Making the elephant dance: unpacking India’s public education system

Vignesh Krishnan

India’s education system is nothing short of monumental. There are over 264 million enrolled students studying across 1.5 million schools in India (UDISE, 2020-21). Over the past decade, we have made remarkable strides, achieving over 97% enrollment at the primary level. However, the sheer scale of this system presents a daunting challenge: in such a grand scale of things, how do we make sense of the system and make it work efficiently?

In this article lie glimpses of some critical threads on what works and does not work in the government system. It also explores whether the government should hold full responsibility for all aspects of school education in India and the role that private non-state actors – non-profit organizations, foundations, and private companies – can play in improving the quality of education. Unpacking the gears of India’s education machinery, we will navigate this fine line between governmental scale and private innovation to understand how both sides can converge into an effective educational ecosystem.

The government machinery: potential and pitfalls

At the heart of India’s education system lies a complex government machinery, designed to reach every corner of this vast and diverse nation. The system operates on a concurrent model, with responsibilities shared between the central and state governments. While this structure aims to ensure comprehensive coverage, it often results in a fragmented approach to policy implementation.

The central government, through bodies like the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), sets academic standards and regulates curricula. However, the work of actually deploying these things happens at the state level. This is what often causes a disconnect between policy and practice, with most states finding it tough to translate central directions into implementation on the ground (Kingdon 2007).

One of the key challenges in making this system work efficiently is the misalignment of resources and outcomes. Between 2008 and 2015, per-pupil expenditure in India increased significantly from ₹6,000 to ₹19,000 (MHRD, 2018). Yet, during this same period, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reported a decline in basic learning outcomes (ASER Centre, 2016). This period also saw the rise of large-scale non-profit organizations focused on systemic reforms, supported by increased private and international funding. Dasra, a leading non-profit systems orchestrator, reports that CSR funding for education alone grew by 27% between 2014 and 2018, reflecting the growing attention towards education reform. The learning crisis remains a key topic of dialogue and action among both state and non-state actors, even in 2024. This paradox underscores a crucial lesson: increased funding alone cannot solve the efficiency crisis in education.

One wonders, why quality in education is still falling short, despite several measures taken by the government and private non-state actors. While there are several layered reasons as to why quality continues to be a cause of concern, an important question to ask is what might the government do differently to bring a shift in outcomes?

Streamlining government efforts: towards outcome-driven governance

While we have witnessed an overall jump in budget allocation for school education across states, a large part of it is typically spent on teacher salaries and infrastructure needs, not on student progress or improvements in learning. To make the government system work more efficiently, there needs to be a paradigm shift towards outcome-driven governance. This approach requires a fundamental change in how success is measured and resources are allocated.

The central government has begun to recognize the potential of outcomes-based funding (ObF). In her FY 2023-24 budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced the government’s intention to pilot ObF programs, signalling a national shift towards linking funding with results. By implementing such ObF interventions, the government can determine what works best and how these models can be integrated into procurement processes to maximize impact.

Delhi’s education reform is a great example of a government making a concerted effort to push for better outcomes. One of the landmark decisions by the Government of Delhi was to make a significant jump in budget allocation to 25% of the total budget, becoming the one state that touched that high level of allocation. While there is criticism that the Government of Delhi mostly spent the money on building new schools and classrooms, there were several programs targeted towards building model schools, upskilling principals and incentivising high performing teachers in the system in the form of awards.

Another critical area for improvement is reducing the administrative burden on teachers. A study by the Azim Premji Foundation (2017) found that teachers in government schools spend a disproportionate amount of time on non-teaching tasks, from data collection to managing mid-day meal records. Streamlining these processes and providing administrative support can free up teachers to focus on their core responsibility: teaching.

NITI Aayog’s School Education Quality Index (SEQI) is a great example of an initiative aimed at driving improvements in education by focusing on outcomes rather than mere inputs. The SEQI seeks to institutionalize a ranking system where learning, access, and equity become the core objectives of school education policy in India. Recognizing that education is largely a state subject, this index encourages states to take ownership and leadership in advancing education outcomes in cost-effective ways. By annually measuring and ranking states based on governance indicators, the SEQI highlights state-led innovations and best practices, fostering a competitive spirit and encouraging continuous improvement. This shift in policy focus is essential for strengthening government systems, as it emphasizes actual student learning and development rather than simply increasing resources or funding.

The role of private institutions: complementing government efforts

In the context of India’s education system, the private sector encompasses a diverse range of entities, including non-profit organizations running direct programs with children/teachers, foundations that typically support interventions run by nonprofits, multilateral organizations such as UNICEF that support government institutions in improving various thematic areas, universities, and private companies providing educational services. Over the last few years, there is an increasing push to privatize education to improve quality. The scale of India’s education system is such that it is often argued that private institutions should support and enhance government efforts, not supplant them (Kingdon, 2020).

Private entities can play a crucial role by focusing on reducing the administrative burden on teachers and helping improve teaching quality. For example, organizations like Rocket Learning have developed innovative tools such as WhatsApp-based chatbots that help parents teach foundational literacy and numeracy at home. Or, institutions like the Central Square Foundation work closely with state governments to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning by developing contextually relevant materials in partnership with various state government bodies and building systems capacity to deliver effectively. These kinds of targeted interventions address specific pain points in the system without trying to replace government infrastructure.

Similarly, foundations like the Gates Foundation have invested in programs that improve teacher training and classroom instruction (Gates Foundation, 2022). By focusing on enhancing quality rather than just providing infrastructure, these initiatives address core issues in the learning process. However, this is often not the approach taken by several private players, especially CSR initiatives, in improving school education. A significant amount of private funding is directed toward building infrastructure, such as toilets and classrooms, with the hope that it will lead to better learning outcomes. Substantial evidence suggests that investments in infrastructure have the least correlation with learning outcomes.

Nonprofits can also serve as models or hubs of excellence for government institutions to learn from. For instance, Christel House India, a small network of high-quality no-fee schools, exemplifies an institution that produces exceptional outcomes while serving children from the same socio-economic backgrounds as those attending government schools. This presents a valuable opportunity to codify and share effective practices from such models for government schools to adopt. Ultimately, it is crucial for private players to invest in initiatives that enhance the quality of learning in government schools.

Creating synergy: public-private partnerships

In the landscape of non-state actor interventions in India’s education system, there are broadly two to three types of partnerships that have emerged. The first category includes organizations that directly work within the government machinery by deploying their own resources – such as Teach for India – which focuses on placing Fellows in classrooms to improve learning outcomes. The second type involves organizations that aim to strengthen system capacity by working with teachers and school leaders through structured training and development programs, as seen with Alokit and SEF. A third category comprises organizations like Samagra and Central Square Foundation (CSF), which focus on building salience for specific issues, advocating for reforms, and working in partnership with the government to enable systems-level capacity to deliver outcomes. There is no single silver bullet when it comes to which approach works best, but for interventions to be sustainable at scale, the long-term goal must be for the public education system to deliver independently, with minimal direct support from non-state actors.

Another key aspect of making India’s education system work efficiently lies in creating effective synergies between government efforts and private sector innovations. This requires careful alignment of goals and clear delineation of roles (Srivastava, 2010). Most interventions led by private non-state actors in government schools follow a piecemeal approach to addressing the issue of quality. There are very few interventions that take a holistic approach or are designed with active collaboration between government and private institutions. The reality is that what works for a nonprofit in 10 schools won’t necessarily work in 1,000 schools due to the dilution that occurs when scaling any program. Therefore, the challenge lies in the execution of these interventions and how thoughtfully they are designed to address the root of the problem.

Public-private partnerships should be structured around clearly defined, measurable outcomes tied to improvements in the education system’s efficiency and effectiveness. Innovations from private non-state actors should be designed with scalability in mind, ensuring that successful interventions can be integrated into the larger government system.

At the same time, it’s crucial that private sector involvement doesn’t lead to the creation of parallel structures that might undermine the public education system. Instead, the focus should be on building the capacity of the existing system, whether through teacher training, curriculum development, or enhancing assessment methodologies (Muralidharan & Sundararaman, 2015).

Measuring success: beyond enrollment numbers

To make our government education system more efficient and effectively integrate the private non-state actors’ contributions, we need to set clear and meaningful success metrics. Instead of just focusing on enrollment numbers or the state of infrastructure, we should look at how well the system performs overall and its long-term impact. Real educational improvements often take years, if not decades, to show results.

It is also critical that we actively focus on enhancing the system’s capacity to deliver high-quality inputs consistently. While it’s important to design interventions that lead to sustained improvements in learning outcomes, we must also address the day-to-day operational challenges that schools face. Often, the issues stem from multiple, intertwined factors at various levels of implementation – from administrative bottlenecks to resource allocation inefficiencies. To truly drive change, solutions must be contextually relevant, taking into account the unique challenges of different regions and communities. This approach ensures that both immediate and long-term goals are met, enabling the education system to function more effectively over time.

The path forward

Making India’s vast education system work efficiently is a massive task that requires the concerted efforts of both government and private institutions. The government must lead the charge, shifting from a focus on inputs (like enrollment and infrastructure) to an emphasis on outcomes and system efficiency. Private entities, in turn, must align their efforts with government priorities, bringing innovation and efficiency to specific areas of need.

By embracing data-driven governance, fostering meaningful public-private partnerships, and maintaining a relentless focus on long-term system efficiency, we can begin to transform India’s education machinery. This transformation is not just about improving statistics; it’s about creating a system that can effectively equip 264 million children with the skills they need to thrive in the 21^st century.

The path forward requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn and adapt. With a clear vision, strategic collaboration, and unwavering commitment, we can ensure that India’s education system becomes a powerful engine of progress, propelling the nation towards a brighter and more prosperous future.

References

• ASER Centre. (2016). Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2016. New Delhi: ASER Centre.
• ASER Centre. (2023). Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2022. New Delhi: ASER Centre.
• Azim Premji Foundation. (2017). Teacher Absenteeism Study. Bangalore: Azim Premji University.
• Gates Foundation. (2022). Annual Report 2022. Seattle: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Kingdon, G. G. (2007). The progress of school education in India. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 23(2), 168-195.
• Kingdon, G. G. (2020). The private schooling phenomenon in India: A review. The Journal of Development Studies, 56(10), 1795-1817.
• Ministry of Education. (2023). Educational Statistics at a Glance 2021-22. Government of India.
• Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). (2018). Education Statistics at a Glance. Government of India.
• Muralidharan, K., & Sundararaman, V. (2015). The aggregate effect of school choice: Evidence from a two-stage experiment in India. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(3), 1011-1066.
• Srivastava, P. (2010). Public–private partnerships or privatisation? Questioning the state’s role in education in India. Development in Practice, 20(4-5), 540-553.
• UNICEF. (2020). Education Overview: India. UNICEF India.

The author is a developmental sector professional with over 12 years of experience working in the education non-profit sector. His career began with Teach For India, where he spent 11 years. In his last role as City Director, he led a team of 100 members in Hyderabad, interventions that impacted thousands of children. Currently, Vignesh serves as the Director of Expansion at Christel House International, where he is responsible for expanding the organization’s global footprint. His deep commitment to creating equitable opportunities for disadvantaged children continues to fuel his work. Vignesh excels in managing large teams, scaling initiatives, and adapting strategies to ensure programs remain effective in dynamic environments. He can be reached at vkv1106@gmail.com.

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