City Montessori School

City Montessori School (CMS) is a co-educational, English-medium private school located in Lucknow, India. It provides education from pre-primary level up to Class 12 (Grade 12).

City Montessori School
Location
Lucknow , Uttar Pradesh India
Coordinates	26.7896°N 80.8942°E / 26.7896; 80.8942
Information
Type	Registered Not-for-Profit Non-Governmental Society
Motto	Jai Jagat (Victory to the World)
Founded	1959; 66 years ago (1959)
Founder	Jagdish Gandhi Bharti Gandhi
Enrollment	61,345[1]
Affiliation	Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)[2]
Website	http://www.cmseducation.org

The institution holds the distinction of being recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's largest school, with an enrolment of 61,345 students recorded as of 10 August 2023.^[3]

In 2014, the CMS Society was accredited by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) as an affiliated non-governmental organisation (NGO), reflecting its engagement in global educational initiatives.^[4]

Background

City Montessori School (CMS) was established in 1959 by educationist Jagdish Gandhi and his wife, Dr. Bharti Gandhi, in a single room at their residence in Lucknow. The school began with an initial enrolment of five students and a modest capital of ₹300.^[5][6] This inaugural campus, now designated as the Station Road Branch, remains a historic landmark in the institution's growth.

In 2002, CMS was honoured with the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education for its emphasis on global unity and value-based education.^[7] Additionally, the school received the 'Hope of Humanity' Award from Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug ("Yellow Hat") school, in recognition of its contributions to fostering peace and harmony.^[8]

Campuses

City Montessori School (CMS) operates 20 branches across Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, catering to its vast student population. These campuses are strategically located in prominent residential and commercial areas of the city. As of 2023, the major branches include:^[9]

• Aliganj Campus I
• Aliganj Campus II
• Anand Nagar Campus
• Asharfabad Campus
• Ayodhya Road Campus
• Chowk Campus
• Gomti Nagar Campus I
• Gomti Nagar Campus II
• Golf City Campus
• Indira Nagar Campus I
• Indira Nagar Campus II
• Jopling Road Campus
• Kanpur Road Campus
• Mahanagar Campus
• Rajajipuram Campus I
• Rajajipuram Campus II
• Rajajipuram Campus III
• Rajendra Nagar Campus I
• Rajendra Nagar Campus II
• RDSO (Research Designs & Standards Organisation) Campus
• Shalimar OneWorld Campus
• Station Road Campus

Cambridge Campuses

The CMS Cambridge campuses, while sharing geographical proximity with other City Montessori School (CMS) branches, operate independently under separate management. These campuses are affiliated with the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and follow the IGCSE curriculum.^[10] Key CMS Cambridge branches include:

• CMS Cambridge (Gomti Nagar Extension Campus)
• CMS Cambridge (Rajajipuram Campus I)
• CMS Cambridge (Aliganj Campus I)
• CMS Cambridge (Gomti Nagar Campus I)
• CMS Cambridge (Golf City Campus)

In the news

City Montessori School (CMS) has garnered media attention for its academic collaborations, controversies, and social initiatives. In 2013, CMS was designated as Uttar Pradesh's centre for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), a key requirement for admissions to U.S. universities.^[11]

A significant controversy arose in 2015 when CMS denied admission to 31 students from economically weaker sections (EWS) under the Right to Education Act (RTE). The school cited state RTE eligibility criteria, arguing that applicants were either below six years of age (the RTE defines children as aged 6–14), resided beyond a 1 km radius of the campus, or had private schools closer to their homes.^[12] Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient Sandeep Pandey protested this decision with a hunger strike, but mediation efforts between the school, administration, and activists failed. CMS subsequently challenged the state's directive in the Allahabad High Court.^[13] Following an interim order by the Supreme Court, the school admitted 13 eligible students in compliance with the ruling.^[14][15]

CMS has also undertaken peace-building efforts during crises, such as promoting communal harmony after the 1992 Ayodhya riots.^[16] The school launched the Indo-Pak Children's Pen Friend Project to foster cross-border friendships between Indian and Pakistani students.^[17][18] In 2017, CMS students performed yoga at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to mark International Day of Yoga.^[19]

Fee hikes have drawn scrutiny over the years. For the 2017–18 academic session, CMS increased fees by 12%,^[20] following a 10% hike for most classes and up to 16% for nursery and kindergarten in 2013.^[21] The school faced criticism in 2011 after a Class 10 student at its Mahanagar branch died by suicide, allegedly due to threats of public shaming by then-principal Nalini Sharad. A court ordered legal action against Sharad in 2013, rejecting the initial police inquiry. The case remains sub judice, and Sharad retired the same year.^[22][23]

In 2023, CMS revised its uniform (including socks and belts) for the first time in 33 years. After complaints of overpricing, the school introduced a helpline for parents to verify prices.^[24]

CMS's cultural and academic achievements include hosting the International Children’s Film Festival,^[25][26] organizing an international music concert with artists from 17 countries and 11 Indian states (in collaboration with ABRSM),^[27][28] and students securing distinction in CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) board exams.^[29][30]

Notable alumni

• Gopal Bagley – Indian diplomat; served as High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka
• Celina Jaitly – Actress and former Miss India
• Urfi Javed – Indian internet personality, television actress
• Acharya Prashant – Vedanta scholar, author, and founder of the PrashantAdvait Foundation
• Shubhanshu Shukla – Indian astronaut; mission pilot for Axiom Mission 4 to ISS, shortlisted for Indian Human Spaceflight Programme
• Sudhanshu Trivedi – Politician and National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)