Are the teaching standards poor in government schools? Why?

Teaching standards in government schools are poor. Absenteeism is common, and motivation is thin. Studies find a strong correlation between teacher pay and student achievement in private schools but not in public schools. The key reasons are limited accountability and low teacher autonomy in government schools.

Many diagnose this issue as inadequate salaries and poor training. But government school teachers in India are often better paid, more trained, and more secure in their jobs than their private school counterparts. Teacher salaries account for a high proportion of the per-student budget in government schools across states. The problem is not that government schools pay teachers too little. It is that they operate in a system where both failures and rewards are met with indifference.

* Source: PAISA 2014, Accountability Initiative*

Government school teachers face weak incentives to perform. They are assured job security. Except in cases of grave misconduct or criminal conviction, the worst punishment they suffer is a transfer. Promotions come with time, not performance. Parents and students have no leverage. On top of this, teachers are often loaded with administrative tasks and have little autonomy in what and how they teach. This system removes any link between effort and reward.

Private school teachers, despite lower pay and negligible perks, show up and teach. Students in private schools also tend to achieve better learning outcomes than those in government schools. Why? Repeated complaints from parents can cost a teacher their job. Good teachers are often noticed, rewarded, and even poached by other schools at higher salaries. Private schools tie teacher performance to consequences that matter. High salaries and training can help attract capable teachers to a school. But the rules of the game bring teachers to the classroom and make them teach well.