Why has public trust in people-built educational institutions declined?

Harsha Mohan Sarma

(harshasarma183@gmail.com)

At present, Assam has around 44,300 government and provincialized schools. Of  these, 39,737 are primary schools, while about 4,563 are middle, secondary, senior secondary, and higher secondary schools. From 2020 to 2025, nearly 3,000 schools have been merged with nearby schools due to an acute shortage of students. The number of schools that have either been merged or permanently closed in Assam has crossed 6,000. Between 2014 and 2024, across India as a whole, nearly 89,441 government schools have ceased to exist or have been permanently shut down. Recently, another 91 schools in Assam have been closed through the process of merger. This is a grave warning sign for the government education system. The primary reason for the closure of government schools is the severe shortage of students. Every parent wants to provide good education to their children. Therefore, without worrying about transportation, they do not hesitate to send their children even ten kilometers away in search of a better school. As a result, nearby schools suffer from a lack of students. Moreover, when parents see children from neighboring families studying in private schools, a “why can’t we do the same” mentality develops, pushing them towards private institutions. Additionally, among the mainstream Assamese population, nowadays most families have no more than two children. At the same time, the number of government schools has increased compared to earlier times, which has further contributed to the shortage of students in many schools.

Out of these nearly 45,000 schools in Assam, about 99 percent were established or built by the local people themselves. The government later provincialized them, thereby ensuring livelihoods for teachers. The number of schools directly established by the government—especially basic, middle, secondary, and higher secondary schools—is very small and can be counted on one’s fingers. When people decided to establish these schools, most of them were not highly educated, but they possessed broad and noble minds. Even without university education, they had pure wisdom and a strong desire to educate future generations. With that spirit, they collected bamboo and paddy from household to household, cut land themselves for school sites, raised small funds by organizing mobile theater shows or film screenings, constructed school buildings, and even arranged honorariums for teachers. To ensure quality education for children of their own locality, they appointed talented local youths as teachers and selected capable individuals from among themselves as president and secretary of the school management committee. Everyone worked with heartfelt dedication so that students educated in these schools could bring recognition to Assam. Although school buildings were not concrete structures then, quality education flourished even under thatched roofs. Teachers, driven by a competitive spirit, focused on teaching better than one another. As a result, teachers emerged refined and capable, like gold purified by fire.

With the passage of time, teaching jobs became government jobs. With job security came a decline in commitment to educational standards. The teachers who once worked tirelessly to improve educational quality began to show signs of lethargy after governmentization. Mental fatigue grew more than physical fatigue. Gradually, the quality of teaching declined, examination results worsened, and parents’ trust diminished. Parents then became reluctant to enroll their children in local schools. Those with some financial capacity turned to private schools. Government schools faced student shortages, and eventually, many were merged with other schools or shut down entirely. Before provincialization, school management committees appointed teachers, placing importance not only on merit but also on character. Teachers appointed in this manner earned respect, trust, and confidence among the local people. However, over time, politics entered teacher recruitment. Without any consideration of merit, relatives of politicians and influential officials began to be appointed as teachers. By the late 1990s, politically and financially powerful individuals secured teaching jobs, pushing merit aside. Character became irrelevant. Appointment letters began circulating freely, as if hanging from dogs’ or goats’ necks. Anyone could bring an appointment letter, insert their name, threaten education officials through local MLAs, and choose a school of their liking. When local people saw individuals who had barely passed matriculation, or those involved in alcohol or drug abuse, being appointed as teachers, their trust in government schools collapsed. Parents hesitated to send their children to teachers lacking moral integrity. Meanwhile, a group of talented unemployed youths became motivated to establish private schools for self-employment. Faced with morally and academically weak teachers in government schools on one side and confident, capable teachers running private schools on the other, the public naturally preferred the latter. Consequently, student numbers in government schools declined sharply, leading to widespread closures.

Many people complain that non-academic duties outweigh academic work in government schools and that regular classes are not held properly. This is not entirely false, but it is not wholly true either. Teachers have always been engaged in non-academic duties—earlier it was census work, and election duties have long depended heavily on teachers. Today, however, the workload has increased further. Activities such as the Amrit Brikshya Andolan, Road Safety Week, Pariksha Pe Charcha, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Run for Unity, and others involve students and teachers extensively. These initiatives do instill patriotism and environmental awareness, but when students return home, they mainly tell their parents that classes were not held. As a result, parents believe that teaching does not happen properly in government schools and hesitate to enroll their children there. Planting saplings for a day or two is beneficial, but demanding that 100 percent of students upload plantation photos to departmental portals creates mental pressure on both students and teachers. If the education department conducts a realistic assessment of these issues, the stigma of “no classes in government schools” can be reduced. Organizing relevant workshops can also help address these shortcomings.

In the changing scenario, the lack of world-class or diversified curricula in government schools has reduced their appeal among meritorious students. In most government schools, the standard of science education is low, and there is little preparation for competitive examinations. Many talented students aspire to exams like NEET, JEE, and CUET, but there is a shortage of teachers capable of preparing students for these exams, or teachers themselves lack sufficient knowledge about them. Teachers generally fulfill their duties through conventional teaching methods. Most are unaware of how education should be imparted in today’s world to truly benefit students’ lives. There are a few exceptional teachers, but they are like a lone chili in a pot of greens. While teachers possess the basic qualifications for the profession, there is a near absence of discussion on what kind of education can open pathways to employment for students in today’s context. Since 2010, after the government began appointing teachers through merit-based TET examinations, public trust in government schools appears to be gradually returning. However, these meritorious teachers must be trained in modern, context-relevant educational methods for students to truly benefit.

At present, our education system is producing job seekers, not job creators. Everyone is given the same uniform education in a classroom. A small fraction of talented students manage to secure employment through personal effort. Even if we examine employment data, such successfully employed students would not exceed one percent. The remaining ninety-nine percent still lack an education system that ensures employment. Although vocational and commerce education has been introduced in schools for several years now, these courses exist mainly at the higher secondary level, leaving students with limited practical exposure. Consequently, student interest in these streams remains low. In today’s world, entrepreneurship-oriented education is what can truly create employment opportunities. If the government and concerned authorities properly understand this and implement it practically, positive outcomes are certain. Recently, there has been talk of the Tata Group entering Assam’s government education sector, introducing commerce and entrepreneurship education from the secondary level. This could help students progress according to their interests. However, with private sector entry into government education, it must be ensured that free education does not turn into high-fee education, depriving poor students of learning opportunities.

Once people-built institutions are governmentized, the responsibility of preserving them rests heavily on the government. Authorities must conduct local surveys to understand what kind of curriculum people desire. Curriculum diversity should be introduced in every school based on students’ abilities—science, commerce, vocational courses, arts, literature, culture, and entrepreneurship—through discussions between departments, school authorities, and local communities. Teachers should visit parents’ homes to explain that new curricula aimed at employment generation are being introduced. If the government genuinely collaborates with the Tata Group to introduce new curricula along with trained teachers and if people understand and support these initiatives, the “funeral march” of public educational institutions can be halted. Otherwise, if government institutions fully pass into private hands, the dream of education for the common people will remain incomplete.