If government schools are free, why don't we send our kids there?

India Today

18 hours ago

Despite free or minimal fees, public schools in India struggle to attract students. Here's why parents continue to flock to private schools and what the data says. Government schools in India offer free education, mid-day meals, and even scholarships. Yet, for many parents, especially middle-income households the idea of sending their child to a government school is not even a consideration.advertisementIn a country where 93% of children were enrolled in government schools post-Independence, the tide has turned dramatically. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) 2021-22, only 49.6% of school-going children are now in government schools, while 47.5% attend private schools. In urban India, private school preference is even higher, despite the financial burden it imposes.So why is free education not enough?PERCEPTION OF QUALITY: "FREE" STILL HAS A COSTFree or not, the perception of poor teaching quality haunts government schools. In contrast, private schools even budget ones are seen to offer:Better teacher attendanceEnglish-medium instructionRegular exams and assignmentsMore personalised attentionDATA POINTThe ASER Report 2023 found that only 25.9% of Class 5 government school children could read a Class 2-level text, compared to 42.3% in private schools.JOB PROSPECTS & COMPETITIVE EXAMS: ENGLISH STILL RULESIndia's job market, especially in urban areas, rewards English fluency and a polished personality. Since many government schools still teach regional languages and often lack communication-skills grooming, parents fear their children will be left behind."Even if my child tops the class in a Hindi-medium school, how will he compete in IIT or appear for interviews in MNCs?" - Rohit Sharma, a parent in Lucknow. Moreover, private schools are often aligned with CBSE or ICSE boards that are better structured for national-level entrance exams.INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXTRACURRICULAR GAPSA Tale of Two Campuses:Private school in Noida: Smart classrooms, sports coaches, annual music/drama performances.Government school nearby: One fan per classroom, poorly maintained science lab, outdated equipment, and ill-kept playgrounds that are often used for community events rather than student sports.The Ministry of Education's Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2023 revealed that:Only 57% of government secondary schools had a functioning computer.Less than 30% had internet connectivity.40% lacked functioning libraries.Private schools often offer robotics labs, foreign language classes, debate clubs, and career counselling facilities rarely found in public schools.TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY & INCENTIVESGovernment school teachers are often better paid than their private school counterparts. But higher salaries don't always mean better outcomes.In private schools:Teachers face direct accountability to parents and management.Regular performance reviews are the norm.In contrast, government teachers are rarely fired for non-performance and are often assigned duties unrelated to teaching, like election work or census surveys.PARENTAL ASPIRATIONS AND SOCIAL PRESTIGEadvertisementEducation is not just about learning it's about social mobility. Private schooling, even if budget or low-cost, is often associated with upward mobility."When I say my daughter goes to XYZ International School, people take notice. I don't want her labelled just because she went to a sarkari school," - Anita Devi, a domestic worker in Delhi who spends 30% of her salary on private tuition.This social bias has created a vicious cycle: better-off students leave government schools, which further reduces their competitiveness and credibility.EXCEPTIONS EXIST BUT ARE RARESome public schools buck the trend:Delhi's Model Schools: Known for modern teaching methods and infrastructure.Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs): Often outperform private schools academically.But such institutions are the exception, not the rule, and admission is highly competitive.FREE EDUCATION ISN'T ENOUGH WITHOUT QUALITYIndia's Right to Education Act guarantees free and compulsory schooling. But if the quality gap remains, no amount of affordability will help government schools win back parents' trust. To truly reform public education, the government must address teacher accountability, upgrade infrastructure, integrate English-medium instruction, and embrace extracurricular development. Otherwise, the question will linger: If government schools are free, why aren't they good enough for our children?P.S. IndiaToday.in reached out to the Ministry of Education for clarification, but has not received a response yet. A reply is awaited.- EndsTrending Reel