Indian parents spend approximately Rs 20,000 in a year on education in government schools wheras parents of students in private unaided schools spend more than double  Rs 47,000 on an average annually. These include- school fees, transportation and other expenses like infrastructure and classroom facilities, according to a survey by SchoolNet India Ltd. 

The survey further revealed that 6 per cent of parents spend between Rs 51,000 to Rs 1,00,000 on education in elite government schools like KendriyaVidalayas, compared to 28% of parents that spend similar amount for education in unaided private schools. The data was recorded from 480 parents of students studying in government schools and 437 parents with children in private unaided schools (75 per cent attending “affordable”, “low-cost” or “budget” private schools).

Furthermore, the survey analysed the differences in spends between in-school and after-school education. More than half the families with children in government schools (56 per cent) spend less than Rs 15,000 annually on in-school expenditure, whereas they spend an average of Rs 14,000 on after-school expenditure. 36 per cent of parents of students in private unaided schools spend more than Rs 50,000 on school education and 3 per cent of parents incur similar expenditures on supplementary education.

As part of the total expenditure on school education, 36 per cent of parents spend less than Rs 5,000 as tuition fees in government schools, and 12 per cent reported no spends at all. Due to rising competition among students to perform their academic best, parents invest in after-school products and services like personal tutors, tuition classes, coaching for competitive examinations and more. 60 per cent of parents of students in government schools incur these additional education costs by spending Rs 10,000 or more on supplementary education products.

Sharing his thoughts, Mr RCM Reddy, MD & CEO, Schoolnet said, “Access to quality education across the middle and the bottom of the pyramid remains an issue across India. Through our survey, we have seen a willingness from parents to spend on their child’s education and improve their learning experience. At Schoolnet, we are committed towards the same, and with the help of this data, we will be able to work towards delivering quality affordable education to students across social strata.”

Mr Arindam Ghosh, Head of Strategy, Schoolnet said, “Over the last two years, we have seen a significant increase in the demand for digital learning solutions, both in-school and after-school. With this survey, we are able to understand the magnitude of lack of quality education in schools, evidenced by increasing adoption of and expenditure on after-school products. Schoolnet is working to synchronise in-school and after-school education by providing a holistic solution to improve learning outcomes, enhance teaching efficiency, and ultimately deliver an optimum teaching-learning experience for all.”

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