An in-depth guide on how to start a school in India

In India, a school is considered a non-profit service. However, the business opportunities available in an education enterprise are quite a promising proposal as it is an ever-growing sector with an extending demand for schools. With approximately 99% of the students not being enrolled in a structured preschool, there is a vast untapped potential in the education sector. If you are looking to open a school in India but are unsure of the whole process, here we are with a complete guide to make the process a little less overwhelming for you.

There are some basic things to consider and plan while opening a school in India. Here is a step-by-step process.

The need for new schools in India

The awareness of the importance of education in today’s world combined with the growing population necessitates opening schools in India. Today’s schools offer numerous facilities that put parents in a position to choose what suits their child’s requirements. As the standard of education depends on the quality of the infrastructure, faculty, and the teaching philosophy adopted, thus when management is not aware of the new trends and methods of teachers, stagnation sets in. The best school consultants in India such as Shri Educare are experienced professionals who deliver their years of knowledge to all those wondering how to start a school in India.

Requirements for opening a school in India

1. Prepare a blueprint

The need for an outline holds true for any ambitious project. Thus, the very first step to start a school is to prepare a basic blueprint in advance. Develop a business plan on how your school is going to operate, will it be an owned or franchise school, plan the location for your school space, faculty, teacher student ratio and more. This plan will be the basis on which your school will operate in the future.

2. Develop a budget

For simplification purposes, the next important step after making the blueprint is to arrange your finances. Following are the types of costs involved:

Capital cost - Majorly, it includes the land on which the school will be built. The other things that come into capital cost are the construction of classrooms, furniture, purchasing of safe equipment, lab equipment etc.

Operational costs include salaries, scholarships, monthly bills, school vans, and other maintenance costs.

Once you have a solid plan and funds in place, the next thing you need is to find suitable land.

3. Finding a suitable land

Before getting suitable land to build a school, it is recommended to keep the following documents handy:

Water and hygiene certificates and Auditor’s and bank statements - these documents are essential for building a school. Once you have the documents, the next step is land procurement for opening a school.

If you are buying land from the Government, the first essential thing is to get a no objection certificate or essentiality certificate. This certificate should be obtained from the state’s Department of Education. Also, remember that this certificate is valid only for three years, therefore the construction must begin before the stipulated time frame. Once this certificate is in hand, you can approach the respective municipal corporation for acquiring the land.

Apart from buying your own land to open a school, one also has the option of leasing lands but with a rental agreement for at least 30 years.

4. Process of recognition and affiliation

Once the construction of the school is complete, you need to get permission to start the school in several states. Additionally, under the Rights to Education Act, the schools need to obtain recognition from the respective state governments.

Further, if you wish to get your school affiliated to boards such as ICSE, CBSE or other boards, you need to obtain a NOC from the concerned state education department. As soon as you get the NOC, you obtain the state board’s affiliation after showing the necessary documents including proof of infrastructure, amenities for children and so on. However, if you wish to get IB or CBSE board affiliation, your school needs to be operational and produce decent results for a fixed period of time.

5. Final opening of school

After your school is ready, the next step is to appoint the head of your school, start interviewing candidates and select experienced staff for office, full time helpers and subject matter experts as teachers.

Once all that is done, now all you need is to promote your school through newspapers, brochures, banners etc. Briefly, just about anything that puts your message of educating children out to the world. However, it is recommended to wait for the correct time to open and manage your school.

However, what if you were unable to follow the above-mentioned processes? Fret not. Starting a school in India is not as easy as it may sound. It is rather a prolonged mission that needs to be planned well. There are professional consultancy companies out there that share a similar vision and would love to help you embark on this new journey. One such school education consultancy company is Shri Educare.

Shri Educare helps edupreneurs fulfill their dream of opening a school into a reality. They provide full management of schools across their various functions keeping in mind the mission and vision of your school. Along with Shri Educare, you can attain expertise to set up value enabled credible schools under the right guidance. If you are looking forward to outsourcing help for managing a school, then what are you waiting for? Get in touch with the Shri Educare Limited team today and give the reality wings to your dream of starting school!

Hrithik Chaurasia is a Marketer associated with Brandhype, having more than 3years of experience in Digital marketing. His passion for helping people in all aspects of online jobs and freelancing.