Are Schools Still an Afterthought in India’s Budget 2026?, ETEducation
If schools shape the future workforce, why does India still treat them as an afterthought?
With nearly 25 crore children enrolled in schools and another 4 crore students moving through higher education, India’s education system is one of the largest in the world. Yet, public spending on education continues to hover just above 4 per cent of GDP, well short of the long-promised 6 per cent benchmark. As the Union Budget 2026–27 approaches, the question confronting policymakers is no longer about intent, but about impact — particularly in school education, where the foundations of India’s demographic dividend are laid.Over the past few years, reforms under NEP 2020 have reimagined schooling through competency-based learning, experiential pedagogy, and technology integration. Initiatives such as PM SHRI Schools, Atal Tinkering Labs, and a growing emphasis on digital classrooms have signalled ambition. Yet, uneven implementation, teacher readiness gaps, mental health challenges, and stark urban–rural disparities continue to limit outcomes. Budget 2026 is therefore being seen as a litmus test: will the government move from reform rhetoric to classroom reality?
Digital schools or digital divides? The technology paradox
Technology has emerged as both the biggest promise and the sharpest fault line in school education. While urban private schools increasingly deploy smart boards, AI tools, and immersive learning platforms, large parts of rural and semi-urban India still struggle with basic connectivity and device access.Industry leaders argue that without targeted fiscal support, digital learning risks deepening inequity rather than democratising education. From the perspective of education technology providers, the next Budget must focus on affordability and access — not just innovation. Muneer Ahmad, Managing Director, ViewSonic India, underlines that digital education today is central to personalised, interactive learning. However, he cautions that meaningful transformation will depend on policies that support affordable devices, high-speed connectivity, and smart classroom infrastructure, particularly to bridge the urban–rural divide. He also points to AI and cloud-based platforms as critical enablers — provided adoption is backed by incentives for schools and skill development centres.
Teachers first, technology second
Even as technology dominates policy conversations, school leaders consistently stress that teacher preparedness will determine whether digital investments succeed or fail. Without systematic professional development, AI and immersive tools risk becoming underutilised hardware.
School administrators see Budget 2026 as an opportunity to scale teacher training aligned with digital pedagogy. Sasmita Mohanty, Director-Principal, Sanjay Ghodawat International School, believes the government’s push towards AI-powered learning and immersive technologies like AR/VR must be matched by robust teacher professional development programmes. Drawing from the success of Atal Tinkering Labs, she advocates expanded coverage that ensures hands-on exposure to robotics, coding, and design thinking across both urban and rural schools — supported by educators who are trained to integrate these tools meaningfully.
Student well-being enters the budget conversation
One of the most notable shifts in expectations from Budget 2026 is the growing call to treat student well-being as core educational infrastructure, not a soft add-on. Rising academic pressure, screen fatigue, and post-pandemic anxiety have brought mental health into sharp focus, especially at the school level.
Policy experts argue that India’s schooling system can no longer afford to prioritise academic scores at the cost of emotional resilience. Naman Jain, Vice Chairman and Education Policy Expert, Silverline Prestige School, points to the need for dedicated counselling infrastructure and social-emotional learning programmes across schools. While applauding the PM SHRI Schools initiative as a benchmark, he believes stronger budgetary backing is essential to scale best practices in mental health support, vocational exposure, and emerging technologies such as AI and robotics within mainstream schooling.
Access is no longer enough — outcomes matter
India’s success in expanding school enrolment is widely acknowledged. The next phase, however, demands sharper attention to learning outcomes and future readiness. Education leaders argue that foundational literacy, numeracy, and early skill development must not be overshadowed by headline-grabbing tech initiatives.
Devyani Jaipuria, Chairperson, Dharav High School and Pro Vice-Chairperson, Delhi Public School (DPS) International Gurugram, frames Budget 2026 as a moment to recalibrate priorities. She emphasises that while access has improved, learning outcomes and institutional capacity now require sustained public investment. A calibrated move towards 6 per cent of GDP spending on education, she notes, would strengthen school infrastructure and teacher quality. Equally critical is closing the digital divide by ensuring equitable access to devices, connectivity, and blended learning environments.
Skills, STEM and the employability pipeline — starting early
As conversations around employability intensify, schools are increasingly viewed as the first link in India’s skills pipeline. Educationists argue that exposure to STEM, AI, robotics, and data-driven thinking must begin far earlier — but without compromising holistic development.
Praneet Mungali, Trustee, Sanskriti Group of Schools, Pune, notes that rapid shifts in pedagogy and assessment under NEP 2020 have created demand for STEM labs, AI tools, robotics, and data science exposure at school level. However, he stresses that meaningful implementation will require budgetary support for both student learning and competency-based training for educators, alongside safeguards for student mental well-being.
Equity, inclusion and the unfinished agenda
Beyond infrastructure and innovation, school leaders are urging the government to address long-standing structural gaps — particularly gender inclusion, rural access, and public–private collaboration.
Niru Agarwal, Managing Trustee, Greenwood High International School, highlights the importance of women’s participation in STEM, stronger blended learning ecosystems, and renewed emphasis on public–private partnerships. She argues that leveraging the strengths of both sectors can help scale quality education while addressing regional disparities, especially in underserved communities.
The real test of Budget 2026
What emerges from across the school education ecosystem is a rare consensus: incremental funding will no longer suffice. Budget 2026 will be judged not by the number of schemes announced, but by whether it strengthens classrooms, empowers teachers, supports student well-being, and delivers measurable learning outcomes.
If India’s ambition is truly a Viksit Bharat, then schools cannot remain the weakest link in the education value chain. The upcoming Budget has a narrow but critical window to prove that India is ready to invest not just in education, but in the future it promises to build.
Source link
You may also like
