You are here:
Home › Markets › Africa › Asia

India

Affordable Private Schools in India

There are an estimated 75,000 low-cost private schools in low-income areas across India that follow the national curriculum. The 2009 Pratham Annual Status of Education Report showed that in 2008, private school enrollment among children ages 6 to14 was at  22 percent, up from 16 percent in 2005.

National Education System

The Indian education system is divided into four stages—primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary—and follows a 10-2 format. Children attend 10 years of free, mandatory schooling, and then families have the choice to pay for students to continue on for two more years of higher secondary education.

On April 1, 2010, the Indian government brought into effect the Right to Education Act, which makes elementary education a universal and fundamental right for all children ages 6 to 14 years. Elementary education is comprised of primary school (ages 6-11 or classes 1-5), and upper primary school and secondary school (ages 11-15 or classes 6-10). Students (ages 16-17 or classes 11-12) pay to attend private, higher-secondary school programs.

The National Policy of Education 1986 defined a national curricular framework with a common core of standards, which most schools in India follow. The policy also established other flexible and region-specific components to promote cultural pluralism and diversity of heritage in India.

Case Study: Hyderabad

Hyderabad is home to an estimated 3,000 APS, a third of which are located in the Old City, which are predominately Muslim neighborhoods classified as slums. Leading researcher and professor James Tooley has found through field research that as many as 65 percent of schoolchildren in Hyderabad's slums attend private schools. He’s also determined that the quality of education in the private schools he has sampled surpasses that of government schools, largely because of smaller class sizes and more teachers. He has noted that school facilities and resources can be weaker than government-run public schools.

Most teachers in APS are women. In the Old City, teachers are typically single, unmarried girls who wish to make a living while staying close to home until they get married. After marriage, only some return to teaching. In greater Hyderabad, teaching is viewed as a viable career option for married women in a double-income family. Teachers typically have a college degree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affordable Private School Profile

The following are common attributes of APS in India:

School Management & Operations

  • Many entrepreneurs operate schools as sole proprietorships or businesses, despite a legal requirement that they be run by charitable trusts or non-profits.
  • School entrepreneurs are typically well-educated, with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or some post-graduate work, and most have teaching experience.
  • School fees average between $2 and $6 per month, per student.
  • School enrollment ranges from 300 to 1,000 students per school.

Teaching & Learning Environment

  • A majority of schools provide instruction in English.
  • Teachers have typically completed at least 10 years of basic schooling. Educators with 12 years of schooling will teach primary grades, leaving those with 10 years education to kindergarten classes. Educators with a college degree will teach upper primary and secondary school.
  • Classroom size ranges from six to 36, but most are filled beyond student capacity.
  • Per classroom, there is an average of one teacher for every 35 students.
  • Many school facilities lack resources such as libraries, computers, labs or playgrounds.

Parents & Students

  • The average income of a student’s family ranges from $20 to $210 per year.
  • Many schools offer discounts and scholarships to children based upon financial need.

School Associations

  • School associations across India are sparse, but Hyderabad is home to an estimated 42 associations. Associations provide such services as teacher training, school planning and government lobbying for APS.

 

Resources

How to Contribute

The EnterprisingSchools team is constantly working to update and improve market summaries and country profiles. If you have materials or information that could help us in our efforts, please send an email to our Resource Team. EnterprisingSchools is a collaborative effort, and it will grow more valuable through your contributions.