Private schools mushroom under ruling party MLAs, but outcomes remain low

A recent study found a three-fold increase in establishment of new private schools in the constituencies of ruling party-aligned MLAs, largely because of the influence they have over the bureaucracy

A recent study has highlighted the role of ruling party legislators in the rapid increase in private schools across the country, but noted that the trend has not translated into any meaningful improvement in the quality of education.  

 

The study by Muneer Kalliylil of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), and Soham Sahoo, of Loughborough University, UK, and IIM-B, has looked into the influence of local politicians in the private education market in India. 

 

Private schooling, both in terms of the number of schools and student enrolment, has increased sharply in recent decades, the study notes. The study has analysed data from 2005 to 2017 and finds that constituencies represented by ruling party-aligned politicians experience significantly higher growth in private schools, relative to those represented by opposition leaders, “potentially through the influence exerted by” the ruling party legislators “over the bureaucracy”. However, the study observed, that “this does not translate into improvements in the educational quality”. 

 

Between 2005 and 2017, the number of private schools across the country grew three-fold. In comparison, government schools saw relatively modest growth, the study noted. In terms of student enrolment trends in the same period, government schools saw a 16 per cent decline, whereas private schools witnessed a 270 per cent increase. 

 

On average, the researchers found the growth rate of private schools is about 3 to 5 percentage points higher in ruling party-aligned constituencies. “This suggests that ruling party politicians actively facilitate the establishment of private schools in their constituencies,” they said. 

 

Interestingly, the authors found “no significant impact of ruling party alignment on the growth rate of government schools”. This was despite the fact that given Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) are primarily responsible for procuring government resources and facilities for their constituencies, there was no observable difference in the growth rate of government schools between ruling party-aligned and non-aligned constituencies, the researchers noted. 

 

According to the study, this difference between government and private schools can be explained by the centralised planning process usually followed for establishing new government schools, which is predominantly decided at the state level with minimal local involvement. “In contrast, private schools are often the result of local initiatives and community involvement, making them more susceptible to the influence of local, party-aligned political leaders,” the study said. 

 

The authors observed similar patterns in higher education institutions – the growth effect is significant for private colleges and universities but remains insignificant for government-managed higher education institutions. 

 

Citing other studies, the authors have pointed out that the existing evidence shows that having a ruling party-aligned MLA leads to higher economic growth in a given constituency. “Insofar as higher growth translates into greater willingness to pay for private schooling, it might explain the expansion of private schools,” they said. But the study found that although economic growth rises in response to having a ruling party-aligned leader, it does not mediate the impact on private school expansion. Further, ‘heterogeneity analysis’ across the electoral term shows that private school expansion precedes economic growth, indicating that a demand-driven channel is not the main explanation for the results, the study found. 

 

The study has identified the increase in private schools primarily on the influence exerted by ruling party-affiliated politicians over the bureaucratic apparatus as a key factor behind the observed results. Elected representatives, particularly ruling party-aligned MLAs, not only possess substantial informal control over administrative decisions, including the ability to influence bureaucratic postings and transfers, they also often hold ex-officio positions on various district-level committees, including those related to education, it said. 

 

This control is especially relevant in the context of private schooling, where establishing new institutions requires navigating multiple bureaucratic approvals, the authors said. Involvement in the establishment of private schools may also be motivated by anticipated benefits, ranging from enhancing social reputation to extracting economic rents, the study noted. 

 

The authors’ findings indicate that the higher growth of private schools in constituencies aligned with the ruling party could be linked to politicians themselves investing in educational institutions. The findings align with previous research that has suggested that political families often invest in the education sector, recognising its potential to bolster social prestige, extend patronage networks, and facilitate discreet financial transactions. The direct involvement of MLAs or their relatives in the private education market is magnified when they can leverage their affiliation to the ruling party, the study said. 

 

However, the study found no significant positive impact on the quality of these private schools, including in terms of the private schools’ physical infrastructure and teacher qualification as well as learning outcomes of children from these constituencies. “This implies that while politicians may facilitate the establishment of more private schools, it does not necessarily translate into improved educational quality,” the study said. 

 

“Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that schools that are superior in quality compared to the existing schools may not need political interventions to obtain recognition and affiliation. As a result, politically supported schools may not be effective in raising the quality standards,” it said. 

 

The study has urged policymakers to recognise the effects of this politically motivated school expansion and formulate regulations that uphold quality standards alongside growth in numbers.