Saturday, July 23, 2011

Private education system in India

Private education
According to current estimates, 80% of all schools are government schools[24] making the government the major provider of education. However, because of poor quality of public education, 27% of Indian children are privately educated.[27] According to some research, private schools often provide superior results at a fraction of the unit cost of government schools.[28][29][30] However, others have suggested that private schools fail to provide education to the poorest families, a selective being only a fifth of the schools and have in the past ignored Court orders for their regulation.[31]
In their favour, it has been pointed out that private schools cover the entire curriculum and offer extra-curricular activities such as science fairs, general knowledge, sports, music and drama.[27] The pupil teacher ratios are much better in private schools (1:31 to 1:37 for government schools and more teachers in private schools are female.[32] There is some disgreement over which system has better educated teachers. According to the latest DISE survey, the percentage of untrained teachers (paratechers) is 54.91% in private, compared to 44.88% in government schools and only 2.32% teachers in unaided schools receive inservice training compared to 43.44% for government schools. The competition in the school market is intense, yet most schools make profit.[27]
Even the poorest often go to private schools despite the fact that government schools are free. A study found that 65% of schoolchildren in Hyderabad's slums attend private schools.[30]
Private schools are often operating illegally. A 2001 study found that it takes 14 different licenses from four different authorities to open a private school in New Delhi and could take years if done legally.[30] However, operation of unrecognized schools has been made illegal under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act[25] which has also significantly simplified the process of obtaining recognition.

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