A recent study comparing education investments across eight countries reveals that India's spending has remained stagnant, prompting calls for increased investment.
Here's a simple explanation:
What is the study about? A report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) comparing education spending and policies in eight countries.
Which countries were compared? India, Australia, China, Indonesia, Sweden, Thailand, the UK, and the USA.
What were the key findings?
Stagnant Spending: India's education spending has remained between 2.7% and 2.9% of its GDP for the past six years (2018-2023).
Lower than other countries: This is significantly lower than developed nations like Sweden (6.7%-6.9%) and the UK (5.3%-5.6%), and even lower than some developing nations like Indonesia (3.7%-4.3%) and Thailand (4.0%-4.3%).
No Growth: While some countries like Australia saw increases in spending (8%), India showed no growth.
Why is this a concern? Low investment in education can negatively impact the quality of education and overall development of the country.
What is the recommendation? The CII recommends increasing India's education budget to 6% of GDP, aligning it with global standards.
Where did the data come from? The study used data from government reports, international organizations (OECD and UNESCO), and academic publications.
What is NEP 2020? The National Education Policy 2020 is a set of reforms introduced by the Indian government to improve the education sector. It focuses on holistic learning and overall development of children.
What is the OECD? The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international organization that works to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
What is UNESCO? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
What are some of the recommendations for improvement?
Increase the education budget to 6% of GDP.
Implement vocational and digital education as part of NEP 2020.
Learn from best practices in other countries.
In simple terms: A study found that India spends much less on education compared to other countries, and this spending hasn't increased in recent years. Experts are saying India needs to invest more in education to improve its quality and ensure better development. They recommend increasing the budget to 6% of the country's total economic output (GDP). The study also emphasizes the importance of implementing the National Education Policy and learning from other countries.