Tutoring for the margins: addressing uncertainties and inequalities in the Indian education system

This paper explores the growing prevalence of private tutoring in India, particularly among marginalised students. India’s stratified schooling system perpetuates disparities in educational access, quality, and outcomes. Private tutoring has emerged as a significant, yet unequal, component of the education landscape. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 22 education-sector stakeholders across four states, the study reveals that private tutoring is often perceived as beneficial for disadvantaged students amidst systemic uncertainties and inequalities in mainstream education. Despite its hierarchical nature, private tutoring was regarded as having an “enabling” potential. The paper critiques the reliance on tutoring as a compensatory mechanism and argues for addressing systemic deficiencies in mainstream education. It proposes integrating structured academic support into the mainstream education system to reduce opportunity gaps and promote equitable outcomes for marginalised students.