Hierarchies of Access in Schooling: An Exploration of Parental School Choice in Haryana

Abstract

The parental schooling choice in India has tilted in favour of private schools in a big way and preference for English medium has been highlighted as the main driving force behind this trend. This article analyses the school choice where both private as well as government schools offer education in English and Hindi medium. Based on the primary field survey and secondary data analysis, the article argues that the introduction of English medium in government schools has impacted the village school market significantly as it has led to the closure of three out of four private schools. However, we found that the availability of English medium school is not the sole determinant of school choice. A sharp difference in the profile of students enrolled in the government-run Hindi and English medium schools suggest that caste, gender and economic status also play a significant role in school choice.