Defensive School Choice: Parents Escaping Unequal Schooling in India

The growing preference for private schooling in India has intensified concerns regarding educational inequality and declining trust in public education. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, this qualitative study explored why parents prefer private schooling despite free education. Interviews with ten parents across India revealed that parental preference was shaped by concerns regarding educational quality, disparity, unequal opportunities, and preparedness within public schooling systems. Parents’ choice was linked with anxieties regarding children's mobility and competitiveness. The study proposes the notion of “defensive school choice,” suggesting that parental migration toward private schooling reflected educational insecurity rather than unrestricted preference.