An Exploratory Study to Understand the Scope of Privately Managed Elementary Schools in India

Pulak Das

doi:10.5296/ije.v6i1.4991

Abstract

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 This study attempted to understand if at the national aggregate level Indian households’ preferences for their children’s school level education were shifting from Government to privately managed schools and whether such privatised schooling was scalable for mass education required for accelerated diffusion of elementary education across the country. Based on time series data on the numbers of schools and their enrolments over the period from 1993-94 to 2007-08, the study found both the number of schools and their enrolments increased abruptly around year 2000-01 when mission mode programme of “Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan” was launched, indicating a change in environment and strong supply side impact On the growth of student enrolments in elementary schools. Analysis of student enrolments in Government and in privately managed schools indicated growing households’ preferences for privately managed schools. However, though in terms of households’ choices, demands for privately managed schools were growing yet for faster diffusion of elementary education across the country, privately managed elementary schools did not turn out a good substitute to low cost Government managed schools. At the total national aggregate level the market for elementary education showed the prospects of high growth with simultaneous presence of a collective learning environment for the population and a low private cost based learning system for the individual at household level. It appears faster progress towards raising the enrolment ratio of Indian children in elementary schools which has been abysmally low for so many years, could be achieved by adopting more innovative approach towards their finance and governance. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Highlights

In India, the Governments at the centre and the states have been the principal providers of education services for many years
Such spurt in enrolment even before much actions happened in the supply side of school level learning was symptomatic of significant change in the learning environment of elementary schools heralded by the launch of mission mode programme of “Shiksha Abhiyan” (SSA)”
This study attempted to understand if the Indian households’ preferences for their children’s education were shifting from Government managed schools to privately managed schools and whether the existing privately managed schooling facilities of India were scalable for a faster diffusion of elementary education across the country

Summary

Introduction

In India, the Governments at the centre and the states have been the principal providers of education services for many years. In year 2007-08, the estimated numbers of children in the age group of 6 years to 10 years were 119 millions (Selected Educational Statistics: 2007-08). According to 64th round of National Sample Survey, only 84% or 100 million of them were in school and the rest 19 millions were not enrolled in any school. The projected numbers of children and youths in the age group of 6 years to 17 years who were eligible to study in a school in one of the twelve grades from Grade I to Grade XII were 289 millions. Out of that huge number of potential learners only 176 millions were in school and the rest 113 millions were not enrolled in any school (Government of India, 2010)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion