Private Schools in India: Experiences of Dalits and Adivasis

As per the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, the proportion of private schools in elementary education across India rose from 19.49 per cent in 2007-08 to 22.74 per cent in 2014-15. This report, published by Oxfam India, highlights the discrimination faced by children belonging to Dalit and Adivasi communities in private schools (consisting of both private-aided and private-unaided schools). It details the impact of privatisation of education on children belonging to marginalised communities.This brief report recommends policy actions to ensure that private schools are regularized and made adept to counter such financial and attitudinal discrimination. “It is critical to strengthen the public education system by enhancing spending on education to 6% of GDP,” the report adds.This 10-page report includes four sections: Introduction (Section 1); The legal and policy framework (Section 2); Private Schools and the Dalit and Adivasi Communities: The Evidence (Section 3); Recommendations and way forward (Section 4).