Relevance: GS-2 (Education, Welfare Schemes, Social Justice) • Source: NSS 2023, NEP 2020, The Hindu

Context

Despite Article 21A and the Right to Education Act (2009) promising free and compulsory schooling for children aged 6–14, education in India remains far from cost-free. Household out-of-pocket expenditure has risen steadily, challenging the goals of NEP 2020, which seeks universal education up to the secondary stage. Rising private schooling and coaching costs have created a parallel system that deepens inequality.

Enrollment Patterns & the Urban–Rural Divide

• NSS data shows that most Indian children study in government schools, but private school enrollment rises sharply in urban areas.
• Rural government school enrollment: 55.9%, with private schools growing due to perceptions of better quality, English-medium instruction, and stricter discipline.
• Girls’ enrollment, though improving, still lags behind boys in private schools due to higher fees and cultural patterns of investment.

Rising Costs of Schooling

Even in government schools, families incur multiple expenses:

Additional burdens include:

• Transport, uniforms, books, digital devices, exam fees
• Private coaching, now essential for competitive exams and learning support

These costs dilute the meaning of “free education,” especially for rural, SC/ST, and low-income households.

Private Coaching: A Parallel System

NSS data reveals:

• 25.5% rural and 30.7% urban children attend private coaching.

Coaching acts as a shadow education system, widening learning gaps between those who can afford extra tutoring and those who rely solely on government schooling. It raises concerns about:

• Equity
• Excessive competition
• Erosion of trust in regular schooling

Inequality & Social Implications

• Higher costs push poor families into debt or early dropout.
• Private school expansion + stagnation in public school quality = widening learning inequalities (ASER reports confirm persistent gaps).
• Education becomes a market good, reducing mobility for disadvantaged communities.

This undermines RTE’s equity mandate and NEP 2020’s vision of inclusive schooling.

Policy Implications & Way Forward

To ensure equitable and affordable education:

1. Strengthen government school quality: improved teaching-learning, foundational literacy, and digital readiness (aligned with NEP 2020).
2. Regulate private coaching and school fees through transparent norms, especially in urban clusters.
3. Expand targeted scholarships and DBT for uniforms, transport, and digital tools.
4. Boost community accountability via School Management Committees.
5. Invest in teachers: training, motivation, and pupil–teacher ratios.

A robust public school system is essential for reducing inequality and realising the constitutional promise of universal education.

Q. “Rising household expenditure on schooling undermines the objectives of the RTE Act and NEP 2020. Discuss.”