Bigger Schools, Better Futures

India’s education challenge is no longer about getting children into schools, but about delivering quality learning, which requires larger, integrated schools instead of fragmented, under-resourced ones.

Global and Comparative Perspective

• China’s Scale Advantage: Large, integrated schools support holistic education.
• School Size: Class 1–9 average about 1,200 students; K–12 schools about 2,800 students.
• System Efficiency: Despite larger geography, China operates with nearly one-third the number of schools compared to India.
• Quality Outcomes: Scale enables specialised teachers, counselling services, vocational labs, sports facilities, ICT infrastructure, and co-curricular activities.
• Policy Relevance: Aligns closely with India’s National Education Policy 2020 vision of integrated, well-resourced schools.

India’s Current School Landscape

• Access Achieved, Quality Constrained: Near-universal elementary enrolment exists, but the system is highly fragmented.
• Under-Enrolment: About 5.6 lakh schools enrol fewer than 50 students each.
• Teacher Shortage: Over 1 lakh single-teacher schools serve 33 lakh students, forcing multi-grade teaching.
• Secondary-level Weakness: Nearly 40% of government secondary schools (Classes 9–12) have under 100 students.
• Infrastructure Gaps:
  • Only 19% of schools have functional ICT labs.
  • 51% have integrated science labs.
  • 10% offer higher secondary education.
  • Just 6% provide vocational education.
• Learning Impact: These gaps weaken subject depth, practical learning, and career pathways.

State-Level Experiments and Innovations

• Shift towards Consolidation: Several States are adopting composite and consolidated school models.
• Rajasthan: Adarsh Schools—one upgraded, well-resourced school per Gram Panchayat.
• Uttar Pradesh: Model Composite Schools (Classes 1–12) with smart classrooms and WiFi.
• Madhya Pradesh: Consolidation of 36,000 under-enrolled schools; CM RISE (Maharishi Sandipani Schools) serving clusters of villages.
• Wider Adoption: Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Gujarat are pursuing similar reforms.
• Core Objective: Not mere efficiency, but quality learning environments with one teacher per class and adequate subject specialists.

Equity, Access, and Change Management

• Equity-first Approach: School consolidation must ensure no child loses access.
• Transport Support: Transport facilities to bridge distance and maintain enrolment.
• Local Flexibility: Decentralised decision-making aligned with local contexts.
• Stakeholder Trust: Early engagement with teachers, parents, and communities for smooth and credible transitions.

Road Map Towards 2035: Two Strategic Goals

• Integrated K–8 Schools:
  • One K–8 school per Gram Panchayat as the default model.
  • 300 students per school, enabling one teacher per class.
  • Benefits: Better infrastructure, teachers, and learning quality.
• Composite Secondary Schools (Classes 9–12)
  • Low transition rates: 87% to secondary, 75% to higher secondary.
  • 2035 scale: Nearly 8 crore students in Classes 9–12.
  • Advantages: Subject specialists, labs, career guidance, and vocational pathways.
  • Equity: Transport support to ensure access.

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Implementation Levers

• Teacher Deployment: One teacher per class and subject specialists.
• Localised Planning: State-specific road maps aligned with geography and demographics.
• Transport Solutions: Context-specific mobility models for students.
• Financing: Funding through Samagra Shiksha, supported by State funds and scheme convergence.

Conclusion

India must now move from access to excellence by building larger, integrated schools that deliver equitable and future-ready education, making better learning outcomes by 2035 achievable.

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