Competitors, in the form of the so-called ‘aunty-next-door’ schools, definitely outnumber them, but the franchisees plug their training, facilities and standards.
“There are so many players in this segment. At every nook and corner there is a lady running such a school. However, it will not take long for parents to realize the difference in the two approaches,” says Vikas Sharma, who runs four Shemrock centres in Bangalore.
In some cases, parents resist the commercialization and mass approach to schooling at such a young age.
Sarita Sharma, a mother in the New Delhi suburb of Faridabad, says three-year-old Kia went through severe distress after she was enrolled in a reputed preschool franchise of a national chain; she declined to divulge the name.
Within a week, Kia became reserved, weepy and started wetting her bed. Sharma says her inquiries revealed that Kia was not performing at the same level as other kids and was being pressurized by the teacher and had, therefore, developed fear.
“This kind of mental trauma for my child after paying through my nose for what they call as annual fees; I think I should have got her admitted in a next-door school, where I could just walk in to see how my child is being treated,” says Sharma.
Experts say parents should double-check a pre-school’s teaching method, curriculum and training level of the staff before enrolling their children. They say an unpleasant experience at a young age can leave negative impressions and permanently scar their approach to learning.
Importantly, they say it is crucial for parents to realize when their child is ready to join school and not enroll only when they feel he or she is ready, they suggest.
“A child should not feel isolated...by parents by the sudden initiative to go to school. Also, stringent discipline at school can be harsh for a child,” says Nooraa Sinha, a child psychologist in Bangalore.
“They can become withdrawn and fearful and can reach a stage of not being able to communicate what they feel. Such things can hamper a child’s confidence and growth permanently.”