7 of 10 new schools in India are private: UNESCO report

As per the new Global Education Monitoring Report 2022 by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), quality of public education, combined with parental aspirations have driven private education growth in India. It records that in the past 30 years, the South Asian region has experienced rapid education expansion, outpacing the rest of the world. While it is India which is driving these regional averages, of every 10 new schools established here in the past eight years, seven are private independent schools.

The report also calls for increased attention to the implementation of regulations covering equity and quality across all schools so that no children are left behind. It states that only 46% of adults agreed that the primary responsibility for providing school education rested with the government, the lowest share amongst 35 middle-and high-income countries.

Highlighting that non-state actors are significantly involved in every aspect of education systems in South Asia, the report highlights that about a third of students in India and Pakistan, and a quarter in Nepal are in private schools that receive no state assistance. Over 90% of teacher education institutions in India are funded only by fees.