Private coaching has become a significant part of education in India, with one in four students attending coaching classes and the figure rising to one in three in urban areas. Surprisingly, even 11 per cent of pre-primary students receive coaching, though the percentage increases sharply to 38 per cent among secondary-level students. The trend is much more pronounced in cities, where coaching has become an almost essential part of schooling.
The cost of coaching also grows with academic levels. Families spend an average of Rs 525 annually on pre-primary coaching, but this rises steeply to Rs 6,384 per year for higher secondary students. On average, urban households spend Rs 9,950 annually on coaching, more than double the Rs 4,548 spent by rural households. However, these averages conceal the much higher expenses associated with elite coaching centres that prepare students for top institutions like IITs and IIMs.
According to the CMS Education Survey, which covered over 52,000 households and nearly 58,000 students, families remain the primary source of funding for education. About 95 per cent of students reported relying on household members for education expenses, both in rural and urban areas, while only 1.2 per cent benefited from government scholarships. This indicates the heavy financial burden families shoulder to fund education.
The survey also highlights the stark difference in costs between government and private schools. Households spend only Rs 2,863 annually per student in government schools, compared to Rs 25,002 in private schools. In rural areas, government schooling costs Rs 2,639 per student, while in urban areas it costs Rs 4,128. On the private side, rural families spend Rs 19,554 per student, while urban households spend as much as Rs 31,782.
Government schools continue to play a crucial role, accounting for 56 per cent of total enrollments, with an even higher share of 66 per cent in rural India. However, the growing reliance on private schools and coaching centres reflects deep inequalities in access to quality education.
