WHEN EDUCATION IMPACTS ON DEVELOPMENT, AND WHEN IT DOES NOT - SOME EXPERIENCES FROM INDIA

More than two-third Indians live in rural areas, where education is primarily imparted through government schools. Many schools have only one classroom, and only 30% schools are connected to electricity; 45% of teachers have not studied after grade 12 and 25% of teachers were found absent on a given day. Not surprisingly, less than half of the children between the age of six and fourteen go to school; 58% don't complete primary school and 90% don't complete school. While the government is focusing on universal education, the quality of primary education is found to be declining. According to Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) in 2010, 46.3% of all children in Class V could not read a Class II level text, and only 11-20% of Class V students could do division in two major states. Studies have linked poor education as much as poverty with poor health outcomes like high infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR).

Amidst this gloom, there are significant success stories. These experiences do not relate to elite private schools but to initiatives by voluntary sector working among the poorest sections of society, and operating in equally trying conditions.

This paper argues that the major differentiators are innovation and governance, and not passion and commitment as often thought. While the latter set of characteristics are important during formative stages, it is innovation that brings value to education, just as the quality of governance determines sustenance.