1. C2.1 Schooling, Education and Work Presentation 3
Abstract from Conference Paper:
“Schooling in Urban India”
Anugula N. Reddy
Assistant Professor
Department of EMIS
NUEPA, 17-B, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110016
e-mail: anredy@nuepa.org, anugula.reddy@gmail.com
Schooling of children in urban areas is confronted with multitude challenges. One is the low
participation particularly of poor and those living in slums in schooling notwithstanding high
aggregates. The other is the highly divisive nature of schooling in urban areas. The rich attend
private schools with ultra modern facilities whereas poor are left with public schools with no or
bare minimum facilities. The third challenge is the abysmally low quality particularly of public
schooling in urban areas. These challenges are intertwined with increasing privatization of
education. The policy response is conspicuous by the absence of any reference to issues relating
to schooling in urban areas. In this background the paper proposes to reexamine the challenges of
schooling in urban areas with latest evidence and data. It critically examines the emerging patterns
in the provision of urban schooling focusing on participation, emerging forms of private sector
involvement in schooling and impact on equity and quality. From the discussion and evidence the
paper attempts to provide a critique of policies relating to urban schooling or rather absence
thereof. The paper argues that the policy vacuum with respect to urban schooling let private sector
to grow unchecked blunting the potential of education as equalizer and gateway of opportunities.
Towards the end the paper hints at alternate policies that could be adopted to make education with
reasonable quality available to all children in urban areas.