Preschool franchise brands have mushroomed across the country. Your views on such a phenomena.

The social fabric in our country has undergone many changes - we have moved from the joint family system to living in nuclear homes where both parents are now working. Hence there is a need for children to go to preschools and day schools. This trend is only going to grow. Parents have also realised that it is important to send children to a preschool in the formative years as it helps children in the future. Another factor is with both parents working disposable income has gone up; hence parents can afford to send their children to a preschool which provides enriching learning environments.

The other aspect to consider is that preschools exist in our country since many years, only they were unorganised, daycares are operated from people’s homes; in the older days it was only to leave children in someone’s care. However, today slowly parents have realised the importance of preschool and the value of a format where caregivers are qualified, curriculum is developmentally appropriate and the environments are learner friendly. The first few years of a child are the most impressionable ones. Educationists believe that almost 90 percent of a child’s brain development occurs between the age of 0-8 years. This is the reason preschool education plays a vital role in the initial years of a child’s development. There is no regulatory or certifying body to license preschools. With the demand for preschools going up more and more players are starting preschools, most of these being women looking to get back to work or as a stop gap to marriage.

Now the Entrepreneurs have choice between starting a standalone preschool or a franchise outlet. They find is easier to start a franchise school rather than a new stand alone brand. When they choose a franchise they get a ready set up, along with a set curriculum, training, continuous support and above all a brand which holds a lot of credibility. While in a standalone preschool they would have to start everything from scratch and move upwards independently.

As the demand for preschools is going up, there is a need for more and more preschools. Hence there has been a surge in many franchise preschools coming up. This is only the beginning, as the young population rises there will only be an increase in the number of available preschools. Teacher training to impart quality preschool learning environment also needs to be revamped so that there is a strong backend.