Why India's middle class wants their children in international schools

international board schools for their children, with the nation hosting the second-largest number of international schools worldwide — not just in name with a tag, but in affiliation with global education boards, reported ToI.
Apart from being in India's richer cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, the schools are now reaching places like Hatkanagale in Sangli, Tholahunse in Davangere, and Sonaghati in Betul. «Every year, Cambridge is adding 100 schools, and 30 to 40 new schools of IB are coming up each year. The aspiration of the middle class is at an all-time high. The phenomenon is not limited to metro cities but tier 2 and 3 cities, where the major growth now is coming from,» Mahesh Srivastava, former regional director (South Asia), Cambridge Assessment International Education told ToI.

'Will a parent pay four lakhs a year for a CBSE school? No'

Educationist Francis Joseph candidly highlights this shift, stating that opening an international school is a strategic move. The affiliation process is smoother, the branding more aspirational, and the significantly higher tuition fees face little resistance. «Will a parent pay four lakhs a year for a CBSE school? No,» he told TOI. «But give it the international tag, and no one blinks.»

It's not just about curriculum — it's about optics too. «In a world where educational institutions are also real estate investments, international schools align neatly with the land-and-building models of private owners. They're more than schools; they're signals of status, carefully