HOMEWORK? WHAT'S THAT?
BALA VIDYA
MANDIR,chennai
Annual fee: Rs 17,000

Jaya Menon
While schools flaunt their performances and compete with each other to have ‘‘brilliant students’’ on their roster, Bala Vidya Mandir in Chennai takes credit for an unusual practice. The school has never advertised its achievements. Bala Vidya Mandir, or BVM as it is called, is activity-based and lays less stress on examinations and academic results and more on extra-curricular activities.
Ever since it was founded in 1988, BVM has gone its own way. ‘‘Our philosophy has always been child-centric. Naturally every school would make this claim. But we teach our children in ways that will make them happy,’’ says BVM principal S.S. Nathan.
Tucked away in Gandhi Nagar, one of the oldest parts of Chennai, close to the picturesque Adyar river, the sprawling school houses about 1,250 students and is popular both with parents and children. ‘‘That’s because our children are not burdened with homework till class VI. This is a big relief for parents,’’ says Madhavan Narayanan, who chose to put his daughter Smriti here. Till class V, there is no uniform for children, they have no exams and are graded for the work they do in class.
But the biggest attraction for parents has been the school’s stress on communication skills and confidence- building. ‘‘Right from the primary section, children are made to perform on stage, which helps them shed their fear of speaking in public,’’ adds Madhavan.
Vijayalakshmi Sankar, an IITian, now a director in an IT firm, Xansa, agrees. An alumnus of the school, she says: ‘‘I interview so many youngsters for jobs in our firm. I find those who have studied in BVM bolder and with excellent communication skills.’’
Little wonder then that she sent both her children there. But she admits to having some anxious moments about her choice. She often wondered how her children would fare in the competitive world after the stress-free environment of BVM: ‘‘I have come to realise that what’s more important are the underlying skills, which the school helps to develop in a student. When I look around me and see friends of mine who studied at BVM with me, having achieved so much in life, I feel confident and proud.’’
The school has been ahead of its time in more ways than one. It set up a remedial centre for children with dyslexia 20 years ago. It’s moving ahead even now. It has set up its own connectivity network, using two service providers (one as a back-up in case the other failed), balancing router, a Wi Fi unit and laptops. Teachers in every classroom have their own laptops and monitors.
Now, that’s taking classroom communication to another level.

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