Structural issues in India's education system

Notes

• Public expenditure on education in India remains between 2.9% and 3.5% of GDP, significantly lower than the 6% target recommended by the 1966 Kothari Commission.
• Structural issues include crumbling infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of basic facilities like functional toilets.
• There are over one lakh single-teacher schools in India, serving more than 33 lakh students.
• The Right to Education (RTE) Act mandates specific standards for teacher-student ratios and infrastructure that are currently unmet in many regions.
• Pedagogical concerns include a reliance on rote-learning and lecture-based instruction, leading to poor learning outcomes where students struggle with basic literacy.
• The rise of private coaching academies is identified as a market response to the failure of public education institutions, creating inequitable access based on income.
• Systemic issues include corruption in assessments, mass copying in board exams, and a culture of impunity in educational administration.
• The lack of accountability and insufficient political will to implement existing policy recommendations are cited as primary barriers to reform.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 2 in Structural issues in India's education system, which has been running since 6 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• School education reform campaign After
• The whole story 2 entries