Lalit Garg
India is moving forward with an ambitious resolve to become a developed nation by 2047. A teacher, crumbling walls and shrinking government schools—can the dream of a developed India be fulfilled without a strong education system? The country’s progress towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, its digital revolution, achievements in space, expansion of infrastructure and growing influence on the global stage are certainly matters of pride. Yet, behind this impressive picture lies another India—an India where thousands of children still struggle for adequate teachers, safe school buildings, clean drinking water, toilets, electricity and quality education. The fundamental question is: if the very foundation of the education system on which the developed India of 2047 is to be built is weak, how strong will that India ultimately be? Government data makes this concern even more serious. According to UDISE+ 2024-25, as many as 104,125 schools in the country have only one teacher, serving nearly 3.377 million students. This means that a single teacher is expected to manage several classes, multiple subjects and administrative responsibilities while also ensuring that children receive a meaningful education. This is not merely a statistic; it is the story of millions of children for whom government schools are the most accessible, and often the only, avenue to education.
The irony is that in the same country we proudly discuss world-class universities, IITs, IIMs, medical institutions and technologically advanced educational campuses, while failing to pay adequate attention to the child in a village who dreams of a better future while sitting beneath a leaking roof. In some places there is only one teacher for five classes. In others, school buildings are dilapidated, drinking water is unavailable, toilets are inadequate, and electricity, fans and other basic facilities are missing. In recent months, students in several districts of Uttar Pradesh have taken to the streets demanding more teachers, better food, drinking water, fans and basic facilities. In Fatehpur, nearly a thousand students reportedly protested over crumbling classrooms, leaking roofs and the lack of safe drinking water. This situation cannot be described merely as the failure of one state or one government. It is the consequence of an administrative mindset that has repeatedly given education a high place in speeches but failed to make its quality and accountability among the highest priorities of governance. There are large education departments, substantial budgets, numerous schemes, committees and inspection mechanisms. Yet how did more than one lakh single-teacher schools continue to exist? This question must be addressed not merely to governments, but to the entire administrative system.
The picture, however, is not entirely bleak. According to UDISE+ data, in 2024-25 India had around 1.471 million schools, nearly 246.9 million students and more than 10 million teachers. Government schools numbered around 1.013 million, while private unaided recognised schools numbered approximately 340,000. Government data also shows that the number of single-teacher schools declined from 110,971 in 2023-24 to 104,125 in 2024-25, while the proportion of schools with computer facilities increased from 57.2 per cent to 64.7 per cent. These improvements deserve recognition. But treating them as the final measure of success would amount to complacency. The real test of education is not merely the existence of buildings, computers or impressive statistics; it is whether a child is actually learning and whether the system is preparing that child for a better future.
A recent NITI Aayog report presents another significant picture. In 2014-15, India had around 1.107 million government schools, but by 2024-25 the number had fallen to approximately 1.013 million. In contrast, the number of private recognised schools increased from around 288,000 to 339,000. This is not merely a fluctuation in the number of schools; it also signals changing parental preferences and declining confidence in government education. The most important question is this: when the government has land, buildings, trained teachers, the capacity to pay salaries and an extensive administrative machinery, why do government schools continue to lag behind private schools? It is easy to criticise private schools, but we must also ask why parents, even with limited incomes, are willing to pay fees to send their children to them. The answer lies in the quality of education, discipline, regularity, English and technology-oriented learning, communication with parents and the overall learning environment offered by private schools. ASER data also highlights this gap. According to the NITI Aayog report, in 2024, 23.4 per cent of Grade 3 children in government schools could read a Grade 2-level text, compared with 35.5 per cent in private schools. At Grade 5, the corresponding figures were 44.8 per cent for government schools and 59.3 per cent for private schools. Clearly, the problem is not merely one of school infrastructure; it is also a crisis of learning outcomes.
At the same time, the picture at the higher-education and competitive-examination levels is equally worrying. Reports of paper leaks, examination irregularities, delays in recruitment and student protests have continued to surface. Examination-related controversies in 2026 have further fuelled dissatisfaction among students and job aspirants. This indicates that the crisis extends from the foundation of the education system to its higher levels. Weak foundations in primary education, quality concerns in secondary schooling, and questions of transparency in higher education and competitive examinations cannot be treated as isolated problems. They require an integrated and comprehensive solution. Government schools are, in fact, one of the most important instruments of social equality in India. A large number of children from rural families, workers, economically weaker sections, disadvantaged communities and low-income households study in these schools. If the quality of these institutions declines, the greatest loss is suffered by those who cannot afford expensive private education. The deterioration of government schools, therefore, is not merely an educational crisis; it is also a crisis of social justice.
There is one tough but meaningful suggestion that deserves serious consideration: should there be a system under which, under defined circumstances, the children of elected representatives and senior government officials are encouraged—or even required—to attend government schools? When those responsible for making policies experience the same education system through their own families, perhaps a broken window, a non-functional toilet, a shortage of teachers or poor-quality school meals would no longer remain mere observations in official files; they would become matters of personal experience and urgency. Education cannot be reduced to schemes providing midday meals, scholarships, uniforms or free textbooks. These are important and necessary interventions, but the purpose of education is not merely to bring a child to school. It is to equip that child with knowledge, wisdom, skills, values and self-confidence and to prepare him or her to become a responsible and capable citizen. If a child does not receive quality education today, how can we expect that child to make a meaningful contribution to building a developed India tomorrow?
The government should now move beyond announcements and consider a comprehensive initiative such as a “National Government School Transformation Mission.” Clear standards should be established for every school covering teacher availability, structural safety, drinking water, electricity, digital facilities, toilets, libraries, playgrounds and learning outcomes. Every school should have a public performance dashboard, and every year it should be made clear how many children have acquired basic reading, writing and numeracy skills. Teacher recruitment must be transparent, while political interference in appointments and transfers should be strictly curbed. School Management Committees should be given genuine authority, and accountability of officials at the district level must be clearly established. Most importantly, education must be elevated above partisan politics. Both the government and the opposition need to understand that government schools do not belong to any political party—they belong to India’s future. If any political party highlights the poor condition of schools, that concern should be welcomed. The issue, however, must never be about political credit; it must be about the future of our children. |
