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September 24, 2025EP 64 | Prospects and Pressures of Low-Fee Private Schools in India | Policy Beyond Politics
Private Schools and Their Crucial Role in India’s Education System
Private schools now educate nearly one-third of India’s students nationwide, with their share exceeding 50% in several southern states — underlining their crucial role.
A significant proportion of these learners, estimated at 70–85%, attend Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS), which cater to low and middle-income families. These schools typically operate with lean budgets, modest infrastructure, and strong community linkages.
The Strain on Low-Fee Private Schools
Despite their broad reach and growing importance, LFPS continue to operate under considerable strain. Many face a complex and rigid regulatory environment, including:
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Land and infrastructure mandates requiring expansive space and costly facilities
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Teacher qualification rules and restrictions
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Fee regulations set by state-appointed committees
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Cumbersome approval and recognition processes
These rules are often ill-suited to the realities of LFPS. The result is a system that enforces compliance with inputs — buildings, labs, NOCs — rather than focusing on outputs like teaching quality and learning outcomes.
India’s Learning Challenge
Meanwhile, the quality of learning remains a persistent national challenge. According to the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024:
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Only 29% of Grade 6 students could solve basic fractions
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Just 31% of Grade 9 students could identify number sets
These figures are not confined to low-fee private schools; they reveal a system-wide underachievement that cuts across school types.
A System Over-Focused on Inputs
The data points to a deeper problem: the education system remains overly focused on inputs while missing the accurate measure of success — quality education and learning outcomes.
About the Podcast:
This episode of Policy Beyond Politics aims to spotlight the challenges confronting private school education, especially low-fee private schools, while offering actionable insights to strengthen India’s school system in terms of access, quality, and governance.
Tune in for an insightful conversation that unpacks the everyday realities of LFPS—parental choices, regulatory roadblocks, and the bold reforms needed to put learning, not paperwork, at the heart of education.
KEY DISCUSSION POINTS
- Drivers of parental preference for low-fee private schools despite a strong public education infrastructure.
- State-wise contrasts in regulatory intensity and their role in shaping the functioning and sustainability of low-fee private schools.
- Recognition processes and rent-seeking practices, and what these reveal about regulatory design and enforcement.
- Possible reforms to make recognition processes more transparent, rule-based, and less discretionary.
- Systemic barriers in policy and regulation that impede improvements in learning outcomes across Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Speakers:
S R Thomas Antony, Senior Manager – Education Policy Reforms, Centre for Civil Society (CCS), New Delhi
Dr J S Paranjyothi, National Vice President, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA); Founder & Chairman, Oasis
Moderator:
Nissy Solomon, Hon. Trustee & Project Lead, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi, Kerala
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