UK school principals in city to enroll students

In a bid to encourage cultural diversity in UK schools, a delegation of nine British private boarding school principals is currently visiting Mumbai to enroll more students from India.

In a bid to encourage cultural diversity in UK schools, a delegation of nine British private boarding school principals is currently visiting Mumbai to enroll more students from India.

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The nine schools have formed a consortium that aims to enroll about 45 students from India. “India’s economy is booming and it is the right time to look for students interested in our schools. Our schools enroll about 10% international students. We have come here with the objective of letting Indian parents know about our procedures,” said Michael Couch, head of the consortium.

A similar consortium was initiated in 2002 for China and last year, 120 Chinese students were enrolled in 25 different UK schools.

Some city parents are keen to enroll their children in UK boarding schools. “Education in India is redundant and all a child does is to go to school and attend tuition. I want to broaden my child’s horizon and so I am looking for a boarding school in the UK,” said Ekta Biyani, a resident of Malabar Hill, whose daughter studies in a south Mumbai school.

There are three entry points for students — at the age of 11, 13 and 16. School authorities said that private schools in the UK have a six year waiting list for admitting British students.