is able to handle them with good teachers at mid and high school then fine. Also I feel that the base is very important. If your kid doesn't want to write, they are not forced. But they should be motivated. Some teachers are not experienced and don't understand the difference.

      Delete
    2. Hi Anonymous, I do agree t the format where kids are not forced to write until they are ready and I personally feel it has helped my kid too. But at the same time, my kid was tempted to write and read looking at other kids which was an instinct all in herself :) Don't you think that is a motivation factor?

      Delete
  131. hi smitha..thank you for running this chain from such a long time..just curious if you have ended up in figuring out any school for your kid as you said you were looking to move out of prakriya..i am looking for my 3 year old son (for next year into LKG) i have explored few..i was impressed with chrysalis high principal.but not sure how actual picture is..any one have any opinions..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sindhu, I am not sure on Chrysalis High. But one of the kids from our apartment who was in Prakriya has shifted there and her parents found the school to be good.

      Delete
  132. Hi Smitha, Been long since i checked your blog. Just wondering seeing your last post, is your kid still in Prakriya ? Are you planning to/ have u already moved her out ? My kid goes to 5th in Prakriya and is very happy. Im trying to get my son into Prep , but they didnt have seats this year . I had a word with the directors on the sibling admission criteria, but RTE and existing kid ratios seem to be bothering them. I hope to get him in next year into Prep 2. He would turn 5.5 years then. Its tough to have 2 kids in 2 different methods of teaching.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Manoj, Though we got admission in other schools last year, we still decide to continue with Prakriya mainly due to the free time my kid is enjoying than just spending her time only on homework or studies.I checked with almost all parents whose kids goes to other schools and everywhere I heard one thing that they dont get time to do anything else. My kid loves reading, drawing and many other interests too so don't want to put her into a tight model as she is used to Prakriya model and happy with the hobbies part.Somehow not happy with the way teaching is.Wanted to home school her but even that has some restrictions in India though few have already moved to this mode.

      So overall, now we are unhappy only abut the fee increase in Prakriya as its tough if only one parent is working and if you have 2 kids, then its like a huge amount and they increase it every year too. So de to fee increase now again planned to see other options though nothing decide yet. For us, we need our kids to be in a school where studies happen normal than for the competitive part of it.

      Yeah I heard the issue of the siblings not getting admission.But this can be solved to a major level if you put them from playschool onwards as new batches start from there.In between none will leave school and go as Prakriya is very famous school nowadays where kids are waiting for admissions.And your concern of putting kids to same mode of teaching is really good.Also its easier for parents too.

      I guess your son got a seat this year

      Delete
  133. Hi Smitha,

    Great Post !! I am looking for admissions for Nursery this year.. Wanted to get your feeling of the school now...Are there any negatives that you would like to share.. Please do share how the admission process is at Prakriya.

    Thanks in Advance!!
    - Vidhya

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vidhya,

      Please do check the above comments too as you will get both negative and positive comments.

      Delete
  134. Smitha, It was good to read your review and your valuable suggestions. MAny parents seemed to be concerned about the examination outlook of prakirya. Being a parent of a senior , I can assure all of you'll that there is no need to worry. While these kids have imbibed values that Prakirya has offered, they have excelled academically and balanced both. I was told that for the past 3 years the batch of 10th did excellent in their Boards and made the school proud. Prakriya has achieved a lot through every child. Their average too was around 90 in ICSE, I heard from the teachers. they have better years to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kanthi,
      Thank you so much. The 10th standard results of Prakriya is not still upto the mark after these many years.Not sure who told you about good results.

      Delete
  135. Hello Smitha,

    I read your blog as I was looking for a school for my kid for LKG. As of now the preschool technique is similar to prakriya but I was a little worried about this. If the child doesn't want to write, they are not forced to. I know a lot of kids who like to do what they do in the class maybe drawing, coloring etc. Wont they lag behind later? These are the basics and if they don't know the basics in kindergarten, wont it be difficult for them to cope up in class 1 or maybe mid school?


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous, I am happy with the way it has helped my kid. My kid when compared is on par with other school kids may be little more good on the overall knowledge and understanding part. If you are shifting your kid to another school midway then there may be some issues in picking up but else there won't be any issues at all. My kid is in 5th now and am happy apart from the fee increase that school has.

      Delete
  136. Smitha,
    You have done a wonderful job on this blog post review of Prakriya. My family and I are looking to relocate to India after having lived in the US for 15 years now. I'm looking to getting an admission for my daughter in Prakriya for 5th grade.
    I do agree that schools like prakriya do not cater to parents who are set upon competitive learning and evaluation of a child's caliber through standardized tests. In the US a lot of parents have started opposing the standardized tests as they do NOT measure a child's critical thinking capabilities and such. Indian education system has deep flaws, and the result you can see is there is ZERO innovation happening in India. All innovations come from the west because of their encouragement for free-thing entrepreneurial mind-set. Education is not to prepare a child to work in corporate jobs but to prepare a child to Live their lives as compassionate adults with skills necessary for earning them a livelihood. I understand it is very hard for the Indian parents to change their perspective, but education in India will go through reforms because a society without innovation and critical thinking cannot thrive in the long run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Anonymous. Yes Prakriya will surely help your kid if they are used to that type of atmosphere there. My daughter is in 5th now and she do have lots of homework and lots to do and almost equivalent to other schools. But still the base that Prakriya has set for her is really appreciable as they are not scared of studies but indeed love majority of the subjects.Our main issue is the fee increase every year.

      Delete
  137. Hi Smitha,
    Its May End now. I suppose your kid might be in 4th right? are you planning to continue in Prakriya? Please update if you are moving to other school. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,
      My kid is in 5th now. We were planning to discontinue from last year but somehow couldn't adjust to the way other schools are working. Too much of studies is one thing which our daughter may not like. So decided to continue for this year too. By 5th, Prakriya almost enters the same routine that other schools follow, homework and lots to study :) So hopefully she will be used to this culture. We are planning to shift by next year hopefully but at the same time we want our daughter to feel the same way too, didn't want her to feel the burden but accept the situation. Mainly because we felt Prakriya may not help her later in her higher studies as she would be entering a world full of competition and Prakriya kids doesn't feel the competition among them as they are more used to giving help and guidance than creating competition amongst themselves =D. It's a good quality but may not help our daughter in her higher classes so thinking of shifting

      Delete
  138. Very unfriendly reception , on the phone also not talking properly, not ready to share information, trying to hide something ....and not parent friendly......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,
      If you are expecting a posh school with a receptionist giving you all details, then you are wrong. Prakriya is not the school which shows off things and shows you an AC room or receptionist. Any school if you ask them via phone, no one will answer as they can't answer everything to all who calls them. Always go there and check then you will know what's happening. How can you call it not parent friendly if you haven't even moved from the comfort of your home or office to go there and check whether Prakriya suits your kid's future or not. I would say shame on you.

      Delete
  139. Hi Smitha,

    More thanks to you for maintaining this blog for so many years with its both positive and negative views.

    Really became a fan of Prakriya after reading reviews abt it. Bt still has some concers which I would like to get clarified.

    I understand that they dnt conduct competitions for a valuable reason. Bt will they make the students aware about the concept "Competition" so that the students will not panic if they go to other schools in future.


    How abt importance given for the language English in both verbal and written?. Bcos In our home we dnt speak English and school is the only option for my son to know it.


    How abt extra curricular activities and sports practise in school?

    How abt getting an admission for STD I? OR Is it easier to start from LKG?.Beacuse I heard as they maintain teacher : student ratio very strictly it will be very difficult to get admission for STD I and it is based only if any student leaves the school.

    But when I called the office they have told admission is allowed even in STD I but still a little worried.

    Awaiting for ur reply.

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  140. Hi Yes Kay,

    Thank you so much :)
    Yes I am also a true fan of Prakriya except the fee increase part of it.

    From Standard 5 on wards, they are conducting all exams (My daughter is in Std 5 now). Her day is really filled up with studies now. Not like earlier style anymore, no time for hobbies or any extra activity. So almost similar like other schools. Regarding exams, she has class exams, real ones with question papers and quarterly, half and main exams. From 5th onwards, school is encouraging students to participate in all competitive exams NSO,NCO,IEO and IMO. Not sure whether they will give any training. But we all are given forms for submission.The word competition in Prakriya kids don't have much value as they don't believe in it. I should say there is a healthy competition where noone is playing hard to win but if they win, they just take it easily too.So looks like we parents have to put our effort in making sure that kids love these exams and the competition spirit.

    English is taught in a normal way. I didn't find anything specific over here. Even we talk Malayalam (our Mother tongue) at home. But my daughter and her friends listens to lot of English songs and also discuss about them and this indeed has improved her accent and she loves to read books which has increased her grasp on the subject too. So I guess each students effort counts when talking about English.

    Extra Curricular activities is the one I love here.They have weaving,music,dance and many more but only one activity kid can concentrate in a year. But there are nature walks, crafts, science labs and many more.Sports -, here main importance is given to local games like Kapadi,koko and few more then Football, Basket Ball (all these mainly from Std 5). Extra curricular activities , no need to worry at all as they have more than enough than any other schools that I know.

    Heard its very tough to get admission nowadays.Better is to check with school.But I would say its easier to start with LKG as then you need not worry on later admissions. I did the same for my daughter and planning same for my son.

    In the Junior classes, I would say Prakriya is the best. But haven't got much good reviews from anyone about senior classes yet. So for now, I can say go ahead with admissions and later you can think of it.

    ReplyDelete
  141. Hi Smitha,

    Thanks for your reply.

    Planning to put him in LKG if their fee structure suits us.

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Yes Kay. Hope you found this useful and your son gets admission soon.

      Will meet you sometime.

      Delete
  142. Hi Smithi,

    You are doing a great job by maintaining a continuous conversation about prakriya, I'm sure this is helping a lot of parents to decide about the school. I would like to know what is the current fee annually?

    Thanks,
    Siri.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Siri.
      Regarding fees, it's always best to check with school but its on the higher end.

      Delete
  143. Dear Smitha and other parents looking for reviews on Prakriya,

    Till last year we were happy as our child looked forward to the school when he was in 5th Standard but there has been a change in him since he entered 6th Standard. There are only 7 boys in a class of 25 and the children were interchanged along with the teachers in 6th standard. So that has had some impact. In addition we observe too much load like other schools. While we understand both these things but then Prakriya at middle school seems to be no different in approach then. My kid used to get excellent marks in all subjects, he had achieved 3rd Rank at IMO earlier, excelled at extra circular activities (in schools prior to Prakriya); however now his marks are falling and shows lack of interest and complains of rote blackboard learning. I was surprised that during the recent unit tests he showed lack of knowledge of the topics that were taught in class and when asked said that the teachers are teaching in a hurry. Concepts are not being explained properly and the IB approach seems to have been replaced by the rote learning approach. There have been instances of him asking questions and teacher suppressing him. Something that I have seen in my childhood with CBSE public schools and I thought that this school would be different. He has been a bright student in the past with other schools but suddenly all these changes - what can I say if not that they seem to be attributed to the school method- how can a bright kid get so dull- even in extra curricular activities ? Another area of concern is the foul language scenario in the school and my kid also picking it up - I'm shattered since that is not an environment that he experiences at home or with his friends around his home. Suddenly parents receive a note from the school that this has been going on for "couple of months" well its come as a surprise as I'm asking them why weren't we told of this when the problem was identified and why the school waited for a couple of months. Now they are implementing "price to pay" without explaining what it is to parents and threatening to disallow kids for outings. I've been educated in CBSE schools as well as abroad and I know very well that such methods are negative and don't work with kids. Fees have also increased by another 10% and I fear that Prakriya is slowly turning into other "commercial" factory education oriented schools. Also teachers are only complaining and don't see appreciation. In the PTM as well I notice that teachers are not upto mark- they fail to connect with my kid and as a parent I notice that versus the other schools. I had a lot of hope on Prakriya but now I think I might have to repent the decision of choosing this school. If you were to go through the different reviews it sure is a nice place for younger kids (but so are other decent schools)- but it seems to be average on reviews for middle and high school. Id' not like to go into details of particular instances and comment for he sake of reputation of the school since it may be only my view - but as a parent I'm concerned and hence for those other parents who've had similar experiences please do post both positives and negatives. At the same time I request parents reading this to not form negative opinions from this post but to actually talk to some parents of the class you're interested in putting the child too. I'm sure that if Prakriya is what it stands for then it will give you an opportunity to interact with other parents and children prior to admission- or at least talk on phone. On my part I am taking up the matter a second time with the school. I'm also going to meet with other parents and see whether they are also facing the same concerns. (continued due to text limit)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anonymous,
      I do agree to all your points and I am or I have gone through same thoughts on and off but still my daughter is in Prakriya. Now it requires me to explain why we are still here and why we are panning to put our son too here for next year onwards.

      Regarding your son's case, now I do understand as my daughter is in 5th std and if you understand, for new generation kids, 5th or 6th (depending on kids) is going to be pre teen where they are disturbed by various thoughts and then growth issues and more. They are in a state where they give more importance to friends or something which interests them be it good or bad. Mainly bad things will take up their attention more. I shouldn't say bad but all part of growing ages.Just give him some time and give him all the support at home and talk and spend time with him more and you will be out of this issue sooner.

      Regarding studies at Prakriya, yes we have entered Rat race from 5th std. But still I would say we are much better than other schools around us where parents do the homework or projects for kids as there is no time left. At Least in Prakriya, kids get good free time at school too through sports and nature walk.They get minimal homework when compared to other schools and they still think and do creative work in between all these.They do learn slow but yes they learn same as what other schools do but much in a relaxed way.We had planned to shift school for sure but then after comparing the rat race, we thought to continue here.But if you are really looking forward to get ranks or something similar then Prakriya is not the best school as they never encourage for getting ranks nor they have that in mindset.

      Though we were not happy with the way my daughter was doing past 2 years, I did check with a lot of parents and they are really happy with Prakriya. So that means, each kid is different and my daughter takes time to adjust to these rat race whereas majority in her class has already adjusted to it fast and nicely.So try giving your son some time to adjust with whole thing.

      Regarding your next comment, I do have a running comments section where I have put both good and bad experiences. Please do read through all the comments as else u will miss out a lot.

      As far as my personal opinion is concerned, Prakriya has changed a lot from what it was earlier. This is mainly because majority of the teachers are coming from main stream schools and they have not adjusted to the policies perfectly and those who knew policies well are not part of school any more. But comparatively (only if you are not much worried on ranks), Prakriya is still doing good.

      Delete
  144. (continued from previous post) ....I wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons- a concerned parents plight :-(to meet with other parents and see whether they are also facing the same concerns.

    If my concerns are addressed and I see an improvement I will definatly come back to absolve the school- everyone deserves a second chance.

    P.S : For those middle school parents already in Prakriya who have found the school positive - please do your own investigation. If the school is what you believed to be do post for others to see, but if you agree with the problems that I have raised then please do post for the benefit of others as well so that it can also serve as a wake up call for the school

    ReplyDelete
  145. Hi Smitha,
    Your review is very helpful ...My son is 5 years 2 months and right now studying in a Waldorf school in class UKG. We are relocating to Banglore in April 2015 so looking for a school similar to waldorf. Heard that many schools criteria is the kid should complete 6 yrs for 1 st grade. I want to join my kid in Prakriya but the website says admisions are completed and when I called they said they would let me know if any vacancy is available. I am all the way confused as Valley school is also from first grade and the age cut off date is 6 yrs ..

    Can you please clarify about this age criteria and also any other alternativeschools if we fail to get admission in these schools ...

    TIA
    Madhavi


    ReplyDelete
  146. Hey Madhavi, Yes Prakriya is strict in age criteria as far as I know. My daughters was June 22nd Birthday and for that they gave us exception. So few days should work as per my experience.

    Normally all the admissions get over fast so vacancy happens only if some kid decide to leave mid term depending on parents transfer. It's always better to apply in other schools.

    Please do join the FB group for schools as you will find it useful for asking suggestions as many parents are part of that group
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/bangaloreschoolsshweta/

    For Alternate education schools, please do check this link and search for Bangalore
    http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/alternative-schools



    ReplyDelete
  147. Hi Smitha,

    Thanks a lot for capturing details here. Do you have any details like how many batches completed class X from Prakriya, and are there any students who stayed in Prakriya for long time like 6-7 years or so, and what are their individual acheivements/performance in competitive exams etc.

    I am curious to know how the students performance after coming out of schools like Prakriay, and their skills to overcome today's competive world.

    Thanks
    Narasimha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Narasimha,
      Thanks a lot for reading through. I dont have complete details but very few students have stayed in Prakriya for so long. My daughter is there from past 9 yrs and many in her class too has gone to other schools. I believe that individual achievements and performance depends on each kid and not on school. But heard good reviews from kids who has left Prakriya.

      Reg skills in competitive world, its all dependent on kids and parents as school as such puts less effort here

      Delete
  148. Hi Smitha, my name is Manishi. I am curious to know if your daughter is still in Prakriya. If yes then she must be in 6th I guess. How are you finding her studies now. Is it at par with any conventional school going child. Also read that you wanted to pull her out from Prakriya in 5 th. What was the reason. Was it too much academics or lack of it. What all sports do they offer. Is swimming is there? Please let me know the answers.thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Manishi, My daughter is still with Prakriya, yes she is in 6th.syllabus is same as in conventional schools once they cross 5th. So no difference here except the stress free life and security that school offers.

      I wanted to pull her out at 5th as Prakriya is not doing good with related to studies.Our expectations are pretty low still school is not able to reach till there.Academics is almost on par with other schools as she is in 6th now .We had issues in the way teachers put their efforts or the way kids are motivated to do something.Teachers keep on changing too which adds to all of these.All those early set values and methodologies are changing now.

      Sports its mainly basketball and Kabbadi.No swimming.

      Delete
  149. Hi Smita,
    We are relocating to Bangalore and have taken admission for my son in Nursery in Prakriya. I liked everything about the school. My only concern was hygiene. The toilets for Balambika section were not clean. The western style toilet didnt even have a door. I am happy with the fact that its a simple no frills school, but hygiene and cleanliness should not be compromised especially for kids.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never felt that toilets are unclean. Yes toilets doesn't have a door to prevent any issues that can happen- kids may face issues in opening the door sometimes, some adult can get in while kids are inside and lock the door an many such issues.

      My daughter is there from past 9 years and we never faced any issues related to hygiene issues.

      Delete
  150. Great work Smitha... hats off... It would be nice if every parent would spend sometime sharing their experiences about their kids' schools..My head has started to spin after reading the blog and ALL the comments right from 2009.. School changes/ people mind set changes as time changes..
    Now that its admission time 2015, please share your present views about the common schools and alternative schools and their performance.. Is your kid still with prakriya?
    Please share your views about 'The valley School' & Sishu griha.. or other schools which are in good rador in the present..

    Thanks in advance...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Vidhya =D

      Yes my daughter still with Prakriya and my son joined in playschool this year. Though I am not happy with education system followed, I am happy with the stress free atmosphere and security measures at school.With all bad cases happening all around, am 98% sure on Prakriya and so my kids are still in Prakriya.

      Valley heard a lot of good reviews but all depends on whether you are okay with your kids going in an alternate route with respect to jobs and their life. Majority of kids take up different route and don't remain with common so called engg and medicine or IT jobs.

      Delete
  151. Hi Smitha,

    Can you please update about how the school has been past 5th ... and whether its still as good as before ? Do teachers stick around? Have their values and methodology remained intact over the years? How do kids adjust to the higher standards ... How have the results been?

    Thanks
    Arun

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Arun,

      Past 5th, school as such in terms of stress free or security, it's the best school still. But am not happy with studies at all. Teachers leaves often. Value and methodology has degraded a lot from the early years.

      Kids do adjust to higher standards well but prakriya policy is not to shout at kids or force kids to do something. So some kids who really need a little of these , who are not self starters will suffer a lot.

      Results too not great even after so many years.Mainly because education focus is less as they clearly state.

      Delete
  152. Hi Smitha,

    Nice Article... I'm the former Parent of Prakriya.. I would like to give some other Pros and Cons of Prakriya.. This is just to help the Parents to decide..

    1. Unconventional way - It's really good and works well.. Kids enjoy a lot..

    2. Food - Canteen food is healthy and tasty

    3. Teachers - Nice people.. Helps a lot for interaction.

    Cons:
    -----

    1. Bus timings and routes: Quite troublesome. If you have 2 kids, till second kid reaches primary, its really troublesome.

    Why?
    ---
    Primary - 8:30 to 3:30
    Nursery - 10 to 1:45

    5 buses, picks primary kids, drop them to school and again picks the Nursery kids. So if you stay very close to school, bus will come too early because they have to pick up the nursery kids..
    Due to huge traffic in the morning, sometimes nursery kids wait 30-50 mins in the bus stop. Especially from Marathahalli, koramangala areas..

    NO GPS for primary kids..

    Even though bus crosses the apartment, they will not leave kid in the apartment (for some cases). You have to go to bus stop to pick the kid. Security issue occurs when you have 2 kids.

    2. Parent's feedback/suggestion won't be given high priority

    3. Too much of holidays.. None other school has these many holidays.. Quite troublesome..

    4. Will be troublesome for working parents due to their non co-operative method

    5. No PUC1/PUC2 classes.. So most of the parents will drop out by 6th.. Admission fees need to be paid again for other school...Strength of 6-10 classes are very low so the fess pressure comes to Nursery/Primary parents

    6. No strong Alumini network

    7. Teachers Attrition rate

    I would like to check parents to verify all details. Because now a days, school fees is very high in all schools. They can't change the school once decided & it would be tough for the kids.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have nailed it =D
      Yes I do see all these issues and was a major concern when I was a working parent.

      My both kids are in Prakriya now not because am really happy with the school, but only because of the less stress. All other schools, kids go through a lot of stress. Also I feel secure to leave my kids there. With so many things happenign around in schools, I find very low probability of them happening at Prakriya as I see someone or the other taking care of the kids always.

      Delete
  153. Hi Smitha, I am looking for an alternate school for my kids who are in class 6 and 7. How do you recommend the Prakirya school for such higher classes? We are moving from overseas and my priorities are below: 1. Safety 2. Healthy and open environment 3. Less academic pressure 4. Mutual respect between teachers, students and parents. Pls suggest. also do they follow any board like ICSE etc? thanks Chetna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chetna, I won't recommend Prakriya if it's with respect to education. But I have my kids there mainly for the less stressful atmosphere and the safety. Yes so your first 3 points are well satisfied. They follow ICSE.

      Delete