Way Outside The Curriculum

Context:  A critical analysis of privatisation of education in the light of  The New Education Policy- 2020 document. 

Private v/s Public Schools

• Overall enrolment: share of unaided private schools is increasing (from 3% to 35% in 1978 to 2017) whereas in government schools it is falling (from 74% to 52%).
• Quality of education is the encouraging factor for parents to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.
• Wide learning gap: Percentage of first graders not able to read alphabets (56% and 23% ) and numbers (46% and 18%) is higher in government schools than the private ones. – ASER 2019. 
• Public schools offer freebies at the cost of quality education.
• The profit motive of the privatisation cannot be blamed for the failure of government schools to deliver quality education.
• Quality of Teacher: Public sector attract more qualified teachers because they pay more. 
• Private schools, because they pay less, are often left with teachers who cannot get government school jobs.

Issue with Public Schools

• Encourage high rates of teacher truancy, i.e. unexcused absence from school.
• Teacher absenteeism can be attributed to the involvement of teachers in non-teaching activities. - Azim Premji Foundation Study.
• Public schools attract more qualified teachers because of their high pay but fail to provide quality

Conclusion: Indian State has failed to build a robust education system for all residents, and it is disingenuous to blame private schools for this failure.