Education is an important part of a student’s life and when it comes to basic education schools play a very vital role in the whole education system.
In India, there are many types of schools like Central Government Schools, State government schools, Private schools, etc. These schools are affiliated with national or state-level education boards and play a critical role in providing education to children and young adults.
Ancient Indian School Education System
“Gurukul” was the traditional Indian educational system that was very popular in ancient times. In the Gurukul system of education, students lived with their teacher or guru in the Ashram and learned various subjects like science, religion, literature, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, etc. through direct observation and practical experience.
Types of Schools in India
In India, the pre-primary, Primary, High School & secondary education is imparted by different types of school recognised and affiliated to the central or state government boards.
The new education policy (NEP 2020) has introduced a new 5+3+3+4 academic curricular structure which will cover the students from the ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. The new system will include 3 years of pre-schooling/Anganwadi and then thereafter 12 years of schooling.
Below we have given different types of schools in India:
Government Schools
Government schools are those schools that are governed, administrated, and funded by the Government. Around 12.73 crores of students in India are studying in government schools which shows that government schools have a huge impact on the Indian schooling structure. Government schools are of 3 types:
- Central government schools
- State government school
- Local Government school
Central Government Schools
These schools are run and funded by the central government. The curriculum this school follows is also set by the autonomous education bodies regulated by the central government.
Some major central government schools are Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in an urban area, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya for the rural area, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya for girls and Army schools, etc.
State Government Schools
As the name suggests these schools are managed and funded by the state government. The state government schools mainly follow the state board of education and the education curriculum is also set by the state government.
Some popular state government schools are Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Rajkiya Vidyalaya, Pratibha Vidyalaya, etc.
Local Government Schools
Local government schools are financed and managed by the local government of a state, these schools generally offer school education from standard 1 to 5.
Municipal corporation schools, Prathamik Shala and Prathamik Vidyalaya are examples of local government schools.
Top Government Schools in India,
Below is the list of some of the top central government schools:
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom Thiruvananthapuram
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Madras, Chennai
- GVHSS for Girls, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Bombay, Powai
- Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, Dwarka, Delhi
Private Schools
Private schools are owned by either an individual or any organisation or trust. Private schools are operated independently and the government has no role in monitoring and functioning of the school.
The fees in private schools are comparatively higher than the government school, at present 27% of students study in private schools mostly the urban population of our country studies in the private schools.
The curriculum in private schools is set by the individual school charter.
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Top Private Schools in India
Some of the private schools in India are
- Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj
- St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Kolkata
- La Martiniere For Girls School, Kolkata
- Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram
- The Doon School, Dehradun
- Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International
- Government-Aided Private Schools
Government Aided Schools
Government-aided schools are those schools that receive annual or regular aid from the central or state government even though these schools are not government schools.
These schools are administered and run by a committee that is approved by the government. The rules and regulations are made by the government for aided schools.
Government-aided private schools are also known as semi government schools.
Kerala education society and Andhra education society are some examples of Government aided schools in India.
International Schools
The main aim of international schools is to promote international education by adopting international frameworks and international curricula. They provide an international environment to the students.
The primary language in international schools is English. International schools follow international curricula such as the Cambridge curriculum and the IB curriculum.
Examples of International schools are Ryan International School, Dhirubhai Ambani School, and GD Goenka international school.
Top International Schools in India
Some of the top international schools in India are:
- The British School, New Delhi
- German School New Delhi
- Japanese School New Delhi
- Lycée Français de Delhi
- Ahmedabad International School
Charity schools
Charity schools are voluntarily funded schools one can fund these kinds of schools. Mainly charity schools are run by NGOs they don’t work under a specific framework like any other school in India. They are independent schools.
Examples of charity schools are Udaan Foundation, Nanhi Kali, etc
Embassy Schools
Embassy schools refer to those schools which are only for students whose parents work in the foreign embassy. The embassy schools are formed for the children of foreign citizens who work in embassies so that they can get an education in their native environment. Eg – American embassy school in New Delhi.
Open Schools
Open schools are for those students who left their studies in the middle due to any reason open schooling is also known as distance learning or correspondence.
In open schooling, the classes are conducted 2 days a week, which gives freedom to the students that they can focus on their daily work and side by side complete their education.
In open schooling, the classes are conducted 2 days a week, which gives freedom to the students that they can focus on their daily work and side by side complete their education.
(NIOS) National School Open Learning is the main institution for Open Schooling.
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Boarding schools
Boarding schools can be government schools or private schools. The factor that makes boarding schools different from other government or private schools is that they provide accommodation to the students.
In a boarding school, students stay on the school premises from class 1 to 12. They get all the facilities in the school such as laundry Mess Gym Bedroom etc.
The Doon School in Dehradun and Sherwood College in Nainital are an example of India’s best boarding schools.
Online schools
Online schools are the most recent talks in the education sector. The concept of online school came into existence during the Covid 19 pandemic. Some EdTech companies are working on online schools.
Online schools will work based on technology the online school students will not require to come to school. They can get their education at their home right on their device through the internet.
Top Rank Schools in India
The top rank schools in India as per IIRF India school rankings 2024-25 are listed below:
| School Name | Rank | City |
| Delhi Public School Bangalore North | 1 | Bangalore |
| Bombay Scottish School, Mahim | 2 | Mumbai |
| Cathedral And John Connon School | 3 | Mumbai |
| St. Mary’s School | 4 | Mumbai |
| St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School | 5 | Jaipur |
| St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Raj Niwas Marg | 6 | New Delhi |
| Little Rock Indian School, Udupi | 7 | Udupi |
| R.N Podar School, Mumbai | 8 | Mumbai |
| Salwan Public School, Mayur Vihar | 9 | Delhi |
| Dhirubhai Ambani International School | 10 | Mumbai |
FAQ on Types of Schools in India
Q) Which is the best Boarding school in India?
Ans) The Doon School, Sherwood College, and Scindia School are some of the best Boarding schools in India.
Q) What are the Annual fees in KV for class 12th
Ans) Approximately 8,700 INR Annual
Q) Can an Indian student study at the Embassy School?
Ans) No, only foreign students whose parents are working in Embassy can study in an embassy school.
Q) Are Kendriya Vidyalaya CBSE affiliated?
Ans) Yes, all the KVs are affiliated with CBSE board.
Q) What options do students have after school education?
Ans) Candidates can go for higher education and choose the course/stream of their choice like Engineering, Law, Arts, Sciences, Medicine etc.
Q) What is homeschooling?
Ans) Homeschooling is when parents teach their kids at home instead of sending them to a regular school.