School choice in rural India : perceptions and realities in four states

Lahoti, Rahul and Mukhopadhyay, Rahul (2019) School choice in rural India : perceptions and realities in four states. Economic and Political Weekly, 54 (49). pp. 51-57. ISSN 2349-8846

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Abstract

Indian parents are faced with more choices of schools, but with less information on schools and schooling. The study across four states in rural India suggests that perceptions of teaching–learning, discipline, and safety of children in schools determine school choice among parents. Expenses are a critical consideration for parents who send children to public schools, while the English medium is important for parents of children going to private schools. However, parental choices of low-fee private schools are often not based on accurate information, and parents emphasise many educationally unimportant but aspirational factors. The marketing efforts of schools and cultural aspirations of parents reinforce each other, allowing for a situation in which actual educational outcomes can be subordinated, or worse, undermined.

Item Type: Article
Authors: Lahoti, Rahul and Mukhopadhyay, Rahul
Uncontrolled Keywords: Elementary school system in India, School education, Schools and schooling, Public schools system, Private school system,
Subjects: Social sciences > Education > Elementary education
Divisions: Azim Premji University > School of Education
Full Text Status: Public
URI: http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/2150
Publisher URL: https://www.epw.in/journal/2019/49/special-article...

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