Short Synopsis : Start a School in India

Schools in India come under the Non-Profit Organizations and are registered under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013. One can also open a school under the Societies Act of 1860. Opening a school in India depends on various laws regulated by the center and the state. It also depends on where you start your school and which board of education you are adopting. Here is a brief guide on starting a school and its cost estimation in India.

Make a Brief Blueprint of Your School

There are various factors involved in the opening of a school in India. The first important point is that there are various categorizations on which a school runs. 

Schools can be for lower KG, upper KG, from class 1 to 6 or from 1 to 8, from class 1 to class 10 or from class 1 to class 12th. If the class exceeds 9-12th, you require your school to be certified from a specific board operating in India. Opening a school also depends on where you are starting your school. For example, there are different rules if you are opening your school in metro cities, whereas opening a school in towns or rural areas requires different categorization.

 

 Based on all such issues, a list must be accounted for while opening a school in India.

 

Requirement of Land for Starting a School

One needs a good space to open up a school. The requirement of land depends on two factors. The first factor is the status of the place where you want to open the school. For example, the minimum requirement for opening a school in a metropolitan city is different from that of a town or rural area. Registration of the board for the concerned school comes next. Five boards majorly operate in India. They are:

• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
• Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC/ICSE)
• International Board (IB)
• State Boards of 29 States in India
• Cambridge IGCSE

 

Requirement of Land-Based on Place and Board: CBSE Board

• In a Metropolitan City: If you want to open up a school in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, or Bangalore, then you need to have a minimum requirement of 1 Acre land or 4000 sq. meter of land for operating school from pre-primary to class 12th. For operating school from pre-primary to class 10th, you need to have at least half an acre of land or 2000 sq. meters of land.
• A city with a population of more than 15 Lakhs: From Pre-primary to class 12th, a minimum requirement of 1 acre of land or 2047 sq. meters of land
• Other Cities: A minimum of 1.5 acres of land is required to run a school in small cities based on CBSE norms.

CBSE also caters to a category level for schools like A+, A, and B category schools. A+ category schools should have permanent affiliation with a land area not less than 2 acres.

 

Requirement of Land-Based on Place and Board: CISCE

For a school affiliated with CISCE, a minimum requirement of 2000 sq. meters of land is necessary, with each classroom to be not less than 400 sq. feet in size.

State boards have their requirement, and you can obtain information on their respective websites.

 

Construction of School Building

Based on the board guidelines school building should be constructed. For example, the minimum class size should be 400 sq. feet with a library, art room, theatre, science lab, computer lab, stage, playground, etc.

 

Starting a School and NOC

After the school building is over, it is time to open it. For this, there are various processes through which one has to go. The first requirement is to get a Non-objection certificate from the state government. Only after getting a NOC, you can operate your school. However, many schools are operating in India without NOC, and one should avoid going by that method as you will be asked for NOC when applying for affiliation.

 

To apply for NOC, you need to visit the state education department, where there are different departments from where you need clearance. The method is transparent, and it requires some essential documents like land details, land size, budget, etc.

 

Affiliation to Board

A minimum of one year of operation is required for schools to apply for CISCE and CBSE board, while for IB, it is three years. Before that, you can open your school from pre-primary to class 8th, but it will get affiliation solely after the school is operational for more than a year. 

The respective boards also have their rules and parameters based on which they grant permission, like land size, building construction, classroom size, playground, number of teachers, teacher’s qualification, EPF account, and other criteria mentioned in the boards access on their website.

 

Setting up of School Structure

From the appointment of Principal, headmaster, Vice Principal, associate teacher, assistant teacher, accounts department, lab assistants, computer experts, peons, supportive staffs, drivers, etc. to organizing each class, arranging infrastructure and furniture, purchasing virtual devices, buying books for the library, setting up of science lab, apparatus, models, computer labs, etc. requires a lot of time and capital. You have to do all of them. Try to go slow with time, as setting up everything at once is neither possible not it is feasible.

 

Appointment of Teacher and Principal

If you are going to apply for affiliation for any board, you must appoint teachers based on their parameters. An essential qualification is required for each board, like a teacher must be a postgraduate, qualified NET, CTET, NTT, PGT, PTI, TGT, and B.Ed. The appointment of all boards requires at least a B.Ed. In addition to Masters and other certifications, experienced candidates are also the most viable candidates for the post of Principal.

 

Setting up of Accounts and EPF for Your Staff

An organization with more than 19 staff should have a must EPF account. Nowadays, every school wants its staff to have a bank account to deposit the monthly salary. CISCE board also requires a mandatory condition of having an EPF account of each staff for the affiliation process.

 

Admission of Students and Parameters

Admission of students invites a test which the school administration conducts. The board also cites a standard procedure to admit students. No more than 45 students are there in each classroom. Try to start your school slowly from lower KG and increase gradually to standard 8th and beyond. Schools must set up Parameters like a definite school uniform, school curriculum, syllabus, rules, and regulations.

 

Fees Structure

You can decide the fees based on your expense and place of school. Then, based on the per capita income in the region, you can determine the school fees. For example, private schools in metropolitan cities charge a whooping sum per month. Determine the fees after taking advice from learned management graduates.

 

Cost of Initiating a School in India

If you plan to start a pre-nursery school, the cost will be relatively more minor. For a healthy structure-affiliated school, startup cost estimation is quite huge. Take at least two crores a minimum sum to start your school, and it can go further based on the place of operation, living standard, etc. Setting up a standard school will have implications like money spent on arranging furniture, gadgets, electronics, computer, maintenance, and other requirements.

 

Time Investment

Running a school requires a good investment of time. It will take at least 2-3 years to build a school and start it. You would need proper documentation to get NOC and affiliation from the day of the foundation ceremony. The capital investment is enormous also pushes the return on investment time further. Only after a few years of operation, one can accept any profit.

Operating a school is a challenging job that requires time, resources, capital, and human labor. But it has its advantages. After the gestation period, you will be serving society by imparting education, employing people, nourishing new minds, and getting a decent return. Moreover, based on your business skills, you can excel in your profit.

 

KEYWORD: New School Setup, School Improvement, School Management, Marketing, School Consultants in India, Educational Consultants in India  

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