FAQ: Is online school effective?

According to a recent MIT study, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are just as effective as what has traditionally been taught in a classroom or a lecture hall. There’s a renaissance occurring in higher education right now, and it’s being led by students who would want to take control of their education, set their own schedules, and gain invaluable experience through experiential learning.

Which is India’s first online school?

Online school in India started during the pandemic. Nonetheless, there is one exception – Vikalp Online School. This existed since 2015. This is the only school which started in the pre pandemic era. Their scale of operation was small. They grew multiple times during pandemic period.

Since they have some 7 years of experience, they can differentiate between Physical and Online School. Over the years, they have understood that understood that Online school cannot be a copy of Physical school. Teachers cannot teach using blackboard or PPTs. This is the reason Vikalp Online school teaches using learning tools and APPs.

Is home schooling better than traditional schooling?

In a traditional school there are around 50 children in the class. Each child has a different way of learning. Even the best teacher has a single style of teaching. The style of teaching of the teacher may or may not match with the way of learning of a child. This mismatch leads to a learning gap.

This can be addressed in home schooling where parents and teachers can pay individual attention to students. You can opt for Vikalp Online School which can assist your child in learning. In this Online School concepts are introduced using learning toys. Children play and discover concepts on their own at their own pace. Learning becomes fun and easy.

If your child wants to pursue his/her passion in music, dance, sports etc. He/she will get full opportunities in Vikalp Online school. You will get flexible school timing which your child can adjust with other classes. Your child will get more time as there are no distractions and time spent going and coming back to school. He/she can focus more on academics and his/her passion.

After completion of Grade 8, each student gets the option to choose either CBSE or NIOS. Both the Board gives your child certificates from the government of India. But your child will get a wider range of choices in terms of selection of subjects and examination pattern. Your child can choose as per his/her requirement which will help them in future.

Suppose your child wants to become a designer. He/she can skip Science Subjects in the tenth and twelfth board. If your child is interested in Engineering, he/she can skip Social Science Subjects. In Vikalp Online school we do provide career counselling so that your child can perform their best. We are totally against rote learning and unnecessary cramming of theories in order to get marks in board examinations.

Is Vikalp Online School Accredited? Can my kid get admission in some other physical school after few years?

Vikalp Online School is Accredited to both NIOS and CBSE board. Students can choose either of the two. Pass certificate and Marksheet of Class 10 and 12 is provided by the Board. For the rest of the classes, Vikalp Online School provides Marksheets and Grade Completion Certificate. In case a student wants to take admission in some other school, Vikalp provides the required Transfer Certificate (TC) which is valid for all kinds of schools.

What is the assessment methodology?

FAQ on Assessment is very common. Vikalp follows CCE pattern Assassment. Generally, tests in schools are conducted to give marks and highlight weakness of children. Objective of Vikalp assessment is twofold. These are “assessment for learning” and “assessment of learning”. “Assessment for learning” is to gauze a student’s performance while he/she is learning. This is done through observing & analysing the activities children are doing for learning. Thus, a child’s process of learning is recorded in form of activity score. “Assessment of learning” is pen and paper test which is conducted once the learning process is over. This is recorded in form of Application score. Both Activity & Application score is analysed and a diagnostic report highlighting strength and weakness of a child is generated.

Vikalp Online School caters to which Grades? And what are the subjects covered?

Vikalp Online School is available for kids of Nursery to Grade 12. Subjects offered are as below: –

PREPRIMARY SCHOOL (Nursery, LKG and UKG)

Core subjects offered are English, Mathematics and Life Skills. In addition to the core subjects, we have a wide range of Optional Subjects. Please refer to our Online Class section.

PRIMARY SCHOOL (Grade 1,2,3,4 and 5)

Core subjects offered are English, Mathematics, Life Skills and Environmental Science. In addition to the core subjects, we have a wide range of Optional Subjects. Please refer to our Online Class Section.

MIDDLE SCHOOL (Grade 6,7 and 8)

Core subjects offered are English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. In addition to the core subjects, we have a wide range of Optional subjects. Please refer to our Online Class Section.

SECONDARY SCHOOL (Grade 9 and 10)

After completion of Grade 8, each student has to select either CBSE or NIOS. Subjects offered for each Board are as below: –

CBSE

In the CBSE Secondary Curriculum (Class 9^th and 10^th), Vikalp offers various additional subjects at Secondary level along with main subjects. In CBSE Curriculum for Class 9 and 10 there are a total five compulsory subjects including two languages and three main subjects.

All of these Five subjects are compulsory to study at Secondary Level. These includes: –

MAIN SUBJECT 1: Language-1 (Hindi Course A or Hindi Course B or English Language & Literature)

MAIN SUBJECT 2: Language-2 (Any one language from Language Group other than Language-1)

MAIN SUBJECT 3: Mathematics

MAIN SUBJECT 4: Science

MAIN SUBJECT 5: Social Science

SUBJECT 6: Additional (Optional) Subjects includes: –

Carnatic Music (Vocal), Hindustani Music (Vocal), Painting, Computer Applications, Elements of Business, Elements of Bookkeeping & Accountancy.

SUBJECT 7: Additional (Optional) 3rd Language from Language Group other than Language-1 & Language-2 (already selected as main subjects). Language options are Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujrati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Arabic, Tamil.

NIOS

In the NIOS Curriculum (Class 9^th and 10^th), Vikalp offers a total of five compulsory subjects including one or two languages. Subjects are divided into two groups: Language Group and Subject Group.

GROUP A: Language Group includes Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujrati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Arabic, Tamil.

GROUP B: Subject Group includes Mathematics, Social Science, Science and Technology, Economics, Business Studies, Psychology, Indian Culture and Heritage, Accountancy, Painting, Data Entry Operations.

Students have to choose five subjects. He/she can choose one or two languages from Group A and the remaining subjects from Group B. If a student is interested in taking more than 5 subjects, they can choose two additional subjects from either of the two groups with additional fees.

SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (Grade 11 and 12)

CBSE SUBJECT CHOICES & EXAM SCHEME

In the CBSE Senior Secondary Curriculum (Class 11^th and 12^th, Vikalp offers various additional subjects along with main subjects. In CBSE Curriculum for Class 11 and 12 there are a total five compulsory subjects including two languages and three main subjects. All of these five subjects are compulsory to study at Senior Secondary Level. These includes: –

LANGUAGES (GROUP – L)

English (Core), Hindi (Core), Sanskrit (Core), Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Arabic, French, German, Telugu, Spanish, French, German,

ACADEMIC SUBJECTS (GROUP-A)

History, Political Science, Geography, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Physical Education, Painting, Business Studies, Accountancy, Computer science, Entrepreneurship, Carnatic Music (Vocal) or Hindustani Music (Vocal), Kathak or Bharatnatyam Dance

Subject Types		Name of Subjects
Compulsory	Subject 1	Hindi Core or English Core
	Subject 2	Any one Language from Language Group -L, not opted as Subject 1 or any one Subject from Academic Subjects (Subject Group A)
	Subject 3	Any 3 Subjects from Academic Subjects (Subject Group A)
	Subject 4
	Subject 5
Additional Subject	Subject 6	Any one subject from any Subject Group (Group A or L) not opted above
Subject of Internal assessment	Subject 7	Work Experience, Health & Physical Education, General Studies

Hindi or English must be one of the two languages to be studied in class XI and XII. Hindi and English can also be offered simultaneously.
For candidates who take 6 subjects (5 main and 1 additional subject) and pass in all 6 subjects, the percentage is to be calculated by the employer/institution/university according to the norms of the employer/institution/university in which the candidate will be seeking admission.
If a student has taken 6 subjects, and if he/she fails in any one of first five subjects, the same will be replaced by the 6th subject provided the candidate satisfies the scheme of studies i.e. after replacement either Hindi or English remains as one of the main five subjects.

NIOS SUBJECT CHOICES & EXAM SCHEME

In NIOS Curriculum for Senior Secondary (Class 11^th and 12^th), Vikalp offers a total of five compulsory subjects including one or two languages. Subjects are divided into 6 groups: Group A, B, C, D, E and F.

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F
English	Mathematics	Physics	Chemistry	Biology	Computer Science
Hindi	Psychology	History	Political Science	Accountancy	Sociology
Sanskrit	Geography
Gujrati	Economics
Bengali	Business Studies
Tamil	Painting
Punjabi	Data Entry Operations
Arabic

Students can choose any five Subjects with either one or two languages from Group A and the remaining subjects from Group B, C, D, E and F. He/she can take more than one subject from Group A and B. However, there is a limitation: Only one Subject from each group C, D, E and F can be opted.

If a student wants to take more than 5 subjects. He/she can take additional two subjects from any Group with additional fees. However, this also has the same limitation: only one Subject from each group C, D, E and F can be opted.

I want to enroll my child. How do I select appropriate level for my child?

If your child is of 3 or 4 years and has a learning level appropriate for Nursery curriculum, you can select Level A.
If your child is of 4 or 5 years and has a learning level appropriate for the LKG curriculum you can select Level B.
If your child is of 5 or 6 years and has a learning level appropriate for UKG curriculum you can select Level C.
If your child is of 6 or 7 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 1 curriculum you can select Grade 1.
If your child is of 7 or 8 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 2 curriculum you can select Grade 2.
If your child is of 8 or 9 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 3 curriculum you can select Grade 3.
If your child is of 9 or 10 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 4 curriculum you can select Grade 4.
If your child is of 10 or 11 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 5 curriculum you can select Grade 5.
If your child is of 11 or 12 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 6 curriculum you can select Grade 6.
If your child is of 12 or 13 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 7 curriculum you can select Grade 7.
If your child is of 13 or 14 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 8 curriculum you can select Grade 8.
If your child is of 14 or 15 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 9 curriculum you can select Grade 9.
If your child is of 15 or 16 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 10 curriculum you can select Grade 10.
If your child is of 16 or 17 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 11 curriculum you can select Grade 11.
If your child is 17 or 18 years and has a learning level appropriate for Grade 12 curriculum you can select Grade 12.

I want to subscribe Vikalp Online School for my child, how can I do that?

It’s easy!! In order to subscribe you need to make the payment and submit the admission form. In order to make online payment you have to follow following process: –

You can click on the KNOW MORE button on subscription page. This will take you to the product page. Check every detail of the product and click on ADD TO CART button. Next click VIEW CART. This will take you to cart page. Check for product name and pricing. If everything is okay click PROCCED TO CHECKOUT. This will take you to check out page. Fill all your details and click on the PLACE ORDER button. Your order is complete. Wait for a confirmation mail in your email id.

Why Vikalp Online School is best suited for Kids with disability?

Vikalp Online School is an Activity Based Online School. Kids learn by doing or exploring the concept on a Educational toy/STEM toy,

which is sent to your home. Its a known fact that Activity Based Learning works best for Kids with disability as they are able to form a clearer mental images of abstract concept.

Can Vikalp Online School replace a physical school?

Vikalp Online School replaces a physical school. Interestingly, it completes the syllabus in a more holistic way. Unlike Physical schools there are only 5 or 6 students in the class. Teachers can pay individual attention to each student. Moreover, the teaching method is completely activity-based. There are no lectures. Students do and Learn on their own at their own pace. Consequently, no student is left behind. This kind of teaching lays strong foundation. Students are able to understand and retain better.

Online school vs offline school-advantages vs disvantages.

It is effective because it has advantages of both online and offline school.

Advantage of online school

Pace of the course is according to the learner. Learning Manger cannot proceed to the next topic until the current topic is complete. Child can ask number of times without any fear. Consequently, learner gets personal attention which is not possible in a physical school where 50 students are studying together in a class.

Advantage of offline school

When a teacher is physically present, he/she can explain better. Its not effective when this explanation is accessed online. This disadvantage is converted into advantage in Vikalp system. Learning Manager doesn’t need to explain anything on blackboard. He/she need to just facilitate the activities which a child is doing with the physical tools. Children discover concepts on their own while doing activities. All kind of learners (visual, auditory & kinaesthetic) learns better in this process. Learning Manger is just a guide. In this guided learning approach, children learns on their own.

What are the cancellation and refund policies?

If at all you feel that Vikalp isn’t working out for your child. Discuss the issue with the Relationship Manger. There could be some misunderstanding. In case you are still not satisfied, you can cancel your subscription and claim refund as below:-

Except for admission fee of Rs. 5500 and 3% transaction fees, Vikalp Refund Policy allows refund of unused products and classes. This refund is done on a pro rata basis, for unused products and classes, – during the tenure of the program enrolled by the student. Course is divided into quarters. You can cancel the unshipped products and future classes of subsequent quarters. (For example – If the students enrolled for a 9 months program (3 quarters) on 1^st of January. If the student applies for refund, then the Company shall refund for the unused products and services of subsequent quarters. This refund should be claimed by the student within 30 days of buying the subscription which in this case is 31^st January.)

The Company will not refund for already shipped products and classes scheduled for the current quarter. In case products of all 3 quarters are sent, then an additional amount of Rs. 9700 will be deducted.

What certificates are required for taking admission in Vikalp Online school?

Only Birth Certificate of kid and ID proof of one of the parents is required. Even if you are Homeschooling your child just have a word with our councilor. Except Date of Birth and ID proof of one of the parents, no other certificate is required.

FAQ: What is the post admission process? Is it cumbersome?

It has 4 easy steps.

Filling the Admission Form by Parent.
Introduction session by Vikalp.
Dispatch of kit including learning tools and books
Class is assigned by Vikalp and Schedule is shared with Parent/Kids.

FAQ: Is Vikalp Online School open for mid-term admission? How does it work?

Yes, we are open for mid-term admission and it works because curriculum of Vikalp is spiral in nature. Spiral curriculum, refers to a curriculum design in which key concepts are presented repeatedly throughout the curriculum, but with deepening layers of complexity each time. Consequently, same topics are taught number of times leading to better understanding and retention of concepts. This also means that students will get opportunity to revise and catch up even if they miss some concepts.

Suppose a child has missed initial few months of class. He/she can still join provided they are ready to put in extra effort to catch up with other students. Fees of the lost months will be deducted from the total fees. Nevertheless, an extra delivery cost + kit fee of US Dollar 50.11/Rs. 4200 or US Dollar 88.51/ Rs. 76500 will be charged for 6 month subscribers and 3 month subscribers respectively. This is so because we need to ship all the products to students who join in the midterm. Otherwise, students will not be able to learn the topics they have missed in the initial months.

Does Vikalp Online School offer choice of Board?

Yes Vikalp offers flexibility in choice of board. You can either choose CBSE or NIOS Board for class tenth examination. Each has a different process. You can speak to our Academic Counsellor to know the details.

What are the advantages of choosing NIOS board over CBSE?

NIOS offers a wide range of subjects to choose from. You can skip Science and Mathematics if you want. Instead, students can take Psychology, History & Culture, Economics, Social Science, Accountancy etc. This is not possible in the CBSE Board.
Students who have cleared Grade 8 may appear for Grade 10 examination under NIOS. (Age criteria of 14 years is to be adhered). This is not possible in the CBSE Board.

What is the academic calendar does Vikalp follow?

There are three Academic sessions. Spring session starts on April. Summer session starts in June-July. Autmn session starts in September-October. Addition there is a winter session for Preschool which starts in January of each calendar year.

FAQ: Why doesn't Vikalp India give a demo?

We dont provide DEMO classes because it's not possible. In our classes concepts are introduced using learning tools. Class without those tools has no meaning. Yes, we do understand that Demo class is the norm. Several organisations use their star teachers for sales purposes and try to portray a good image. We can't do this because our faculty is trained in our unique methodology and is managed by our Facilitator Policy. This policy prohibits us from using teachers for sales purposes. Nonetheless, you can check out Youtube Videos. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXqfn8fbh-nFyGVAjywBwzg. It will give you a more realistic picture as it has recordings of hundreds of live classes conducted by our faculties.