A 2018 study of families in four Indian states found that what parents believed about a school sometimes differed from what researchers observed—especially when low-fee private schools described themselves as English-medium. The findings highlight a practical question for families paying school fees: what is actually being delivered, and how can they check?
What the study examined
Azim Premji Foundation’s three-stage field study covered 1,210 families and 121 public and low-fee private schools in ten districts across Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Researchers asked families which nearby schools they preferred and why, examined school information and practices, and conducted qualitative interviews. The sampled locations were places where the Foundation had an active presence, so the findings describe that sample—not all Indian schools or families. Azim Premji Foundation’s study overview and Azim Premji University’s overview describe the study and its scope.
In the sample, 51% of children attended public schools, and poorer children were more likely to do so, according to the university overview. That is a sample finding from 2018, not a current national enrollment rate. The study treated school choice as a decision influenced by family resources and several considerations, including affordability, language, teacher characteristics, safety, discipline, infrastructure, social barriers, gender, exam results and pupil-teacher ratios.
What parents expected—and what schools did
The clearest mismatch concerned English-medium instruction. In Scroll’s 2019 account of the study, 39% of parents whose children attended private schools said their children were receiving English-medium education. English was the official medium in schools attended by 22% of those children, while researchers found English being used in practice in schools attended by 10%. These are three different measures—parent report, school’s stated medium and classroom practice—and none is a current national rate. Scroll’s report provides the figures.
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The gap matters to families because a school’s label or promise is not the same as the language children actually hear and use during lessons. It does not show that every low-fee private school misrepresents its instruction, but it does make the specific school’s day-to-day practice worth checking before treating “English-medium” as a delivered service.
Does the study show private schools are better than public schools?
No. It does not settle which sector provides better education overall. Scroll reported that teachers in budget private schools in the study sample were less qualified and less experienced than public-school teachers there. Those characteristics do not, on their own, measure student learning or establish a universal difference between sectors.
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Comparisons of learning outcomes also need to account for children’s circumstances outside school. Azim Premji Foundation CEO Anurag Behar, quoted by Scroll, cautioned: “Over the past few years there is almost complete consensus [in education research] that ‘learning achievement’ data cannot be compared unless controlled for socioeconomic background of children – rigorously,” The quotation is reported by Scroll rather than presented here as a transcript-verified statement. Family resources and support can shape learning alongside schooling, so unadjusted scores cannot show that a particular school type caused an outcome.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why families choose a school—and how to evaluate the value
The study does not portray parents as simply making bad choices. Families weigh educational hopes alongside what they can afford and what is available nearby. Safety, discipline, teachers, language, infrastructure and social considerations can matter as much as headline claims. For a household managing a tight budget, the useful question is not whether private schooling is inherently worth paying for, but whether the particular school’s actual offer justifies its total cost.
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- Check language in practice. Ask to observe a regular lesson, and find out which language teachers use to explain material and which language students are expected to use. Distinguish a school’s official label from classroom practice.
- Ask about teachers. Find out who teaches your child’s classes, their qualifications and experience, and whether staffing changes frequently. The study’s teacher finding is a reason to ask, not a verdict on a particular school.
- Calculate the full cost. Beyond tuition, ask about required charges and costs for transport, uniforms, books, activities or other services. Compare the total with the household budget and the school’s actual provision.
- Evaluate safety and discipline. Ask how the school handles supervision, complaints, bullying and discipline, and speak with families whose children attend.
- Look for meaningful evidence of learning. Ask how teachers monitor progress and support children who fall behind. Treat a score or exam result as one piece of information, not proof of school quality without context.
These checks follow the factors the study identified; they are not a standardized rating system. The 2018 findings are best used as a reminder to verify what a school promises, rather than as a current ranking of private and public schools.
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