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Quality, Equity, and Scale in the Indian School System: Large-Scale Policy Reforms

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Title: Quality, Equity, and Scale in the Indian School System: Large-Scale Policy Reforms
Language: English
Authors: Mythili Ramchand (ORCID 0000-0001-8762-1026), Meera Chandran (ORCID 0000-0002-7382-0531)
Source: Education Policy Analysis Archives. 2026 34(2).
Availability: Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida. c/o Editor, USF EDU162, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5650. Tel: 813-974-3400; Fax: 813-974-3826; Web site: https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/epaa
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Equal Education, Educational Quality, Educational Policy, Policy Formation, Curriculum Development, National Curriculum, Educational Practices, Inclusion, Educational Legislation, Student Rights, Elementary Secondary Education, Teacher Education, Access to Education, Enrollment, Academic Achievement, Teacher Competencies
Geographic Terms: India
ISSN: 1068-2341
Abstract: The Indian school system is the largest in the world, with 1.5 million schools and 9.4 million teachers catering to 260 million students. While reforms since the 1990s have successfully expanded schooling to historically marginalized groups, they have been far less successful in retaining them past the primary level. This paper analyses the conceptions of equity and quality that have informed a raft of policies and state reform efforts in India over the past two decades through the ambitious school curriculum reform efforts of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2005), the subsequent framework for Teacher Education (2009), Right to Education Act (2009) (RTE), the integrated scheme for school and teacher education, and the current National Education Policy (2020). We examine databases on school enrolment, sample-based national assessment surveys, and central teacher eligibility tests to interpret the RTE, using principles of inclusive education in terms of policies, practices, and support structures that enable the presence, participation, and achievement of all students, including from marginalized sections of society. The paper concludes with a reflection on where the country is poised concerning quality, equity, and inclusion in India and the future directions it could take.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1500570
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mythili+Ramchand%22">Mythili Ramchand</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8762-1026">0000-0001-8762-1026</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meera+Chandran%22">Meera Chandran</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7382-0531">0000-0002-7382-0531</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+Policy+Analysis+Archives%22"><i>Education Policy Analysis Archives</i></searchLink>. 2026 34(2).
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  Data: Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida. c/o Editor, USF EDU162, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5650. Tel: 813-974-3400; Fax: 813-974-3826; Web site: https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/epaa
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  Data: The Indian school system is the largest in the world, with 1.5 million schools and 9.4 million teachers catering to 260 million students. While reforms since the 1990s have successfully expanded schooling to historically marginalized groups, they have been far less successful in retaining them past the primary level. This paper analyses the conceptions of equity and quality that have informed a raft of policies and state reform efforts in India over the past two decades through the ambitious school curriculum reform efforts of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2005), the subsequent framework for Teacher Education (2009), Right to Education Act (2009) (RTE), the integrated scheme for school and teacher education, and the current National Education Policy (2020). We examine databases on school enrolment, sample-based national assessment surveys, and central teacher eligibility tests to interpret the RTE, using principles of inclusive education in terms of policies, practices, and support structures that enable the presence, participation, and achievement of all students, including from marginalized sections of society. The paper concludes with a reflection on where the country is poised concerning quality, equity, and inclusion in India and the future directions it could take.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 23
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Quality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
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      – SubjectFull: Policy Formation
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      – SubjectFull: Curriculum Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: National Curriculum
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Practices
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      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Legislation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Rights
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Education
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      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
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      – SubjectFull: Enrollment
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      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Competencies
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      – SubjectFull: India
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      – TitleFull: Quality, Equity, and Scale in the Indian School System: Large-Scale Policy Reforms
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