FYI for all who immediately want to link this article to reservations: DAV takes in a diverse group of students, including those from very disadvantaged backgrounds- bus/van drivers' and factory workers' kids, etc. Also because it is still one of the few "affordable" CBSE schools in Chennai, it attracts ppl who might otherwise have to settle for mediocre schools that charge lower fees. So, DAV-Chennai has a good share of supportive policies for backward students, though not through reservations.
That said, DAV is all acads acads acads. I studied there for 8 yrs (and thankfully shifted to Vidya Mandir after)- and remember them failing children as young as 5 or 6 because they didn't keep up to standard.. and issuing "ranks" to equally young children who came "first" in class. Which made me question: What about a child's right to be a child??
For those who chose to pursue extracurriculars seriously, there was NO support- in fact, I had to quit NCC because my teachers were unwilling to help me if I missed class for training! PSBB, Vidya Mandir, Bala Vidya Mandir and Shankara are CBSE schools which not only have kids doing great academically but also shining in unconventional areas.
