The Progress of School Education in India
Contributor Name:
Kavita
India’s recent economic growth rates indicate positive outcomes in terms of general social and economic development. The author examines progress in educational outcomes in terms of access to schooling and schooling quality. The author also explores the role of the private sector in education and discusses major public education initiatives in India,
The author presents an overview of school education sector in India using newly released data and a survey of existing studies. She emphasizes that:
- India lags behind China in secondary school participation and youth literacy rates, but its primary enrolment levels are close to universal rates;
- Quality of schooling is low;
- Massive growth of private schooling in urban areas has led to growing inequality in educational opportunity;
- Impact of various public education initiatives need to be rigorously evaluated;
- Increased public commitment to school education and increased NGO education activity generate optimism about the future.