Why in the News ?

Despite the constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory education under Article 21A, new data from the NSS 80th Round (April–June 2025) reveals that schooling in India remains expensive, unequal and increasingly privatised. With rising enrolment in private unaided schools and a growing dependence on private coaching, the financial burden on households, especially the poorest, is widening. These findings underscore a deepening crisis in education affordability, challenging India’s commitment to universal, equitable schooling under the NEP 2020.

Background

• Article 21A (86th Amendment, 2002) mandates free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 years.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 expands universalisation from ages 3–18, aiming for full school education coverage up to Class 12 by 2030.
• Despite this framework, private schooling and private tuition have become integral to the current education landscape.
• The NSS 80th Round provides the latest nationwide evidence on enrolment trends, school fees, and tutoring expenditure, revealing widening socio-economic disparities.

Feature

Rising Dependence on Private Schools

• Nationally:
  • 55.9% in government schools
  • 11.3% in private aided
  • 31.9% in private unaided schools
• Urban areas: a majority—51.4%—attend private schools.
• Rural areas: still dominated by government schools, but private enrolment is steadily rising.

Trend since 2017–18 (NSS 75th Round):

• Private school enrolment has increased across primary, middle, and secondary levels in both rural and urban India.

High and Rising Schooling Costs

• Although education is constitutionally free:

Government school annual fees:

• Rural: ₹823 (pre-primary) → ₹7,308 (higher secondary)
• Urban: ₹1,630 → ₹7,704

Private school annual fees:

• Rural: ₹17,988 → ₹33,567
• Urban: ₹26,188 → ₹49,075

Monthly expenditure comparison:

• Rural private schooling: ₹1,499–₹2,797
• Urban private schooling: ₹2,182–₹4,089

These amounts, at the pre-primary level, are equal to the monthly income of the poorest 5% households.
At higher secondary, the fees correspond to the income level of the 3rd decile households.

High Incidence of Private Tuition

• 25.5% of rural and 30.7% of urban children take private coaching.
• Tuition prevalence rises with education level and peaks at higher secondary:
  • Urban higher secondary: 44.6%
  • Rural higher secondary: 33.1%

Tuition Costs Are Substantial

Average annual coaching expenditure:

• Rural: ₹7,066
• Urban: ₹13,026

At higher secondary:

• Rural: ₹13,803
• Urban: ₹22,394

Socio-economic Gradient in Education Spending

Factors influencing coaching demand include:

• Higher household income
• Educated parents
• Urban residence
• Enrolment in private schools
• Perception of prestige associated with coaching

Falling Quality in Schools Fuels Private Tuition

Research shows:

• Students in schools with lower teacher quality and weaker learning environments rely more on tutoring.
• A 2024 study (Agrawal, Gupta, & Mondal) finds that private tuition is negatively associated with school quality indicators.

Challenges

Inequalities in Access to Quality Education

• Private schooling and tuition are financially prohibitive for poorer households.
• Two-track education system emerging:
  • Private schools + private coaching for the affluent
  • Government schools with resource gaps for the poor

Constitutional Mandate vs. Ground Reality

Free education remains largely aspirational when:

• Government schools still levy fees
• Households pay large sums for tuition, books, uniforms, and transport

Urban–Rural Divide

• Urban private enrolment (51.4%) is more than double rural private enrolment (24.3%).
• Quality differential widens learning gaps early.

Declining Confidence in Government Schools

Parental preference for private schools is rising due to:

• Perceived better English-medium teaching
• Peer effects
• Weak learning outcomes in public schools
• High pupil–teacher ratios, infrastructure deficits, and teacher vacancies

Private Tuition Is Reinforcing Inequality

Coaching has become:

• A necessity for academic success
• A symbol of prestige
• A burden that poor families simply cannot afford

Financial Strain on Low-Income Households

Education expenditure is now comparable to:

• MPCE of the poorest households
• 20–30% of the monthly income for many lower-middle-class families

This undermines the promise of universal education.

Way Forward

Strengthen Public School Quality

• Fill teacher vacancies; ensure regular training
• Improve infrastructure, especially at pre-primary and secondary levels
• Expand English/bilingual instruction options
• Ensure transparent learning assessments

Higher school quality will reduce dependence on coaching, as evidence shows.

Reduce Hidden and Ancillary Costs

• Uniforms, books, digital devices, transport, and exam fees should be supported for poor households.
• Revise RTE norms to limit schools’ ability to levy “add-on” fees.

Regulate Private Schools and Coaching Centres

• Transparent fee structures
• Regulation of annual fee hikes
• Licensing and academic standards for tuition centres

Expand Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Since NEP universalises schooling from ages 3–18, government ECE needs to be:

• Accessible
• Affordable
• High-quality

Strengthen Social Protection for Education

• Targeted scholarships for poor households
• Support for digital learning
• Expansion of PM POSHAN and transport subsidies in remote areas

Quality-Focused Governance

• Independent monitoring of learning outcomes
• School Quality Indices at the district and State levels
• Stronger accountability mechanisms for government schools

Conclusion

The findings of the NSS 80th Round Survey highlight a fundamental contradiction: despite the constitutional promise of free education, schooling in India is becoming more expensive, more unequal, and more dependent on private markets. Rising private school enrolment, high coaching dependence, and mounting household costs are pushing education beyond the reach of the poor and weakening the principle of universal, equitable education.