Here's why enrollments are falling in govt schools and how that can be fixed

The Hindu

5 days ago

Government schools in India offer numerous student-friendly benefits: free education, qualified and better-paid teachers, mid-day meals, free textbooks and uniforms, and low or zero fees. These should make them the natural first choice for most families, especially in rural and low-income communities.
Yet, enrollment in government schools has been steadily declining, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas. Parents, even from modest backgrounds, are increasingly choosing private schools over public ones. Why is this happening despite the generous support extended to the public school system?
The answer lies in a complex combination of perception, policy gaps, structural inequities, and, most importantly, an entrance exam system that unintentionally favours private institutions and urban students while leaving rural, government school students at a disadvantage.
Government schools are often perceived as outdated, poorly managed, and meant for the underprivileged—regardless of their actual strengths. In contrast, private schools are viewed as disciplined, modern, and aspirational, even when many lack qualified faculty or sound infrastructure. This perception gap, amplified by advertising and peer influence, has convinced many parents to invest in private education, even when it stretches their household finances.
The National Education Policy 2020 recommends mother tongue instruction until Grade 5, preferably Grade 8, to ensure better comprehension and conceptual clarity in the early years. Government schools generally adhere to this policy. However, many private schools advertise English-medium instruction from Class 1, often without qualified English teachers. Parents, hoping to secure early language advantage for their children, are easily persuaded. As a result, government schools are seen as less modern—even when they are following sound, evidence-based pedagogy. Without uniform enforcement of NEP across both public and private schools, this divide is bound to widen.
Private schools, particularly those in cities and towns, market themselves as pathways to engineering and medical careers. Many introduce IIT or NEET-focused programmes from the primary school level, branding themselves as 'Techno Schools' or 'Junior Academies.' This premature focus on Maths and Science sidelines equally important subjects like languages, social studies, the arts, and ethical education. While this narrow approach may benefit students in competitive exams, it comes at the cost of emotional, civic, and holistic development.
Government schools, by contrast, follow a more balanced curriculum, giving due importance to all subjects. Yet in a system where only STEM marks matter for college admissions, this comprehensive approach is undervalued. The national entrance exam structure reinforces this imbalance.
Most entrance exams for engineering, medicine, and even some general degree programs test only Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. Core subjects such as languages, history, geography, political science, and ethics are excluded entirely. This format is inherently biased toward private school students who are coached intensively in these few subjects, often from a very young age. Urban students benefit further from mock test series, foundation programmes, and English-medium content.
Rural students attending government schools, however, study a broader syllabus aligned with national curricular frameworks. Their preparation, while more holistic, does not align with the narrowly focused demands of entrance tests. This systemic mismatch lowers their chances of success and further reinforces the notion that public schools are inadequate.
The result is a social and academic injustice. Entrance exams, in their current form, help private schools thrive—by rewarding early coaching and selective learning. At the same time, they penalize children from public schools who have received a full, balanced education. In a country where nearly two-thirds of children rely on public education, this situation is neither fair nor sustainable.
How the imbalance can be corrected
To correct these imbalances, India must act decisively. Entrance exams must be reformed to test across all key school subjects, including languages, humanities, ethics, and reasoning. This would ensure that children are not penalized for receiving a broader education. NEP guidelines should be uniformly enforced in both private and public schools, particularly with regard to medium of instruction and curricular scope. Misleading early branding by private schools—such as IIT and NEET training from Class 1—should be regulated to protect the integrity of childhood education.
Public school infrastructure must be upgraded to reflect the aspirations of a changing society. Teacher support, digital tools, and community participation through School Management Committees should be strengthened. Above all, success stories from government schools should be celebrated to rebuild public trust.
Government schools remain the backbone of India's educational equity. But unless entrance exams, admission policies, and public messaging are aligned with the values and structure of public education, families will continue to shift away.
It is time to change the narrative—from 'free and last-resort' to 'free and first-choice.' That can happen only when every subject is valued, every child is supported, and every school is given the opportunity to succeed.
(The writer is Professor (retired), IIT Madras. He writes on education policy, curriculum reform and rural equity)