International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Private vs Government Schooling in Assam: A Comparative Review Analysis

Indian education system is based on two unbalanced but connected pillars, i.e. private and government schooling, creating different access, quality and equity in different ways. The development of the private schools in the Assam - a rural based state characterized by urban rural division, tea-garden communities, riverine and flood areas, and language diversity, brings about critical questions regarding the learning environments and performance of the students. The paper is a comparative review of the private and government schooling in Assam based on secondary data comprising of ASER reports, UDISE+ statistics, research studies and state documents. It looks into inequality in infrastructure, teacher distribution, enrolment patterns, learning levels and socio-economic implications. It has been demonstrated that, in general, the infrastructure of the private schools is more advanced, classes are smaller, and the academic performance is comparatively stronger, whereas government schools are central to the given universal access, including almost all children with economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. According to ASER 2022 and ASER 2024, 98-99% of Assam children are in school aged 6-14, approximately 70% are in government schools and 28-30% in private schools. The article postulates that even with the large enrolment, the quality gaps are still there and it supports social stratification. It recommends the empowerment of government schools, control of the private ones, and the unification of the two as a combined effort to promote equal and quality education to all children in Assam. Keywords: Private Schooling, Government Schooling, Assam, School Quality, Educational Equity.