In India, the school year begins in January. If you are going to request information on fees to send an SNG, it is recommended to do so in October or early November. CI requests that tuition and funds be paid the month before school starts, so they have time to transfer the funds and and the staff has time to contact the family and get everything in place for the child to be enrolled. This is especially important if the child has never attended school before, has been out of school for a year or more, or is starting a new educational chapter (college, vocational, etc.).
Children in India begin school at age six. Primary education is free and compulsory, and it continues until age fourteen. Secondary education covers ages fourteen to eighteen. If a student passes the Higher Secondary Examination at the end of grade twelve, he or she may enroll in tertiary general degree programs. Education is conducted primarily in English and Hindi.
Tutoring for your child in India is relatively inexpensive to provide, and many Sponsors regularly send this support. CI Sponsor Services Rep Debbie Spring shares,
Most kids in India use a tutor and it's a pittance for the entire school year (typically $17-$50) and a lot of families will use a portion of a special needs gift (SNG) to pay for tutoring and still have quite a bit left over for household items.The cost for your child to attend university in India can vary greatly, depending on factors such as what type of degree they are pursuing and whether the school is near or far from their home. I have two different examples of college costs from sponsors who have funded their children's educations:
Example One--Bachelor of Arts, No Boarding Required
Bachelor of Arts - 1st year (August '11 - July '12)
Private tuition fees - $ 136
Admission fees - $ 17
Text books and stationeries - $ 45
Total Cost - $ 198
Bachelor of Arts - 2nd year (August '12 - July '13)
Private tuition fees - $ 136
Admission fees - $ 16
Text books and stationeries - $ 27
Total Cost - $ 179
Bachelor of Arts - 3rd year (August '13 - July '14)
Private tuition fees - $ 136
Admission fees - $ 16
Text books and stationeries - $ 18
Total Cost - $ 170
Grand Total Cost - $ 198 + $ 179 + $ 170 = $ 547
Example Two: Bachelor of Science, Boarding Required
Bachelor's in Science with Honors in Mathematics. A science/math degree is more expensive. In this case, she must also attend a college out of area for a better quality education (she comes from a village and local colleges are often not good in India). The yearly cost for her education is $642. However, the biggest expense is for room and board. (~$200+ a year) For students who are able to go to college closer to home, the expense is likely to be far less.According to current estimates, 80% of all schools are government schools, making the government the major provider of education. However, because of the poor quality of public education, 27% of Indian children are privately educated. The student-to-teacher ratio is public schools is 1:37, while it is 1:31 in private schools. The Economist reported that half of ten-year-old rural children in India could not read at a basic level, over 60% were unable to do division, and half dropped out by the age fourteen. The numbers are even more discouraging for girls: as of 2011, the literacy rate for women was only 58%, while it was 99% for men.
Here is an interesting video from the slums of New Delhi:
