School Choice

Family decisions related to a child’s schooling, especially the choice between public and private schooling, are complex, and many factors influence this choice. In developing societies, socio-economic factors are shown to be key drivers behind decisions regarding the type of school a child attends66.

In this survey, we find that about 71 per cent of respondents report having children of school going age (below 18 years). The remaining respondents do not report children of school going age as part of a family unit. Of the respondents that have children of school going age, 58 per cent report that their children attend government school and about 42 per cent attend a private school. These numbers are consistent with the national averages

Figure 4C.13: School Enrolment (by State)

In the twelve states surveyed, in shown in Figure 4C.13, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura have the highest enrolment in government schools, with 89 per cent, 83 per cent and 81 per cent respectively. Kerala and Tamil Nadu follow with more than 60 per cent children enrolled in government schools. Jammu and Kashmir (52 per cent), Delhi (50 per cent) and Punjab (47 per cent) have almost equal enrolment in government and private schools. Mizoram and Nagaland indicate higher private school enrolment relative to public school – about 65 and 70 per cent respectively. These proportions are also consistent with other state-level data related to schooling. Overall, 75 per cent of all elementary schools are run by the state or the union government. Data for 2016-17 reported by DISE shows that there is some variation in this number across states. For example close to 90 per cent of schools in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura are managed by the government. Kerala is the only state where only 29 per cent of schools are managed by the government. Mizoram and Nagaland have 25 per cent privately managed schools. Yet, these schools account for about 65 per cent of total school enrolment in each of the states.

Figure 4C.15: School Enrolment (by Rural-Urban)

Extant research suggests that a parent’s level of education plays a significant role in whether they choose public or private schools for their children’s’ education68. Consistent

with these findings, our data indicates, Figure 4C.14, that as parental level of education increases the likelihood that the child attends a government school decrease. About 75 per cent of non-literate parents have their child enrolled in a government school. Approximately 70 per cent of parents who have some school education report children enrolled in government schools, with the number dropping to 39 per cent when parents have a college education.

We also find significant urban rural differences in school choice in Figure 4C.15. In rural areas 68 per cent respondents said that they send their child to a government school. Whereas 39 per cent urban respondents had children enrolled in a government school.

When we further disaggregate school choice by location and parents’ education, Figure 4C.16, we find that while 78 per cent of rural non-literate respondents have a child in a government school this proportion drops by about 16 percentage points for the urban counterparts. Similarly, we observe a 23 percentage point increase in private school choice among respondents with a college degree (or above) as we move from rural to urban locations. Among non-literate respondents, the proportion reporting private school choice is 38 per cent and 22 per cent for urban and rural locations respectively. More broadly, respondents reporting higher levels of education tend to choose private schools over public schools regardless of whether they are located in urban or rural areas.

Have government schools in India become the last option for families with higher levels of education and wealth? Are children from relatively poor, marginalised, and minority communities notably Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, and Christians left behind by private education sector?

Figure 4C.17: School Enrolment (by Caste)

Research suggests that minority communities are moving to public education69. In

Figure 4C.17, we find that Dalit and OBC respondents report higher levels of enrolment in government schools with 73 per cent and 65 per cent respectively. Upper caste respondents also indicate high enrolment in private schools – about 49 per cent. Interestingly, Adivasis are the only social category that report higher private school enrolment with 52 per cent versus 49 per cent in government schools.

Figure 4C.18: School Enrolment (by Religion)

In Figure 4C.18, Muslim respondents also had high enrolments in government schools with 66 per cent. However, we find that about 63 per cent of Christian respondents indicate private school enrolment. It is likely that Christian enrolment in private schools are being driven by Nagaland and Mizoram as a result of the large number of Christian respondents from these two States (as noted earlier in Table).

In addition to level of parental education and location (whether rural or urban), what other factors determine a preference for private or public education? We find that respondents with children enrolled in a government school said that affordability of the school was the most important factor, followed by proximity to the school and the provision of a mid-day meal. We find these reasons are common for both rural and urban respondents, in Figure 4C.19. For instance, approximately 85 per cent respondents in rural areas and 86 per cent respondents in urban areas cite affordability as the primary reason for choosing a government school over a private school. Similarly, 85 per cent of rural respondents and 82 per cent of urban respondents choose a government school over a private school due to proximity of the school, and about 75 per cent rural respondents and 72 per cent urban respondents indicate the provision of mid-day meals as a reason for their choice. In Figure 4C.19, among respondents with children enrolled in government schools, school facilities, teacher quality, and discipline play a secondary role. Once again, these preferences are similar across rural and urban respondents. For instance, 62 per cent of rural respondents and 65 per cent of urban respondents note that school facilities are an important factor in school choice. Similarly, 66 per cent of rural respondents and 73 per cent of urban respondents choose a government school over a private school due to teacher quality, and about 62 per cent rural respondents and 72 per cent urban