Bharath believes that while returning families are quick to recognise the changes India has undergone in technology, infrastructure and lifestyle, their expectations of the education system often remain influenced by the past.
According to Bharath, discussions with parents planning to return to India indicate that school selection frequently centres on familiar institutions, schools they attended themselves or those recognised for their Class 10 and Class 12 board examination results.
"Parents may have spent ten or fifteen years experiencing a different education system overseas, but when they return to India, their school choices can often be influenced by the same reference points they grew up with. The question is whether they are choosing what is right for their child today or simply what feels familiar to them," she says.
Bharath believes this approach needs reconsideration, particularly for children who have completed a significant part of their education in another country. Their exposure to different curricula, teaching methods and classroom environments can make the transition to the Indian education system a considerable adjustment.
She emphasises that selecting a school should not be limited to choosing between Indian and international boards or assessing institutions solely on their academic reputation. Instead, parents should first understand their child's individual learning requirements, previous schooling experience and ability to adapt to a different educational environment.
Bharath also encourages parents to reflect on whether they genuinely enjoyed their own schooling experience before using it as a benchmark for their children's education.
"Many parents remember their schools fondly because they performed well academically or because those institutions were considered prestigious. But have they really thought about what their own learning experience was like? And is that necessarily the experience they want their children to have?" she asks.
The issue assumes greater significance against the backdrop of a rapidly changing employment landscape. Many professionals considering a return to India are themselves dealing with career uncertainty, changing job markets and evolving professional expectations.
Bharath points out that the professional world today's children will enter is likely to be very different from the one their parents prepared for. School selection, therefore, should consider more than academic results and take into account the broader learning environment and capabilities children will require in the future.
She recommends that returning families evaluate three important aspects before making a school choice. These include the child's existing learning journey, the actual school experience and the future the child is preparing for.
Understanding the child's existing learning journey involves assessing previous educational experiences, individual learning preferences and the adjustments required when moving between education systems.
The actual school experience should be evaluated beyond institutional reputation and board examination results. Parents should examine teaching approaches, classroom environments and the opportunities schools provide for individual development.
The third consideration is the future their child is preparing for. School choices should reflect the skills, adaptability and capabilities children will need to navigate a changing world of work.
With India's education landscape continuing to evolve, Bharath believes returning families have an opportunity to approach school selection with fresh expectations instead of relying entirely on familiar institutions and past experiences.
"Coming back to India does not have to mean going back to the educational choices of the past. The more important question is not which school worked for the parents twenty years ago, but which school will work for their child today," she adds.
Her observations underline the importance of evaluating schools according to children's present learning needs and future requirements, rather than allowing parental familiarity and institutional reputation alone to determine educational decisions.
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