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There are some schools in Chennai that throw up remarkable success stories year after year. Their students are widely regarded as privileged souls destined for success. What makes these schools and their students special?
Over the last 20 years, 250 students from the DAV Boys' Senior Secondary School have got into the IITs. So also at the DAV Matriculation School last year, out of 206 students, 79 got into BITS, Pilani, more than 100 into engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu and about 20 into medical colleges. Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan (PSBB) sends nearly 40% of its students to the IITs, while Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School and P.S. Senior Secondary School get around 10 students each into those prestige institutes every year. Nearly all students out of these schools get into professional courses and even win scholarships abroad.
These figures are not surprising considering the kind of marks the students score. Ninety plus per cent is no big deal, while 95 and more is not uncommon.
 Are these schools successful merely because they admit only the best and the brightest? Apparently not. The Principals say the student composition is actually rather mixed. Most students have been in the schools from the primary level itself. The success level is attributed to 'quality education' and the right atmosphere provided for learning. The dedicated and experienced teachers work hard and the students are motivated and focused. Weaker students are given special attention. Last minute stress is avoided and systematic and planned study encouraged. Each school, in its own way, monitors and evaluates the performance of its staff, for whom special orientation programmes are arranged from time to time.
Mrs. YGP, Dean and Director of the Padma Seshadri Group of Schools, says her effort is to take the pinch out of examinations and make learning an exciting experience. She has introduced several innovative methods of teaching using illustrations, cooperative learning skills which is an effort to make the peer group a study group, and the introduction of cycle tests.
Mrs. Vasantha Krishnaswamy, Principal of the DAV Matriculation School, expects her students to 'mercilessly sacrifice all entertainment for two years' to do well in the finals. However, both Mrs. YGP and Mr.C. Satish, Principal of the DAV Boys' School, disagree. They believe that co-curricular activities are essential for overall personality development. Mr. Satish says, "Only a person good in athletics and games can be a good student. The idea is to strike a balance." Similarly, the Vidya Mandir Principal believes that balancing academic and other activities is the key to success. Mrs. YGP insists that the quality of time spent on studies is more important than the quantity.
Each school has its own way of helping students deal with stress and high expectations. DAV students are made conscious of 'positive stress', which the school believes helps them cope with pressure even in later years. They also have a weekly 'havan' and meditation exercises. Padma Seshadri gives importance to value education programmes and cultural activities. The PSSS School believes 'character building' is essential to success. Vidya Mandir provides a 'stress free' atmosphere and the thrust is on 'self-motivation'.
At the SBOA School, another highly-regarded institution which has had 100 pass in the 10th and 12th standards for the past decade and a half, its success is attributed to the trained and committed staff and around 35 academic programmes to meet the needs of the students. According to Vice- Prinicpal Mr. J. Ebebezer Sambraj, the school gave equal importance to sports and cultural activities. He said for the fourth consecutive year, the school won the CBSE National Championship in the athletics meet for CBSE schools.
But, as Mrs. Y.G.P. says, learning a continuous process. What these schools do is not merely produce rank holders, but also self-confident young men and women who enjoy this process of learning for the rest of their lives.
Meenakshi Anantharaman
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