The Irony of Indian Education: When Leaders and Educators Don’t Trust the System They Run

As we celebrate Teachers’ Day, a day meant to honour educators, it’s crucial to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth about India’s education system: many of the people responsible for running and reforming the system—policymakers, administrators, even teachers—do not trust it enough to enroll their own children in it. Instead, they choose private schools that promise better facilities, personalized attention, and enhanced learning outcomes. This dissonance between their professional responsibilities and personal choices reveals deep-rooted issues that must be addressed for any meaningful reform to take place.

Why is This Happening?

1. Lack of Trust in the System: Indian public schools, despite large-scale reforms, continue to struggle with basic infrastructure, teacher accountability, and student performance. The people overseeing the system often experience its inefficiencies firsthand and know its limitations. Their decision to opt out of the very system they run reflects a lack of confidence in its ability to deliver quality education.

2. Teacher Quality and Training: Many public school teachers, despite their qualifications, are either under-trained or demotivated. Regular training programs are either non-existent or poorly designed, leaving educators ill-equipped to handle modern pedagogical needs. As a result, even the teachers themselves may feel that private schools offer better learning environments for their own children.

3. Inconsistent Policy Implementation: While government education policies such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 offer promising frameworks, their implementation is often inconsistent and plagued by corruption or mismanagement. Schools may lack basic amenities like clean drinking water or functional toilets, let alone access to quality teaching materials or digital tools. Those at the helm of policymaking see these failures up close and, unsurprisingly, turn away from the system.

4. Focus on Quantity, Not Quality: A significant issue is the focus on enrollment numbers rather than learning outcomes. Policymakers often tout high enrollment rates, but studies, including the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), show that a large percentage of children in grade 5 cannot read basic texts meant for grade 2. Those managing the system see this gap between enrollment and learning and realize that sending their own children to these schools might jeopardize their education.

Suggestions for Improvement on This Teacher’s Day

On this Teacher’s Day, while we honor the contributions of educators, we must also look inward and address this glaring issue of mistrust. How can we rebuild faith in the education system so that even the people responsible for it would be proud to send their children to government schools?

1. Prioritize Teacher Empowerment: The root of most educational issues lies in teacher training and motivation. Governments need to invest in rigorous, ongoing professional development for teachers that goes beyond one-off workshops. Mentorship programs, where experienced teachers guide younger educators, should be institutionalized. Additionally, teachers need to feel valued—both financially and professionally—to invest themselves fully in their classrooms.

2. Improve Infrastructure and Resources: Basic amenities like clean water, electricity, and digital tools should be guaranteed in all public schools. Policymakers and administrators need to experience the reality of these schools by visiting them regularly, addressing infrastructure gaps, and holding contractors accountable. Public-private partnerships can be explored to improve the state of school buildings and facilities.

3. Ensure Accountability and Transparency: Establish stronger accountability mechanisms for teachers and administrators. Regular monitoring of student progress, coupled with teacher evaluations, can ensure that both students and educators are on the path to improvement. This requires transparency in data collection, such as regular public reports on student learning outcomes, teacher absenteeism, and school performance.

4. Introduce Incentives for Public School Enrollment: One way to bridge the trust gap is by incentivizing public servants, educators, and policymakers to enroll their children in public schools. This could be done through tax benefits, scholarships, or priority admissions to higher education institutions. When those responsible for the system have a personal stake in its success, they are more likely to push for genuine reforms.

5. Community and Parental Involvement: Schools function best when they are integrated into their communities. Involving parents and local communities in school management can create a more transparent, responsive, and accountable education system. Parent-teacher associations (PTAs) need to be more active, and communities should have a say in how their local schools are run.

Restoring Faith in the System

For India to truly reform its education system, those responsible for managing and governing it must have confidence in it. The day when the children of our educators and policymakers can thrive in the same public schools as those from less privileged backgrounds will be a true milestone in educational equity. On this Teacher’s Day, let’s commit to making our public education system one that instills confidence in everyone —not just those who have no other choice.