Surreal image of a dilapidated school in India symbolizing the failure of the Right to Education Act.

India's Education Crisis: How the Right to Education Act Went Wrong

Reese Marlowe in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Examining the unintended consequences of India's Right to Education Act and its impact on school closures and quality of education."

In 2009, India introduced the Right to Education (RTE) Act, a landmark piece of legislation designed to provide free and compulsory education to all children on an equitable basis. This act aimed to transform the educational landscape by focusing on schooling inputs rather than just learning outcomes. However, the implementation of the RTE Act has led to several unintended consequences, particularly for private unrecognised schools, which play a significant role in providing basic education across the country.

These private schools now face the threat of closure as the RTE Act mandates compliance with various input-related requirements. These requirements often necessitate substantial additional capital investment, placing immense pressure on these institutions. This article delves into the complexities surrounding the RTE Act, examining its impact on the educational ecosystem and questioning whether it has truly achieved its intended goals.

One critical aspect of this analysis involves developing a compliance index. This index measures the extent to which government schools in various Indian states meet the RTE Act's input criteria. By comparing the compliance of government schools with the actions taken against private schools, we can uncover disparities and assess the fairness and effectiveness of the Act's implementation.

The Dismal State of Public Education and the Rise of Private Schools

Surreal image of a dilapidated school in India symbolizing the failure of the Right to Education Act.

Opinions regarding private sector involvement in India are sharply divided. Some advocate for private sector contributions to healthcare, education, public transport, and other social services, while others oppose it, fearing exploitation. The government's promotion of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in education has created a policy paradox. This approach threatens private educational institutions while simultaneously relying on them to enhance educational opportunities.

India's government schooling network is vast, comprising 1.4 million schools and employing approximately 4 million teachers. Despite its scale, the system faces significant challenges, including flawed teaching methodologies, high pupil-teacher ratios, low teacher motivation, and high absenteeism. These issues have drawn considerable criticism and contribute to poorer student learning outcomes.

Flawed teaching methods contribute to ineffective learning.
High pupil-teacher ratios strain resources and individual attention.
Low teacher motivation impacts teaching quality.
Teacher absenteeism reduces instructional time.

Increased government spending on elementary education has not translated into improved learning outcomes. This discrepancy has fueled the demand for private schools, which are perceived as offering better quality education due to concerns about government schools' capabilities. Parents, even those with limited financial resources, are increasingly willing to invest in private education for their children, believing it provides a competitive edge, particularly in English language proficiency.

A Right Gone Wrong?

India's RTE Act sought to address critical issues of access, equity, and quality within its education system. While enrolment rates have increased, learning levels are declining, raising serious questions about the Act's effectiveness. The focus on input-based measures has not yielded the desired improvements in educational outcomes, and the closure of low-cost private schools exacerbates the problem.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1111/ecaf.12314, Alternate LINK

Title: When A Right Goes Wrong: The Unintended Consequences Of India'S Right To Education Act

Subject: Aerospace Engineering

Journal: Economic Affairs

Publisher: Wiley

Authors: Gopalkrishnan Iyer, Chris Counihan

Published: 2018-10-01

Everything You Need To Know

What are some of the unintended consequences of India's Right to Education (RTE) Act, particularly concerning private unrecognised schools?

The Right to Education (RTE) Act, enacted in 2009, aimed to provide free and compulsory education to all children in India, focusing on equitable access and schooling inputs. However, one major unintended consequence has been the potential closure of many private unrecognised schools because the RTE Act mandates compliance with various input-related requirements. These requirements often necessitate substantial additional capital investment, placing immense pressure on these institutions. The Act's focus on inputs, like infrastructure and teacher qualifications, over learning outcomes has also been questioned.

What is a compliance index, and how is it used to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the Right to Education (RTE) Act's implementation in India?

A compliance index measures the extent to which government schools meet the input criteria mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act. By comparing the compliance of government schools with the actions taken against private schools, disparities in the Act's implementation can be uncovered, revealing whether the RTE Act is being fairly and effectively applied across all educational institutions. This comparison is essential for assessing the RTE Act's overall impact.

How does the promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in education relate to the challenges faced by private educational institutions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in India?

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in education within India present a policy paradox. On one hand, the government promotes PPP to enhance educational opportunities. On the other hand, the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act threatens the existence of private educational institutions, particularly low-cost ones. This creates a situation where the government simultaneously relies on private schools to improve education while also implementing policies that could lead to their closure.

Why haven't increased government expenditures on elementary education in India resulted in better learning outcomes, and how has this affected the demand for private schools?

Despite increased government spending on elementary education in India, learning outcomes have not significantly improved. Several factors contribute to this, including flawed teaching methodologies, high pupil-teacher ratios, low teacher motivation, and high teacher absenteeism within the government schooling network. This disconnect between spending and outcomes has increased the demand for private schools, which are often perceived as providing better quality education, particularly in English language proficiency. The RTE Act sought to address these issues, but its focus on inputs hasn't yet translated into the desired results.

How has the Right to Education (RTE) Act impacted learning levels and the closure of low-cost private schools in India, and what does this indicate about the RTE Act's overall effectiveness?

While the Right to Education (RTE) Act has increased enrolment rates in India, learning levels have shown a decline, calling into question the RTE Act's overall effectiveness. The focus on input-based measures, such as infrastructure and teacher qualifications, has not yielded the desired improvements in educational outcomes. Compounding this issue, the closure of low-cost private schools, which often cater to underserved populations, exacerbates the problem by limiting educational choices. This situation raises concerns about whether the RTE Act is truly achieving its goals of access, equity, and quality in education.