According to the latest report released by Niti Aayog on the country’s school education system, enrollment in government schools across India has declined from 71 per cent in 2005 to 49.24 per cent in 2024-25.As enrollment in public schools declined, private schools steadily increased over the years. Private institutions now account for 44.01 percent of all secondary schools in India, the report said. According to the findings, many parents are increasingly opting for private schools as they believe these institutions provide better English-medium education, stronger discipline and better employment opportunities for children.However, the report states that these expectations are not always reflected in actual classroom learning and notes that large numbers of students in low-fee private schools continue to struggle with basic reading and math skills.The report states that “India’s school education system has seen a significant shift towards private institutions, particularly at the secondary level. This shift reflects parents’ aspirations for better outcomes, but the rapid growth of the private sector also raises concerns about quality, equity and regulation.”
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The learning gap in private schools
The report also highlights that 35 percent of Grade 5 students studying in low-fee private schools are unable to read Grade 2 texts. 60 percent of these students cannot clear the basic division problem, which raises questions about the quality of education despite increasing enrollment.Along with the learning gap, many private schools have serious infrastructure problems. Many low-fee institutions allegedly do not meet the standards stipulated under the Right to Education Act and continue to function without proper toilets, playgrounds or access to clean drinking water.The report also states that the recruitment of teachers in many such schools is informal. In many cases, unqualified or untrained teachers are hired at low salaries with job security or professional support. According to the report, this directly affects the quality of teaching in classrooms and the performance of students.
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Lack of teachers in rural areas
Apart from private schools, the report also highlights wider problems in India’s education system. There are currently around 1.01 crore teachers working in 1.4 lakh schools in India. Although the pupil-teacher ratio has improved over time, rural and underprivileged areas face teacher shortages and greater inattention.One of the biggest concerns is the number of single-teacher schools operating in remote areas of the country. More than 100,000 schools in India are functioning with only one teacher, which is more than 7% of all schools across the country.Such schools leave little room for meaningful improvement in learning as a single teacher is forced to handle multiple classes and subjects at the same time.The report also points to weak staffing systems, poor teacher deployment, heavy administrative workload, inadequate teacher training and lack of subject skills as continuing challenges in the education system.
