Policy Briefs
EP 69| Rethinking Public Choice: Lessons and Future Horizons | Policy Beyond Politics (Malayalam)
December 29, 2025
Equity, Access, and Quality: Leveraging the Potential of Low-Fee Schools in Karnataka’s School Education System
December 29, 2025Enabling Quality and Access: Policy Priorities for Low-Fee Schools in the Telangana School Education System
Telangana’s education landscape has seen rapid growth, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio rising from 21.5% in 1961 to nearly 95.7% in 2024. While government schools dominate in number, private unaided schools educate 64.7% of students, and 75–80% of these are low-fee private schools (LFPS), serving predominantly lower- and middle-income households. LFPS, also known as budget or affordable private schools, are schools that charge monthly tuition fees affordable to daily wage-earning households (400 to 3500 rupees) or operate with per pupil expenditure lower than that of government schools (CCS, 2022). LFPS have expanded rapidly to fill gaps in access and accountability.
This policy brief analyses the challenges of LFPS in Telangana’s education landscape, maps the regulatory environment, and recommends reforms for evidence- and learning-outcomes-focused regulations. It proposes establishing an independent accreditation body to assess schools using uniform indicators and publicly disclosing student outcome data; providing targeted support through mentorship, instructional coaching, and flexible teacher recruitment; and implementing context-sensitive fee and infrastructure regulations, including a distinct category for budget schools, while incentivising innovation and educational technology to improve learning outcomes.
