Private Schooling in India: Challenges in achieving Gender Equity

India has witnessed a steep growth of private schools accounting for 46.2% of enrollment in 2020-21.  However, girls are less likely to access private schools and preschools than boys; only 43.6% of enrollment in elementary education in 2020-21 consisted of girls. While there has been a convergence in the overall enrolment rates of boys and girls in India during the last two decades,  private school enrolment rates for boys and girls have grown steadily apart. The pro-male bias in private school enrollment persists, irrespective of the rural/urban residence, household expenditure quartile, religion, caste, whether one’s parents are educated or not and whether one resides in the northwest, north, east or south of the country. 

This policy brief addresses some aspects of gender and private schools.