Sustaining Inequality through a Stratified Government Schooling System

The Constitution of independent India is rooted in a liberal ideology and committed to the values of liberty, justice, and equality. For achieving equality and justice, education was seen as one of the main strategies. However, over the years, central and state governments have created special categories of schools that have better infrastructural and human resources compared to regular government schools. This commentary argues that such improvements—designed for a small percentage of schools—divert attention from the pathetic state of regular government schools, which are accessed primarily by children of deprived sections. Therefore, by creating a stratified system, the government sustains inequality, violating values enshrined in the Constitution.