By Dr. Gyan Pathak
India is shifting fast towards privatization of education. In urban India, about 30.1% of students were enrolled in government schools, while 70.0% were enrolled in schools other than government schools in the beginning of the current year. In contrast, about 66.0% were enrolled in government schools, and 33.9% were enrolled in other than government schools in rural India.
The report based on the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education (CMS: E), 2025 of the NSS 80th round conducted during April – June, 2025, has also found that costs of education per student in urban areas is almost thrice the cost in rural areas, showing great inequality in access to universal and equal quality education.
The survey report says that the average expenditure per student on school education in rural India was estimated at Rs 8,382 and Rs 23,470 in urban India, for all levels of enrolment and all types of schools.
In rural India, the average expenditure per student on school education during the current academic year was estimated at Rs 2,639 in government schools and Rs 19,554 in non-government schools. In urban India, the same was estimated at Rs 4,128 for government schools and Rs 31,782 for non-government schools.
Private Coaching are flourishing. In rural India, about 25.5% students enrolled in school education reported were taking/had taken private coaching during the current academic year. In urban India, the estimate stands at 30.7%. All India average for students taking private coaching is 27 per cent.
About 37 per cent student in Higher Secondary, 37.8 per cent in secondary, 29.6 per cent in middle, 22.9 per cent in primary, and 11.6 per cent in pre-primary level were taking private tuition or coaching.
Average expenditure per student on private coaching, during the current academic year, was estimated at Rs 2,409. The average expenditure per male and female student was estimated at Rs 2,572 and Rs 2,227, respectively.
There is also huge difference between the cost of private coaching in rural and urban areas. The average cost of private coaching in rural areas was Rs 1793 while it was more than double in urban areas at Rs 3,988. Higher secondary students in rural areas were spending Rs 4548 in private coaching while in urban areas the expenditure was Rs 9950. The expenditure in rural areas per student for secondary students was Rs3159, for middle Rs 1745, for primary Rs1039, and for pre-primary Rs 420. In urban areas secondary level students spent Rs 6585, middle Rs 3326, primary 2108 and pre-primary Rs 783.
About 95% of students reported that ‘funded by other members of the household’ was the first major source of funding for their educational expenses. About 91.3 per cent had reported single source of funding – 91 per cent in rural areas and 92.3 per cent in urban areas.
It should be noted that the last such survey was conducted during NSS 75th round in July 2017 to June 2018, which was given a name “Household Social Consumption: Education”. Between 2017-18 and 2025 one can clearly see deterioration in the education system of the country, as far as inequality and affordability is concern. Government schools are being fast replaced with dominance of the private schools.
In 2017-18, in rural areas, 44.2% of the students at pre-primary level, 73.7% at primary level, 76.1% at upper primary/middle level, 68.0% at secondary & higher secondary level and 49.7% at graduate and above level attended Government institutions, while in urban areas, 13.9% at pre-primary level, 30.9% at primary level, 38.0% at upper primary level, 38.9% at secondary& higher secondary levels and 41.0% at graduate and above levels attended Government institutions.
The percentage of students receiving free education has sharply declined since 2017-18. At that time at pre-primary level nearly 33% students (around 44% in rural areas and 14% in urban areas) were getting free education in India. At primary level, the proportion of students receiving free education was 62% (nearly 72% in rural areas and 31% in urban areas).At upper primary/middle level, 72% of students from rural areas and 36% from urban areas were getting free education.
In secondary level, the proportion of students receiving free education was 46% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The proportion was 26% and 14% at higher secondary level respectively in rural and urban areas.77% of the students studying in Government institutions were receiving free education (nearly 81% in rural areas and 62% in urban areas).Percentage of students studying in private unaided institutions and receiving free education was nearly 2% in rural areas and 1% in urban areas. The current survey showed a rise in education expenditure per student.
As for private coaching nearly 20% of students were attending pre-primary and above level (21% of males and19% of females) were taking private coaching in India in 2017-18.Incidence of taking private coaching was maximum at secondary level (31% of male students and 29% of female students). Private coaching has increased since then.
Average expenditure per student incurred during 2017-18 for basic course was nearly Rs. 8,331 for general courses which also included graduate and post graduate and above students.
The current survey has thus clearly indicated that India urgently needs to give attention to the widening inequality in education between students from rural and urban and poor and rich households in the country. Quality of education in government schools needs to be upgraded urgently. (IPA Service)
