We were skeptical about SBOA because everybody was saying that even though it is a good school it’s standard getting deteriorated and they are giving admission purely based on donations. We were ready to give money but in our daughter’s case admission was doubtful because there was a notice on the school gate saying that 4 years and above will not be considered. I dont know how they can put an overage notice like that when all other CBSE schools consider kids up to four and half years for LKG.
Since SBOA is a famous school in Chennai I expected a lengthy queue. But number of applicants were less compared to Chinmaya and DAV. For submitting the form also there was not much crowd. I think the total applications issued were less than 1000. Very very low for a school which has 500+ seats for LKG.
Most funny thing in the application form was a blank paper attached to it. We didnt know what was the purpose of that paper. We enquired about it with other people and they said we have to fill that paper with donation amount!! We filled the application form and filled the blank paper saying that we are ready to give 20,000. We thought of putting 30,000 but one person (who has good contacts in SBOA) told us to put 20,000.
Interview was scheduled for next Saturday. Interview procedure was very much OK. There were enough number of teachers to conduct the interview. So the entire process went very smoothly. The teacher who conducted the interview asked many questions and our daughter answered everything perfectly. She was very happy and said “Very Sweet Girl”.
But when they published the result my daughter’s name was not there. Then we came to know that they selected all the applications which quoted 25,000 and above. Interview was just a show. Even though we were ready to pay up to 40,000 we lost the admission because we believed somebody’s words.
Then we met another person associated with SBOA and he asked us to give another letter to the correspondent stating that we are ready to give 40,000. By that time we were desperate about SBOA admission. Our daughter was selected in Velammal Vidyala but we were not much interested in that because it is a new school and CBSE affiliation is still under review. That due date was over before SBOA result. Since our daughter performed well in interview we were confident about SBOA admission.
So we decided to meet the correspondent. But we didnt know it was so difficult to meet the correspondent. Whenever we ask he is not there. Finally we met another senior person and submitted our new letter with 40,000. He was telling that money is not the problem. Then why our daughter was not selected when she performed exceptionally well. At the same time he was telling “we dont blame children too”. He told us that all seats are filled and if there is any vacancy he will inform us.
But from a reliable source we came to know that they filled only 50% of seat. Out of 500+ seats they filled only 300. Also we came to know that out of 300 selected students only less than 50 paid fees in first week. I dont know why they are playing this drama when there are many seats vacant.
I am not against collecting donations. But it should be in a professional way. In SBOA it was like an auction. There are many schools in Chennai which clearly says that you have to pay this much donation to get admission.
Related posts:
SBOA rox …. n’ sboa studant can manage all de hardships in life . It teaches n practical way of livin lyf .
I studied at SBOA till my 12th grade and graduated about 8 years ago. It’s a horrible school. They do not allow originality and creativity to grow. All they want is people to cram through lessons and clear exams.
I have heard teachers tell students that passing an exam is more than enough. You would do much better with schools like DAV and so on.
People often talk about the wonderful times in school. Guess what, SBOA robbed me of my dream childhood.
When I reflect on my childhood, I believe most of the teachers harassed students so badly, for some it borderlining sexual harassment like male teachers making in-appropriate comments.
In future, I would never put my kids through this hell-hole
Hi Unni, Schram seem to be a decent school, I had looked at them initially when I moved from Bangalore. They were willing to take my daughter in LKG then, nevertheless I decided not to opt because she would have to travel to Maduravayol from Primary onwards. After putting her in Chinmaya last year now am waiting for the results on the interview for my son this year. Hope he would also get in Chinmaya.
Hi Unni,
thanks for the info about schram. I am planning to put my daughter in there.
Do you know the age limit for admission. She is completing 3 years in march 2009.
Also let me know the fees details.
Thanks in advance.
Sundar
psundar_chennai@yahoo.com
Hello Sundar,
Age limit is 3 years completed by June 2009..
hi unni,
I am a sboa alumnus.. passed out a couple of years ago. It is my sincere advice not to put your daughter there.. In addition to the auction in the beginning, they keep on asking money for everything(annual day, sports day et all). It may be that only sboa has such a large campus but I would bet you anything that by the time your daughter reaches 5th, all that place would be filled with buildings. So please.. don’t admit your daughter there
Unni
How is Vellammal Vidyalaya… Please let me know iam looking for admissions for my kid.
Hi Unni,
I was a SBOA student as well. I graduated 4 years ago. Also, my mom is KG teacher there in SBOA. What I hear from there is the donation is more when compared to other school. However, the fees is not as much as other schools. LKG and UKG children have AC classrooms with electronic teaching modules and stuff. Everywhere you ll find good and bad things. I love so many things about that school and hate a few things. This school in my opinion made me a complete person. I was given opportunity in Sports. Wherever I go, ppl still look up to us when we tell we are from SBOA. Its a good school once we get an admission. However, I do not like the donation part of which. Or at least they call it something else. The meaning of the term Donation is totally misused.
The teachers are really nice there. Whatever I’m today its because of the confidence that the school though me.
God bless your daughter
All the very best for her future.
Hi Unni, I live in South Africa for the past 10 years and we are from chennai now we have decided to relocate back to chennai only because of my kids school education. He is turing 6 this year June, basically here the school structure is only at the age of 7 they will admit a child for Grade 1. When I looked at the sylabus here, mostly they will encourge art works, like cutting painting, during grade 3 they will start reading stories etc., only advantage may be professinal English he would develop. Now the problem is even if it happened that I need to continue work for next 5 years.If I try to relocate him back to chennai after 5 yrs he would be having difficulty to pick up the second langauge, so we have decided either to move this year june or next year Feb, myself and my wife are in confused stage to make a decision and overall we are living for our child and we try to give best of it, because i gone through a pain of studyig in governmet school where by i dont have desk to sit, well now lets forget it. But I would appreciate if you could give me a better advice and your suggestion at the earliest would help us immensely.
Thank you
Gaffar Riaz
Hi unni
Sorry i have forgot to mention my mail address
riaz@golden-era.co.za
or gaffarr@yahoo.com
South Africa
Hi Gaffar Riaz,
What i understand from your post in the blog is that ur child has not yet started school.. Is it so? or is the kid going to any kintergarten, where they teach alphabets and numbers…
Basically in Chennai, most of the schools admit kids at the age of 3 to LKG, some of the CBSE schools will admit at the age of 3 and a half years to LKG. So the kids starts their formal schooling at the age of 3 to 4 years.
And the curriculam in LKG is English alphabets, both reading and writing, numbers till 10 (writing) and till 20 reading.. And the rest is all colouring, craft work and other extra curricular activities..
And in UKG, the schools will start second language. In most of the schools it’s Hindi or Tamil. Some schools do offer French and Sanskrit too.. and in English they will start reading words and write them too. This is what i know about the KG syllabus in Chennai.
It is better if you could return early for the sake of child’s education. getting admission to a good school in higher class is a difficult task here in Chennai.. Also as u mentioned it will be difficult for the child to cope with the second language and also the syllabus..
All the very best.. If u have any further doubt please post.
Best Regards
Manju
For Unni’s Blogs
Dear Ms. Manju,
Thanks for your prompt reply, My kid is going to school like I said here the admission starts at the age of 7 for Grade one. Initially he was going to creche when he is 2 1/2 years old where they teach curriculam for Kindergarden schools until 5 yrs old, then he got admitted to a school (2009) for Grade R (Reservation Class) in Rustenburg Zinaville Higer Secondary School in Rustenburg South Africa. He can communicate very well in English he can write all the alphabets and the numbers until 500. Will it a problem even if I admit him in International schools in chennai?. My wife has planned to go chennai next year 2010 is it advisable or she got to leave now?. Which international school do you recommend? do you recommend Schram Academy? according to south african standard he will be going to Grade one on next january (2010). We wanted him to admit in Grade 2. Will that be possible.
Gaffar Riayaz
riaz@golden-era.co.za
gaffarr@yahoo.com
Hi Gaffar Riayaz,
I sent the mail to both ur ids, but the id u mentioned is returning the message..saying failure..
As i mentioned in the earlier post, a child will be admitted to first standard in Chennai, if he completes 5 years as on May 31 of the academic year. This is applicable in most of the schools in Chennai which runs under Matric or State Board and also in some of the CBSE schools. But in some of the CBSE/ICSE schools in Chennai, they will admit your kid to first standard only if he completes 5 years by December of the previous year. ie, if he is going to grade 1 in June 2010, he should have completed 5 years by december 2009.
And I don’t know if any school will admit the kid directly to grade 2 without attending grade 1.
As far as International Schools in Chennai are concerned, some of them have foreign syllabus also. i don’t know which schools.
As my kid goes to Schram Academy, i know they follow CBSE syllabus. They are offering French as second language from grade 2. Other popular modern schools are Vaels Billabong, PSBB Millenium School, Velammal International School, Sri Vidhya Academy, Abacus Montessori, YGP School, St. Johns International etc. And a new school has started this year, Chennai Public School in Mogappair (near Anna Nagar West). It will start functioning this academic year. Hope this helps you.
Regards
Manju
Hi,
My daughter is presently in Grade 8 She will be going to grade 9 in June 2009.We relocated last year hence put her closeby in Anna Adarsh Matriculation school.
Plan to try for admission in SBOA CBSE.But they will not be able to intimate vacancy position till April.Any idea about Schram Academy in the higher classes?What is the fee like?If any of u could post a reply it would be of Gr8 help.
Thanks in advance.
Mrs.Ashok
Hi,
Does anybody have any clue about the donation/building fund that SBOA is collecting in the present year(2009).
Heard that they are asking for a lakh for LKG.Any idea about amounts for class 9?
If anybody can enlighten me it would be of gr8 help.
Thanks,
Jayashree Ashok.
Hi,
Does anybody have any clue about the donation/building fund that SBOA is collecting in the present year(2009).
Heard that they are asking for a lakh for LKG.Any idea about amounts for class 9?
If anybody can enlighten me it would be of gr8 help.
Thanks,
Jayashree Ashok.
Strange that I am yet to get a response from any blogger with regards to schram academy and the donation at SBOA!
If anyone out there is free and is able to help me I would be thankful.
Thanks,
Jayashree Ashok
hi,
I am new to this blog. We are planning to move to india for this summer and looking for admissions in sboa,cbse,chennai. I heard a news of the recent fees hike. how is the standard.are they maintiaing it with such a crowd and iwould like to know whether they have any extra curricular activities. admission is for 1st grade
i don't think SBOA is looting the parents by collecting huge amounts, may be they are collecting nominal amount. They also need funds to develop the school.
Hi,
This is santhi.am staying in UK and am planning to return back to chennai by october end.
am planning to put my son in maharishi vidya mandir Chetpet.
how is the admission process done.
do they ask donation?
when is the application form issued by them?Do any any one of u have any idea of that.
I am planning to put my kid in Boston School, alwarpet for LKG. Please let me your thoughts on Boston School. Appreciated your help.
I tried like hell to admit my son in Bhavan's school last year in LKG. The principal made my life miserable. I went through recommendation and he asked us to come every week and I had to wait for hours to meet him every time. At last, in Jun-09, he said that there were no seats available. Though I was ready to pay donation, there was no information how to approach the Principal for paying the donation. I think we all have to form an association and fight for such abuse by schools
From LKG till 12 th i studied in SBOA school only. I too agree the fees and donation collected is on the higher side copmared to other schools in chennai. But the thing to appreciate is the coaching given to the students and the support given my the teachers to students is outstanding. Even my brother is studying in SBOA only. I am planning to join my kids also in SBOA. I can proudly say that i was a student of SBOA..
I am in UK,going back to India in other 10 days,I want my kids to study in SBOA,Please let me know the donation for class I & class IV,Please some one help me as soon as poosible.I am struggling.Thank You…
i am in sharjah my son is 51/2 studying in class 1 here. v will cum to chennai anytime and i want to get admission in sboa.is there any donation.will i get admission anytime for outstation candidate.he is an outstanding student here all A+ in alll subjects and well talented in singing,drawing,and has a gud handwriting.