COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GOVERNMENT AND

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

IN REFERENCE TO KOHIMA (NAGALAND)

SUBMITTED TO THE

TILAK MAHARASHTRA VIDYAPEETH PUNE

FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY

IN SOCIOLOGY

UNDER THE BOARD OF MORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

STUDIES

BY

ALICE KONTHOUAM

(Registration No: 02216402685)

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

DR. VISHAL G JADHAV

DEPARTMENT OF SOCILOGY

Year 2019
DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I hereby declare that the work submitted in this dissertation entitled "C.O MPARATIVE
STUl>Y OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY IN
REFERENCE TO KOHIMA (NAGALAND)" completed and written by me has not

previously formed the basis for the award of any Degree or other similar title upon me
ofthis or any other Vidyapeeth or examining body.

Research Student: Alice Konthoujam

Place Pune

Date
CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work incorporated in the dissertation for the M.Phil entitled
"COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GOVERNMENT Al\'D PRIV ATE SCHOOLS: A

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY 1N REFERENCE TO KOHIMA (NAGALAND)" which is being

submitted herewith for the award of the Master of Philosophy (M.Phill) in Sociology
of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune is the result of original research work
completed by Smt. Alice Konthoujam under my supervision and guidance. To the best
of my knowledge and belief the work incorporated in this dissertation has not formed
the basis for the award of any Degree or similar title of this or any other University or

examining body upon her.

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Sd/- AY- I~I~II ~
Research Guide : Dr. Vishal G. ladhav

Place : Pune

Date l~ loti' r
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I would like to thank God for He has blessed me with the right people who has

helped and encouraged me in completing my research work.

I am very grateful to Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth for giving me the opportunity to

do my N[Phil and for providing such a wonderful guide who has always helped and

encouraged me in my works. A heartfelt gratitude to my research supervisor and

guide, Dr. Vishal Jadhav (Head of Department of Sociology), who has been a

wonderful teacher and guide. Thank you Sir for your patience and for motivating me

throughout my research work. In spite of his busy schedule, he was always available

to guide and help me during my research work. He is a wonderful teacher with

immense knowledge and it has been a great privilege to work under his guidance.

I would like to acknowledge my family member who has always encouraged me in all

the areas of my iife. A special thanks to my mom and dad who has always been my

strength; their constant love, support and prayers helped me to understand that

everything is possible and that I should give my best in my research work. I would

also like to convey my sincere thanks to all the respondents and interviewees for their

active participation and for helping me to carry out my survey for my data collection.

] would like to thank Miss Annie Konthoujam (Headmistress, Coraggio School), Mrs

Khrienuo Rio Moa (Managing Director, G Rio Schoo]), Mrs Kevino Savino (Dean,

Student's affair, G Rio School), Mr Keviseto (Principal, Baptist High School) and the

III

---'...........--------------~--------------
principals of governrilent schools for -their time. and help. I am also very grateful to all

my friends who have always been there to help me; thank you for encouraging me and

for being there to listen when I needed an ear.

Lastly, I would like to thank the library staffs as well as the office staffs and members

of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth who have always been friendly and co-operative.

They have always helped me by providing the facilities that were needed in collecting

my research materials.

January 2019 Alice Konthoujam

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No Chapter Name Page No

1. Declaration by the student i.

2. Declaration of research guide ii.

3. Acknowledgement iii.

4. List of Tables v.

5. Introduction 1 – 32

6. Review of Literature 33 – 43

7. Research Methodology 44 – 55

8. Data Analysis and Interpretation 56 – 93

9. Conclusion 94 – 99

10. Bibliography 100 – 107

11. Picture Gallery 108 – 115

12. Annexure 117 – 125

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge,

skills, values, beliefs, and habits through various ways which includes methods like
storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education is simply
the process of teaching and learning. It can be seen as a system for shifting, sorting
and grading individuals in terms of their abilities. Education is a lifelong process in
the sense that education has no limits; every or any individual can learn something
new every day. Education began way back even before the existence of schools. The
elder of the village or a society, train and teaches the young ones the things which are
necessary and important for the society. Education plays a key role in building up a
society.

Education usually takes place under the guidance of educators, 1 but learners can also
educate themselves by visiting various websites which provides reliable information.
Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a
formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.
Education fosters personal development and self-fulfilment; it encourages an
individual to develop their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual talents to the
fullest. Education is important as it helps in moulding the life of an individual; it
teaches them the knowledge and skills necessary in their society. We often hear
people or elders saying that “Life is difficult without education” and we cannot argue
to it. We may think as to how life and education are related and why or how life will
be difficult if we are not educated. For the answers to our questions, we do not need to
go far, we can look around and we will find the answers to all our questions.

Education and society are related in the sense that both play roles that are important in

_____________________________________________________________________

1
‘Educator’- refers to people skilled in teaching
2

shaping the life of an individual. The French Sociologists Emile Durkheim says that
the major function of education is the transmission of society’s norms and values.
Durkheim states that, ‘Society can survive only if there exists among its members a
sufficient degree of homogeneity; education perpetuates and reinforces this
homogeneity by fixing in the child from the beginning the essentials similarities
which collective life demands’.2 To become attached to the society, an individual
must feel in it something that is real, alive and powerful, which dominates the
individual and to which he owes the best part of himself. Education here provides this
link between the individual and society, it teaches individuals how to adjust and adapt
to the changes happening around them. In this advanced industrial societies, schools
serves a function which can neither be provided by the family nor by the peer groups.
Schools acts as a bridge between the family and society as a whole, it prepares the
child for their adult role. Education teaches individuals the skills that are necessary for
his future occupation.

History of Education

It is always helpful to know a little history of any subject of interest. Education, as a

process of learning, is as old as human society. Education started even before school
was discovered. During the early times, the elders of the village would gather the
young ones and teach them the things that are important for the society. The methods
of teaching were mostly storytelling, training and discussions through which they pass
knowledge, values and skills from one generation to another. Young ones are taught
the values, norms and traditions of the society so as to avoid any unpleasant actions or
behaviours. The teaching methods of different villages may differ but their goal was
same, i.e. to educate the young ones and pass on the knowledge and traditions from

_____________________________________________________________________

2
Haralambos, Michael with Heald, Robin (2010). Sociology: Themes and Perspective. Oxford
University Press; New Delhi – Page: 173
3

generation to generation. The importance of education was felt even before schools
existed and that’s the reason why the elders of the villages made it a point to educate
the young ones.

As cultures and societies started changing, even the methods of teaching began to
change. Schools were discovered and teachers were appointed to make sure that
quality education was provided to the children. With time, educational system started
developing and new and improved methods were adapted to guarantee quality
education. Numbers of schools were introduced around the world with the aim to
educate maximum number of children. When we compare the educational system of
the past and present, we will find a lot of differences or rather changes; some changes
are good whereas some tends to alarm us. We can now find different schools
competing with each other to be the best. Improved and advanced educational systems
are adapted by most of the schools to keep up with the changing era. Laws were also
introduced which aimed at providing free and compulsory education to children up to
a certain age.

With time, it has been noticed that schools nowadays are encouraged to be more than
just a place where children are forced-fed the rudimentary3 skills of reading, writing
and arithmetic. Schools should be more than just a place for book knowledge; it
should involve recreation, sports, builds cultural values and help a child develop a
spirit of citizenship. A child needs an all round development, in the sense that
sometimes it is not enough to have only book knowledge; being athletic and having
some vocational training also helps in building their personality. If the school
environment is lively and supportive, children enjoy going to school and learn with
enthusiasm4. Some schools have felt the need to include recreation and vocational

_____________________________________________________________________

3
‘Rudimentary’ means involving only the basic facts or elements

4
Tilak, B.G, Jandhyala (2003), Education, Society and Development- National and International
Perspective. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. Page- 13
4

training in their curriculum in order to make learning fun and not imposing. Andre
Beteille points out that while school can play a major role in reducing disparities, it
cannot always eliminate them completely.5

Education as a Right

The right to education has been recognized as a human right in a number of

international conventions. Right can be understood as the power of an individual or
group of individuals to possess or do something. On 4 August 2009, The Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE)
was enacted; it is an Act of the Parliament of India. It describes the modalities of
the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14
years in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of
the countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the Act
came into force on 1 April 2010. The title of the RTE Act simply refers to the
words ‘free and compulsory’- ‘Free education’ means that no child, other than the
ones who are admitted by their parents to a school which is not supported by the
appropriate Government, shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or
expenses which may prevent them from pursuing and completing their elementary
education. ‘Compulsory education’ looks to it that the appropriate Government and
local authorities provides and ensure admission, attendance and completion of
elementary education by all children in the 6-14 age group. Though it is
compulsory for the government to provide free education, it does not mean that it is
compulsory for the parents to send their children to schools; hence we see many
kids who are still deprived of education due to countless reasons. We can find that
the RTE Act of providing free and compulsory education are practised mostly by

_____________________________________________________________________

5
Gulati, Madan (2011). Primary Indian Education In 21st Century. Signature Book International;
Delhi- page: 184
5

the Government schools rather than the private schools. Post-independence, India
has accepted education as a human right, that is, a basic need of every individual to
live a human life.6

In addition to all these education provisions, the right to education also focuses on
avoiding discrimination at all levels of the educational system; Article 15 (1) states
that: The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of
religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them no child irrespective of their
religion, caste, gender etc. and Article 29 (2) states that: No citizen shall be denied
admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid
out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.
The Right to Education Act (RTE) is all about a child’s right to attain education.
Although the Act states free education for age 6-14, there are times wherein the
child is more than 14 years and have not been able to attain education till class 8. In
this case, the child is still considered to be under the Act and is eligible for free
education till class 8. This Act has made education a fundamental right and also
ensures the safety of a child and considers beating up or harassing a child as illegal.
Following the directive principle of the constitution to provide free education to all
children up to the age of 14, India has been making concerned efforts to achieve
this goal. Efforts have been made to raise the quality of education; these include
programmes like:

 Improving the infrastructural facilities of the schools

 Aiming to provide sufficient teachers
 Enhancing the performance of teachers
 Supplying enough teaching-learning materials
 Encouraging the society to participate in the schooling of the children

___________________________________________________________________

6
Akira, Jacob (2004). Education: Sociological Perspective. Rawat Publications; Jaipur and New
Delhi- page: 205
6

Schools are also encouraged to include recreation and vocational training in their
curriculum. As it is an era where a person is expected to have knowledge about
almost everything, it is important to allow the children to explore their talents and
not just force them with book knowledge alone. Developing participative and
involved citizens will require the school to be more than just an institution where
they only learn the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic; it needs to be a place
where they are celebrated, encouraged to think outside the box, builds cultural
values and develops a spirit of citizenship. Graham Haydon (1998) stated that, the
right to education specifically refers to the level of education that falls in between
socialisation and optional education. It is a level of education that is too important
for a human being to be treated as merely optional. 7

Education and other Social Institutions

We must not forget that education does not exist alone or in isolation, it exists in
constant interaction with the other social institutions of the society. To what extend
does education performs its role depends on the nature of its relationship with the
other social institutions. We are aware that education helps in moulding the life of
an individual; however we must not forget that an individual’s life is not only
influenced by education, it gets influence by the social institutions as well. The
major social institutions that are in interaction with education are as follows:

1. Social Stratification: In sociology, the term ‘social stratification’ is generally

used to describe the social status hierarchy. It refers to the division of society into
hierarchically higher and lower groups. There are basically two types of status:
ascribed status and achieved status. Ascribed statuses are status which is assigned
to an individual at birth; it is a position that is neither earned nor chosen but

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7
Akira, Jacob (2004). Education: Sociological Perspective. Rawat Publications; Jaipur and New
Delhi- page: 224
7

assigned. This method of assigning such status exists cross-culturally within all
societies and it is mostly based on gender, caste, family origin, wealth and ethnic
backgrounds. One example can be of caste system which is found mostly in Indian
society; caste system is considered to be an ascribed status that divides individuals
into higher and lower groups. Achieved statuses are status which is earned or
chosen. It reflects an individual’s personal skills, abilities, efforts and hard work
through which they earned their status. Social differentiation based on status gives
rise to social inequality wherein some individuals or groups are deprived of certain
societal resources or advantages due to the status they hold in the society. Social
inequality has been a source of social concern in the modern societies; hence some
modern societies have agreed that social equality is important and has accepted it as
a societal goal. Education is generally viewed as one of the potent factors that can
contribute to the efforts to achieve this goal; education is looked upon as the means
to achieve the goal of equality. Efforts are made towards equality in and through
education. The relationship between education and stratification may seem
paradoxical8 because wherein in one hand, the process of stratification results in
inequality in education; on the other hand, education is expected to contribute to
reduction in inequality.

2. Economy: Economy as a social institution is concerned with the production and

distribution of the economic resources of the society. It is safe to say that education
is dependent on the economic institution in order to fulfil the requirements that are
important to carry out the teaching-learning process. The major function of
education is human power production at the societal level and occupational
placement at individual level. The economic institution of the society stays in
constant interrelationship with education. We are aware that without capitals, it is
not possible to meet the needs of the educational institution. Development of

_____________________________________________________________________

8
Parodoxical refers to a statement that sounds absurd or seems to contradict itself, but may in fact
be true.
8

education in terms of expansion and improvement in quality of education provided

is largely dependent on the economic situation of the society or the ability of the
society to invest in education for providing better infrastructures and materials that
are needed. While educational institutions are expected to produce human power
production, the economic institutions have their own roles to play, that is, making
sure to provide all the things that are necessary and required by the educational
institutions to play their role. We must remember that the quality of education
depends on the capacity and willingness of the economic system to provide the
human and non-human inputs. As much as we try, we cannot argue with the fact
that money is needed for the growth and expansion of any institutions.

3. Religion: Religion is an important social institution that is found in all the

societies in one or the other form, it involves patterns of beliefs and behaviour that
helps a society meets its basic needs. Traditionally, education has always been
closely linked with religion; it is believed that formal education emerged in
association with religion. From a sociological point of view, religion has been
viewed as a system of beliefs or practices build in relation to something that is
supernatural. As religion is a social institution, it has its functions (societal as well
as individual) in human society. At the individual level, the integration of
personality of individuals has been viewed as a major function of religion, whereas
at the social level, social integration has been considered as the major function of
religion. Initially, education played the role of being of service to religion; however
democracy and secularism in the modern societies have brought about a lot of
changes in the traditional linkage between religion and education. In spite of the
differences, education continues to be in interaction with religion in various forms.

4. Political system: Political system basically refers to the social institution that
deals with the authoritative allocation of values or resources and maintenance of
order in the society. Political system is mostly concerned with power; its
9

acquisition and use. The main function of education towards political system is
political socialization. By using the resources of the society, the political system is
entrusted with the task of working towards achieving the societal goals. One such
goal is equality. Most modern societies have agreed that equality is important and
has accepted it as a societal goal; hence the political system is expected to work
towards pursuing and maintaining equality in education. Education contributes in
achieving some of the major societal goals in developing societies. The political
system is very much involved in the educational system to promote and regulate
education in various ways.

Education in India

Education in India is provided by the private as well as the public sectors. At the time
when the British rule ended in India (1947), the literacy rate was about 12%. Since
then, India has changed drastically in all the areas; socially, economically, and
globally. When the 2011 census was conducted, it was found that there was an
effective increase in literacy rate to a total of 74.04%, with 82.14% of the males and
65.46% of the females being literate. Among the states, Kerala leads the literacy rate
followed by Goa, Tripura, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Sikkim.
This is indeed a very great accomplishment in the field of education; however we
cannot ignore the fact that there are still so many people, which include both children
as well as adults, in India who cannot even read and write. The numbers of children
who are deprived of education especially in the rural areas are still high. The
government on their part has taken measures to curb with the issue of illiteracy; laws
have been made stating that every child under the age of 14 should get free education
but the problem of illiteracy is still at large. Various programmes are conducted
almost every year in rural as well as urban areas to educate people about the
10

importance of education. We find that the literacy rates in villages are usually low
comparing to the literacy rates in cities. People living in towns are usually open
minded and ready for changes but when it comes to people living in villages, it
becomes a challenge at times to educate them about certain things. Additionally, if we
look at the literacy rate in India, we can find that male literacy rate is higher than that
of female. Of course a lot of changes have taken place in the society and people are
encouraging female education as well, however there are still many families,
especially in rural areas, where a male child is preferred more than a female child.
They still have the mentality that a male child should get all the benefits; hence they
keep the female child at home and teach her the household works whereas the male
child gets to experience the school life. Programmes are held by different
organisations with the aim to spread awareness about the importance and advantages
of female education and where some people take this issue seriously, some just treats
it as a not-so-important matter. None the less, India has come far in terms of
education and the pace in which India has developed is huge. When we compare the
education system of ‘Then and Now’, we can find that the present education system
of India has changed not only in numbers but also in quality and if we look at the way
in which the literacy rate is increasing, we can understand that people are indeed
taking education seriously. We just need to continue with the teaching of the
importance of education and hope that people everywhere takes this matter seriously.

Government and Private Schools in India

As mentioned earlier, education in India is provided by private and public sectors.

There are different levels or stages of education and the names given by the different
state government may differ; the levels are:

 Pre-primary (pre-nursery, nursery, LKG and UKG)

11

 Lower Primary (Class 1-5)

 Upper Primary (Class 6-8)
 Secondary (Class 9-10)
 Higher Secondary (Class 11-12)

In India there are various school education boards that set the curriculum; the boards
are:

 State Government Boards of Education like SSLC

 National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
 Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
 National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
 International schools- they are under the International Baccalaureate,
Cambridge Senior Secondary Examination systems or under their home
nations school boards (such as run by foreign embassies or the expat
communities)

Over the years, both public as well as private schools have undergone many changes
and even the number of schools has increased in both the sectors. Private schools are
autonomous, they are usually funded and maintained by private individuals or
corporation rather than by a government or public agency whereas public schools are
funded and maintained by the government. The government schools are usually under
the RTE Act; hence they are a no-fee school, funded and operated by the government.
A private school generates its own funding through various sources like student
tuition, private grants and endowments. A government school is government funded
and all students attend free of cost. Because of funding from several sources, private
schools may teach above and beyond the standard curriculum, may cater to a specific
kind of students (gifted, special needs, specific religion/language) or have an
12

alternative curriculum like art, drama, technology etc. There are several preconceived
notions regarding private and government schools. Private schools are often assumed
to be very expensive, elitist and a better bet for admission to good colleges.
Government schools are often thought of as shoddy, less disciplined and low-grade
curriculum. This comparison offers a fair insight into both schools for parents to make
an informed decision while choosing the school.

The debate on which schools provide better education, private or government, comes
up quite regularly. Every parent wants their child to receive the best education
available. Those people who are financially stable and strong prefers sending their
children to private schools as they have the perception that the overall quality of
education provided in these schools is much higher and better than that provided by
the government schools. Recent years have also seen a remarkable increase in the
number of private schools. While government schools remain the largest provider of
elementary education, we cannot oversee the fact that the quality of education
provided is not good. It has been pointed out that most government schools suffer
from shortage of teachers, infrastructural gaps, teachers’ absenteeism and so on.
Education is possible when there are dedicated people working towards achieving it.
How can a school educate the children when the teachers are missing or how can a
school provide good education if their infrastructure is not proper? We can find that
many people are ready to spend fortunes and sent their kids to private schools rather
than government schools. Although primary education is free of cost in most
government schools, not many parents opt to send their children to this school. If we
ask people as to why they are sending their kids to private schools, their answer is
simple; they want their kids to learn better and also because private schools have
proper and updated infrastructures. While some parents sent their kids to a well
known private school in the hope that their kids will receive quality education, some
do it not only for quality education but also to maintain their status in the society.
13

The rapid increase in the demand for private education is the result of a number of
factors; such as the demand for quality education, dissatisfaction with the
performance of government school, the ability of the parents to pay for the cost of
quality education and so on. Quality education is an important dimension and is
significant not only for the private but also for government schools. 9 When we talk
about the infrastructure, we cannot deny that private schools have better facilities than
the government schools. Almost every private school have facilities which includes
proper toilets, safe drinking water, proper staff rooms, teaching- learning materials,
spacious classrooms, medical room, computer lab, library etc which is missing in
most government schools. Private schools are growing and becoming better because
of the efforts the administration takes in making sure that the needs of the schools’ are
met. While the private schools are known for providing quality education and proper
facilities for the students, the government schools are known for the numbers of
students dropping out a few years after starting with their education in a government
school. Every educational institution, whether it is run by government or private
individual, faces challenges in almost all the areas. Just because an institution or
school is run by a private individual does not mean that they are immune to problems.
Problems are unavoidable but that does not mean that it cannot be resolved. The
government as well as the private schools need to work together to improve the
enrolment of students in schools and to promote education among the people of India.

_____________________________________________________________________

9
Gulati, Madan (2011). Primary Indian Education In 21st Century. Signature Book International;
Delhi- page: 12
14

The National policy on Education

The National policy on Education, also known as NPE, was an education policy
which was introduced in India with the aim to improve the education system. The first
National policy on Education was introduced by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on
1968 and the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 1986. The 1986 National
Policy on Education was modified in 1992 by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
The main aim of this policy was to promote education among the people of India.

1968

On 1968, the first National policy on Education was introduced by Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi for a radical restructuring and to equalise the educational opportunities
so as to obtain national integration and a much needed cultural and economic
development. This policy focused on providing compulsory education to all the
children under the age of 14 and better training and qualification of the teachers so as
to improve the quality of education. This policy also focused on the importance of
learning regional languages, English and Hindi. Language education was seen as a
must in order to reduce the barriers between the intelligentsia and the masses. The
decision to adopt Hindi as the national language had led to some controversies but as
per this policy, the use and learning of Hindi was to be encouraged uniformly so as to
promote a common language for all Indians.

1986

The second National Policy on Education was introduced on May 1986 by Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The new policy states that most of the goals of the 1968 policy
have been achieved; however there was still a lot to do. The new policy was
introduced in 1986 with the aim to raise the standard of education and to increase the
access to education, irrespective of caste, sex or religion. The new policy focused
15

mainly on removing disparities and to equalise the educational opportunities

especially for those who have been denied equality. It mainly focused on women’s
education, education of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and other
backward caste, education for the minorities, education for the physically challenged
people, adult education and vocational education. We are aware that inequality in
education is also one reason as to why India is lacking behind from other nations; the
policy aims in working hard to remove the existing disparities in the education system
and to make sure that there is equality in education and that no individual is denied of
it. It is also believed that equalizing educational opportunity would reduce economic
inequality.11 The policy expanded the Open University system by working in
collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University to make distance and
open education possible. Indira Gandhi National Open University famously known as
IGNOU was established in 1985, it is a distance learning national university which
helps in providing higher education opportunities especially to the disadvantaged
segments of the society.

_____________________________________________________________________

11
Haralambos, Michael with Heald, Robin (2010). Sociology: Themes and Perspective. Oxford
University Press; New Delhi – Page: 223
16

The Kothari Commisson

The Kothari Commission was set up to formulate a coherent education policy for
India. This commission was set up by the Government of India to examine the
educational sector in India, to evolve a general pattern of education and to advise
guidelines and policies for the development of education in India. As per this policy,
education was introduced so as to increase productivity, develop the social and
national unity, consolidate democracy, modernize the nation and develop social,
moral and spiritual values. It was believed that to achieve this, free and compulsory
education for all children up to age 14 was important. Other features includes
development of languages, equality of educational opprotunities, regional, tribal and
gender imbalances to be addressed and the development and prioritization of
scientific education and research. This commission also focused on the need to
eradicate illiteracy and provide adult education.

India’s curriculum mostly prioritized the study of mathematics and science rather than
social sciences or arts. Eversince the Kothari Commission, the study of mathematics
and science has been actively promoted and it is argued that India’s developments
were better met by scientists and engineers rather than historians. The perception that
students only study social science or arts as a last resort has remained eventhough
commerce and economics have risen in stature.

This commission stressed on the importance of women education and suggested the
setting up of state and central level committees for overseeing women education. It
also encouraged the establishment of schools and hostels especially for women and
urged to identify ways to find job opportunities for women in the educational sector.
This commission focused on the equalization of educational opportunities to all,
irrespective of caste, religion and gender. To achieve social and national integration,
the schools were also advised to provide education to backward classes on a priority
basis.
17

Education in Kohima, Nagaland

Kohima is a district of Nagaland state and is also famously known as a home of the
Angami Naga tribe. The people of Nagaland are known as Nagas. Before we discuss
further on the education systems of Kohima, let’s check on how education began in
the first place. It is believed that education in Kohima or Nagaland as a whole started
only after the British took up the administration over India and they introduced
western system of education with the help of the Christian missionaries. However
even before the establishment of schools by the missionaries, education was available
for Nagas through an indigenous institution called Morung or youth dormitory, which
was an essential part of Naga life. Constructed at the village entrance or in a spot to be
effectively guarded, Morungs were usually grand and huge buildings. Once the young
boys and girls hit their puberty, they are admitted to their respective gender
dormitories where they are taught the culture, customs, values and traditions of their
society or tribe through folk tales, folk music and dance and oral tradition. Apart from
that, they are also taught and given vocational trainings like wood carving and
weaving. Before the Nagas came into contact with the modern education and life,
Morungs were considered an important educational, political and social institution.
We can still find Morungs in some villages in Nagaland; however after adopting the
modern practices of education, we can hardly find them using it.

Education in Kohima is provided by the government and the private schools. The
average literacy rate of Kohima according to the 2011 census was 85.23% with
88.69% being male and 81.48% female. With time, the education system in Kohima
has changed drastically and there are now several schools which provide standard
education. Most of the schools are affiliated to the NBSE12 and there are some schools
that follow the Central board or the CBSE. Over the years, the schools in Kohima or

_____________________________________________________________________

12
‘NBSE’ stands for Nagaland Board of School Education
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Nagaland as a whole have undergone many changes; be it in teaching methods,

education quality or infrastructure. Many schools in Kohima are adapting different
methods of teaching and have also felt the importance of including recreation and
vocational training in their curriculum with an aim to make learning fun and effective.
Encouraging the students to ‘think outside the box’ is something different that the
teachers are practising these days. Gone are the days wherein the students are spoon-
fed with all the answers; they are now encouraged to understand the concept and
answer rather that just memorising it without understanding what the topic is about.
There are also a couple of schools in Kohima that deals with children with special
needs. With time, lots of changes have taken place in the education system; however
just like the schools in any other states, the schools in Kohima also face many
challenges, especially the government schools. Most of the government schools in
Kohima are under the RTE act; hence free and compulsory education up to the age of
fourteen years has been made mandatory by the government in Nagaland. The private
schools on their part are doing their best to make sure that they are meeting the needs
of the students and the teachers; however we cannot comment the same about the
government schools.

Differences between the Government and Private schools

Some of the differences between the government and private schools are:

1. Administration: Private schools have a good administrative system and that we

can see in the way the administrations, teachers and students conduct themselves. As
there is a “behave or else get fired” rule in private schools, we see that the teachers are
well behaved and know how to present themselves. The teachers do their work
sincerely and rather than for the number of years he/she is in service, they get
19

awarded and applauded for their work and dedication. Whereas we cannot say the
same for the government schools; the headmaster-teacher relations are many times
marred by school politics and personal ego. Most of the time, an individual is made
the head or gets promoted depending upon the number of years he/she is in service
rather than for their hard work and dedication.

2. Infrastructure: Let’s face the fact that when it comes to infrastructure, private
schools are way ahead of government schools. Private schools invest a lot in this area
to make sure that the needs of not only the students but also the teachers and the
school as a whole is met. The infrastructural facilities of the private schools are one of
the many reasons as to why parents choose them rather than the government schools.
Government schools lacks proper infrastructure and due to this teaching as well as
learning becomes a challenge at times. We are all aware that infrastructure also
includes teaching-learning materials and so when the materials needed are not
available, then teaching becomes a challenge. Yes we do agree that just having great
school infrastructure is not sufficient to improve learning outcomes, but we cannot
deny that it is certainly a necessary condition. Environment: When we discuss about
the environment, we can find that the private schools have a very competitive
environment; they make the students care about their scores and grades and they
encourage them to work hard so as to achieve their goal. Government schools on the
other hand is still lacking behind, most students hardly bother about their grades and
to top it up, some teachers on their part are more eager to wrap up their class and
leave rather than spending time with the students and encouraging them to do better.

3. Quality of Education: The quality of education has always been a hot topic of
discussion whenever there is a comparison between government and private schools.
There is no denying that the quality of education provided by the private school is
exceptionally better than that of the government schools. Teachers in private schools
20

receive maximum support from their administrations and they also receive all the
materials required to make teaching effective whereas it is not the same for teachers in
government schools. There are times when the staff of the government schools
struggle with their works because of the non-availability of materials and support
from the authorities.

4. Classrooms: Classrooms are one of the basic necessities of a school. We can all
agree that insufficient and inadequate classrooms hamper the process of learning.
Congested10 and overcrowded classrooms is one of the most common complaints
about the government education system. While private schools have sufficient,
spacious and even extra classrooms, the government schools lacks to provide even
sufficient classrooms.

5. Fee structure: It is true that private schools burn a hole in the pocket of the parents
as their fees are quite high. Most government schools are usually a no-fee school;
hence the students are not required to pay any fees and to top it up, students also
receives some school utilities for free whereas these are not available in the private
schools. In spite of this, most people still prefer private schools because at the end of
the day, what matters is the quality of education their kids will be receiving.

6. Teachers recruitment: Government schools recruit teachers who meet all the
state-mandated requirements and they usually have to go through a mandatory
eligibility test to get appointed whereas it is not the same for private schools. Private
schools have different criteria for recruiting teachers and they usually do not conduct
any type of test instead they go for class demonstration and after it is done, they take
the interview of the candidates.

7. Security of students: While the private schools are trying their best to ensure
students safety, we cannot comment the same for government schools. We can find
that most of the private schools have CCTV cameras in classrooms and around the

_____________________________________________________________________
10‘
Congested’ means so crowded as to make freedom of movement difficult or impossible
21

campus and they have security guards whose responsibility is to guard the school
24x7. Whereas in the government schools, these kinds of facilities are not available
and even if there is a CCTV camera, it is either not working or it’s just for a particular
area.

Challenges faced by the Government Schools in Kohima

Recent years have seen remarkable increase in the number of private schools. The
discussion on which school is better, private or government is something that people
talks about all the time. Yes every parent wants the best for their children and for that,
they are ready to shell out a fortune. Those people who are financially strong can get
their kids admitted in the best private school irrespective of whatever the cost is but
the question here is, ‘What about those people who are not financially strong and lives
hand to mouth?’ Government schools in Kohima or rather Nagaland is almost entirely
filled with children from the economically weaker families who cannot afford to send
their children to private schools like their better placed counterparts. While the overall
performance of the education system needs attention, the government schools perhaps
need special focus. The literacy rate of Kohima has indeed progressed exceedingly,
yet we should not confuse literacy rate with the presence of educational infrastructure
or manpower. While it is a common perception that the teachers of government
schools are paid better comparing to the teachers of private schools, it is also a fact
that there is a massive practise of absenteeism, irregularities and proxies in the
government schools. There are times wherein the students unknowingly admit about
their teachers being unpunctual and irregular. Although the government of India has
introduced the Right to Education Act, a fundamental right, on 1 April 2010 with an
aim to make education possible for those children who have been deprived of it, it is
22

also a fact that government schools are lacking behind private schools in terms of
providing quality education.

In addition, the infrastructure of the government school is again another matter of

concern. While private schools are updated with the latest facilities and proper
infrastructures, the government schools are still struggling to provide spacious and
well maintained classrooms. Almost all the private schools are catching up with the
changes in the education system and are working hard to make teaching and learning
easy and effective. Libraries, curriculums, practical labs, computer labs, clean
drinking water, clean toilets, sanitation, spacious classrooms, table and chairs,
playgrounds, ventilations, electricity, bulbs and other necessities come under the
infrastructure. Most government schools in Kohima lacks proper infrastructure due to
which the students, teachers and the administration as a whole face challenges. We
cannot deny that proper infrastructures are needed in every school irrespective of
whether it is a government or private school to make teaching effective and efficient.
Infrastructures also includes the teaching-learning materials which are needed by the
teachers; sometimes books alone are not enough to make the students understand
certain things and so it becomes important for the teachers to use certain objects or
materials as an example to make them understand the concept. We must understand
that lack of proper infrastructure not only affects the students learning but also the
teachers teaching method. Additionally, the curriculums of private and government
schools are same. The books that are used by the teachers and students of private
schools are also used by the government schools and so now the question is ‘how
come government schools are lacking behind in spite of using the same curriculums?’

Over the years, lower middle-class and middle-class families have started to believe
that private schools will ensure a bright career for their children. Parents today, prefer
sending their children to private schools even if it means an hour’s ride to the school
daily. Due to lack of quality education and proper infrastructures that are required for
23

the overall development of the students, the government schools are not able to
attract the parents in spite of most government schools providing some school utilities
for free. It has also been observed that most of the students of government schools
drop out a few years after starting with their education because of the schools
environment. Rural students are now opting more in favour of the much-better-
performing private institutions rather than the government institutions. Many students,
especially from villages are now moving to towns and cities with an aim to get
admitted in good private institutions for quality education. Parents choose private
schools for quality teaching and facilities, and an English language instruction
preference. The failure to ensure quality education in government schools has
compelled many parents, even those belonging to the BPL (Below Poverty Line), to
send their children to private schools. This in turn has a direct impact on the economy
of the family, often leading to poverty but still what can the public do when the
concerned people ignores their cry. Nevertheless, the concept of 'choice' does not
apply in all contexts, or to all groups in society, partly because of limited affordability
(which excludes most of the poorest). The Annual Status of Education Report of 2013
by national education trust states that enrolment in private schools have been
increasing in almost all states with the states of Kerala, Nagaland, Manipur and
Meghalaya accounting for over 40% in private schools even in 2012.

Another issue that government schools in Kohima faces are non-deployment of

teachers, shortage of non-teaching staff, failure to pay the salaries of teachers on time,
insufficient supply of mid-day meal, sports materials, school grants and other school
utilities. One major problem that the government teachers face is the delay in their
salary, it has also been pointed out that there are times when they do not receive their
salaries for months. On the other hand, the teachers of private schools receive their
salary timely. While some government school teachers are very qualified and are paid
better, the management of the school fails and so this results in the teachers doing
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what they want. After getting appointed, most of the government teachers are posted
in villages where there is shortage of teachers and in order to avoid moving in the
villages, some of them hire a much less qualified ‘proxies’ to do the teaching for
them. I guess we can all agree out here that by doing this, they are not doing justice to
their profession and so it is up to the administration to keep a strict check on these
aberrations. Private schools on the other hand score on these markers, neither do they
follow the proxy system nor are they known for being irregular. Teachers of private
schools are known for their immense dedication to their work. Quality in terms of
levels of teacher absence, teaching activity, and pupil to teacher ratios is better in
private schools than in government schools.

All schools, irrespective of whether they are run by government or private, want their
students to succeed and to make it possible, it is important for the school to make sure
that they cater to the needs of the students as well as the teachers. The poor
performance of government schools in Nagaland remains a yearly headache for the
state. It is disheartening to see the performance of government schools; every year
with the declaration of the HSLC13 and HSSLC14 result, the blame game starts
wherein the blame continues to be passed from political parties to the government and
from government to the teachers. An Article on Eastern Mirror, Nagaland, which has
been published on 28th May 2017 states the way in which the Governor of Nagaland,
Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, hints at weakness of government schools. In the
backdrop of poor performance by government schools in the HSLC and HSSLC
examinations results 2017, Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, also known
as PB Acharya, has taken the government teachers to task for the debacle despite
being paid substantially better than their private schools counterparts. Stating that
Public Work Department (PWD) and School Education Department has the highest
State budget allocation, the Governor pointed out at the weakness of government

_____________________________________________________________________

13
HSLC : High School Leaving Certificate Examination

14
HSSLC : Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination
25

schools and not on the part of the department. The Government made this remarks
from his observation at the felicitation programme for the HSLC and HSSLC toppers
and rank holders where majority of the achievers were from private schools of
Kohima and Dimapur. PB Acharya called upon the teachers to keep track on their
students’ family activities and build a bond so that the education they provide benefits
not only the learners but the whole society. “The situation of underprivileged people
in a democratic society is not their creation but because of our deficiency. And to do
away with this, we need to change our approach as there are many factors involved in
making us what we are,” conveyed PB Acharya.

The Nagaland Government needs to seriously evaluate the education system

especially with regards to government schools. School grants should be released
timely so as to avoid problems and trained and capable teachers should be provided,
especially in villages where there are shortages of teaching staffs. The main purpose
of having schools is to educate our future generation in order to build a progressive
and brighter future and so it’s high time for all the schools, irrespective of whether it
is run by government or private, to live up to the expectation.

About Nagaland

Nagaland is a state in North-East India; North-East India also known as the land of
‘seven sisters’ namely: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya,
Nagaland and Tripura. The capital of Nagaland is Kohima, and the largest city is
Dimapur. As per the 2011 Census of India, Nagaland has an area of 16,579 square
kilometres (6,401 sq mi) with a population of 1,980,602, making it one of the smallest
states of India. The population of Nagaland is mostly Christian. The state of Nagaland
was officially inaugurated on December 1, 1963 at Kohima by the President of India,
26

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, with Mr. P. Shilu Ao (the first Chief Minister of Nagaland). As
proclaimed by the Nagaland Assembly in 1967, English became the official language
of Nagaland and is the medium for education as well. There were eleven districts in
Nagaland and on 21st December 2017, another district was added making it twelve
and the state is inhabited by 16 tribes. Geographically, Nagaland is a sensitive state as
China lies close to it in the North, Bangladesh on the West with Myanmar alongside
and Thailand on the East; Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand merge together
forming a common valley known as the ‘Golden Triangle’ which is located close on
the heels of Nagaland. Nagaland is largely a mountainous state rich in flora and fauna.
The state animal of Nagaland is ‘Mithun’ and ‘Blyth’s Tragopan’ is the state bird,
‘Alder tree’ is the state tree and ‘Rhododendron’ is the state flower. The people of
Nagaland celebrate many festivals wherein they are dressed in their own colourful
traditional attires and each festival has a reason to celebrate. One of the famous
festivals of Nagaland is the ‘Hornbill Festival’ which is celebrated every year from 1 st
till 10th December. This festival has attracted thousands of people and every year,
Kohima is flooded with tourists from all over the world during this time. This is one
festival that brings all the tribes of Nagaland together at one place. This week-long
festival is held at Kisama heritage Village which is about 12 km away from Kohima.
All the tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival and display their rich culture and
traditions.

Brief details about the 12 districts of Nagaland

1. Dimapur district: Dimapur is considered as the largest district of Nagaland and is

also known as "mini India" because unlike any other districts in the state, Dimapur
has a heterogeneous mix of people from all over India. Considered to be among the
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fastest growing cities of the North East, Dimapur is also the gateway to Nagaland and
is the only city in Nagaland that is connected by rail and air. Christianity is the most

practised religion in Dimapur. Over the years, Dimapur has expanded up to the
foothills of Chumoukedima. Climate wise, Dimapur is hot and humid during summer
and moderately cold in winter.

2. Kiphire district: Kiphire is a district of Nagaland which has been carved out of
Tuensang. It is bounded by Tuensang District in the north, Phek district in the west
and Myanmar in the east. Saramati (3,841 m), known as the highest peak in Nagaland
is located in this district. Like any other parts of the State, the district is rich in
culture, custom and practises. The predominant tribes of Kiphire are Sangtam
(Eastern), Yimchunger and Sema (Sumi). Different festivals are celebrated every year
by the different tribes: the Yimchungru tribe celebrates Metemnio in the month of
August, Sangtam celebrates Mongmong in September and the Sumi celebrates Tuluni
in the month of July. People celebrate these festivals every year with pomp and
gaiety. Folk dance and songs form an important part of the festivals.

3. Kohima district: Kohima is the capital of Nagaland and is famously known as the
home of the Angami Naga tribe. As per the 2011 census, Kohima is the second most
populous district of Nagaland after Dimapur. Kohima was originally a large village
named Kewhira, located in the North-Eastern part of the present day Kohima urban
area. The village is divided into four Thinuos namely - Tsütuonuomia, Lhisemia,
Dapfütsumia and Pfuchatsumia; termed shortly as T, L, D, and P Khel. Climate wise,
Kohima has cold winters and hot summers with awfully lot of rainfall.

4. Longleng district: Longleng is a district of Nagaland which has been carved out of
Tuensang district on January 2004. It is known as the home of the Phom Naga tribe. It
is bordered by Mon district in the north, Mokokchung district in the west and
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Tuensang district in the south. The Phoms celebrate four major festivals, the most
important of which is Monyu, the others are Moha, Bongvum and Paangmo.

5. Mokokchung district: Mokochung is mostly occupied by the Ao Naga tribe who

considers it their home. It is bounded by the state of Assam to its north, Wokha
district to its west, Tuensang and Longleng district to its east, and Zunheboto district
to its south. Festivals like Moatsu and Tsungremong are greatly celebrated in
Mokokchung. The district is agriculturally and industrially among the most
progressive districts in the state, along with Dimapur and Kohima.

6. Mon district: Mon is the home of the Konyak Naga tribes. It is bounded by the
state of Arunachal Pradesh to its north, Assam to its west, Myanmar to its east,
Longleng district to its south-west and Tuensang district to its south. Konyaks are
known for their skilled craftsmanship and adept artisans. One of the most colourful
festivals of the Konyaks is ‘Aoleang Monyu’, observed every year during the first
week of April.

7. Peren district: Peren is the eleventh district of Nagaland formed by the partition of
Kohima district. The district of Peren is bounded by Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong
districts of Assam in the west, Dimapur district to the north-east, Kohima district in
the east and Tamenglong district of Manipur in the south. Most of the inhabitants of
Peren belong to the Zeliang and Kuki tribes. Peren district is rich in natural vegetation
and the population of Peren is mostly involved in agriculture. Climate wise, the
winters are cold but pleasant and summers are warm and tolerable.

8. Phek district: Phek is one of the districts of Nagaland. It is a mountainous region

out of which, almost 70% is evergreen forest. The largest rivers of the district are the
Tizu, Lanyi, Arachu, and three most important lakes are the Shilloi, Chida and Dzudu.
Climate wise, the summers are moderately warm and winters are cold with
temperature dropping to 0 °C in the month of January and February. The festivals
29

celebrated by them are Shükhrünyie, Yemshe, Tsükhrünyie, and Nazhü. Agriculture is

their main occupation; however they are also involved in the production of salt, fruit
juice, weaving, bamboo and wood carving.

9. Tuensang district: Tuensang District is the largest district of Nagaland that lies on
the eastern fringe of the state. Tuensang is one of the original three districts, along
with Mokokchung and Kohima that was formed at the time the Nagaland state was
created. With the carving out of Mon, Longleng, Kiphire and most recently Noklak
districts, the district of Tuensang has gradually diminished in size. The main
indigenous tribes of this district are Changs, Sangtams, Yimchunger and
Khiamniungans. Besides, Aos and Semas have also seemed to form a small part of the
district's population.

10. Wokha district: Wokha district is mentioned as 'the land of plenty' by the state
government of Nagaland because of its rich mineral resources, soil fertility and
abounding flora and fauna. The district shares its borders with Assam in the West and
North, Kohima and Dimapur in the South, Zunheboto in the East and Mokokchung in
the North East. Wokha is considered as the third largest town in Nagaland after
Kohima and Dimapur. It has been mentioned that Wokha is one of the three districts
in Nagaland that is currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund
Programme (BRGF), the other two being Mon and Tuensang.

11. Zunheboto district: Zunheboto is known as the home of the Sumi (Sema) Naga
tribe, a warrior tribe of Nagaland. It is a hilly place covered with evergreen forests
and surrounded by small streams and rivers. The district is also home to the largest
Baptist church in Asia, the Sumi Baptist Church, Zunheboto. The most important
festival celebrated by them is Tuluni, it is observed on the second week of July every
year. The district of Zunheboto is bounded by Mokokchung on the North, Tuensang
district on the East, Phek district on the South and Wokha on the West. The people of
30

Zunheboto are hard workers and their main occupation is agriculture. Climate wise,
summers are moderately warm and winters are very cold especially in the month of
December and January.

12. Noklak district: Earlier Nagaland had 11 districts; however on 21st December
2017, the Noklak district was added making it 12. This district has been carved out of
Tuensang. It covers an area of about 164.92 km2 and majority of the people living
there are from the Khiamniungam tribe. The district is a hilly region and has broad
leaved forests.

The districts of Nagaland are unique and that’s what makes Nagaland a beautiful
state. Each district has their own tribal languages and they all celebrate different
festival every year. The 16 tribes of Nagaland are Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang,
Kachari, Khiamniungam, Konayak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengema, Sangtam,
Sumi, Yimchungru and Zeliang; each tribe is unique in character with its own distinct
customs, language and colourful traditional attires which usually catch the eyes of the
travellers. Additionally Nagaland is very rich in bio-diversity, which includes both
flora and fauna. The world’s tallest ‘Rhododendron tree’ has been found in Japfu
Mountain of Kohima district. Nagaland is a beautiful place to visit and explore.
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About the thesis

This thesis is about the differences between government and private schools. Over the
years, the education system of Nagaland has undergone many changes and the literacy
rate has increased as well. With the increase in the demand for quality education, the
numbers of private schools have also increased. To teach their children the necessary
skills needed for an ever-changing world, most parents are choosing private school
education over government school. People these days are relying more on private
schools rather than on the government schools. So in spite of most government
schools being a no-fee school, why is it not preferred and why are the government
schools lacking behind?

Most of the government schools in Kohima lack quality education, proper

infrastructure and discipline which hinders the growth of the students. Additionally it
has also been observed that the students of government schools are mocked and made
fun of for countless reasons by the students of private schools who consider
themselves superior. We know that the concept of 'choice' does not apply in all
contexts, or to all groups in society; for some parents, sending their kids to the
government school is their only option and so I think it’s high time for the authorities
of government schools to buckle up, do the necessary and live up to the expectations
of the parents. Every school, be it private or government, should work towards
providing quality education and leave less to no room for drop outs.

In order to find out the problems face by the government schools in Kohima, the
researcher will focus on the challenges faced by them and the areas in which they
struggle. The researcher will also highlight the problems and challenges faced by the
students of private as well as government schools. In this thesis, the researcher will try
to find solutions and recommendations to curb with the problems faced by the
government schools. To understand and find out the differences between government
32

and private schools, I have chosen the topic entitled

‘Comparative study of Government and Private Schools: A Sociological study in

reference to Kohima, Nagaland’.
CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

By Sudhanshu K Mishra and Kevizakie Rio - Department of Economics, NEHU,

Shillong (India) (January 2005), Economics of Private Schooling Industry in
Kohima, Nagaland (India):

This present study by Sudhanshu K Mishra and Kevizakie Rio is concerned with an
analysis of the “enterprise of providing for schooling by the private sector” to those
who are ready to pay at much higher rate for the services that otherwise (and
conventionally) are imparted at a very cheap rate by the system of schools run by the
government in India. Since the last few decades or so, India has experienced the
flourishing growth of private schools in many towns and rural areas as well. The
enterprise of private schooling has established itself so well that it has now assumed
the characteristics of a full-fledged industry in the tertiary sector.

It has also been pointed out that private schools usually employ teachers at a low
salary (often about one third of the salary drawn by a teacher in the schools run by the
government). While the private schools strive hard to maintain their image and
reputation, the schools in the government sector have no incentives or urge to do so.
The system of private enterprises catering to the demand of the clients
(parents/students) for schooling has all major characteristics of an industry. People
these days prefer the system of private schooling as an alternative to state-run
schooling system.

As their area of study is Kohima, Nagaland, they have written about the growth of
private schools out there and have also pointed out few differences between the
government and private schools. Kohima is considered as the centre of school
education in Nagaland and education is provided both by government as well as
34

private sectors. However in recent years, Kohima have seen a huge growth in the
demand for private schooling. Apart from better performance shown by the private
schools in the Board Examinations being one reason for their growth, the inability of
the government to establish more schools has also encouraged the growth of private
schools in the town. They have also pointed out that almost all the enrol students of
government schools are from a modest economic background while the students of
the private schools are from well to do families with strong financial status. It is
interesting to note that while enrolment in government run schools hardly makes any
progress, the enrolment in private schools has substantially increased. Parents are
keen on getting their kids admitted in good private schools irrespective of the costs.

Government high schools in Nagaland crippled, says NSF- Naga Students'

Federation (August 19, 2014):

In this article, the NSF (Naga Students' Federation) has pointed out some of the major
problems faced by government-run high schools in Kohima, Nagaland. Shortage of
teachers, unsystematic staffing pattern, poor infrastructure and parents' disinterest in
their wards' studies are some of the problems faced by the government schools.

After inspecting some government schools of Nagaland, NSF held joint meetings with
government high school authorities, district education officers (DEOs) and its own
units for a discussion on important matters. In the meeting, they also discussed about
the Non-Detention Policy Act under RTE, its merits and demerits. The Non-Detention
Policy Act aims in providing a stress-free learning environment for young students
without any fear of failing in exams. Just like everything else that has good as well as
bad side, even this Act has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. While many
may find the Non-Detention Policy Act beneficial, some do not agree with it and
argues that in due course, this will result in the students becoming disinterested in
their studies which can also lead to prolonged absenteeism and dropouts.
35

Nagaland Post (September 8, 2014): ‘Government schools countless problems,

reality check’, written by Akokla Imchen.

This article talks about the countless problems of government school, such as the
practise of absenteeism or irregularities and the absence of proper infrastructures
which is a cause of worry for many educationists and concerned citizens. There are
instances wherein the students of government schools unknowingly admit about their
teachers being irregular or late. Government schools in Nagaland are mostly filled
with children from the economically weaker families who cannot afford to send their
children to private schools. Every parent wants to send their children to a good school
where they can receive quality education but as not everyone is financially strong,
they have to choose what they can afford. What makes one ponder upon the fate of
these little children is not about from which economic background they come from
but the general deterioration in the overall pedagogical health of the government run
schools in Nagaland. Of course there are some of the government schools that have
performed better than expected but others are still caught in a lot of dilemma.

Eventually, like liberty and democracy, the working of any good school system is
built on moral foundations larger than self interest. Though the central government
has come up with several plans and policies and spent huge amount of money in
providing free education to the poor, there are less success stories on achievements in
the state due to lack of attention towards the education sector. Proper infrastructure
which is a must for every school seems to be missing in most government schools.
And while the overall performance of the education system in the state needs
attention, the government schools perhaps need special focus. Yes Nagaland is
growing in terms of literacy rate; however one should not confuse literacy with the
presence of educational infrastructure and manpower.
36

Nagaland Post (May 2, 2015): 'The Nagaland Education System: A Brief

Analysis', written by Yanpvuo Kikon.

Yanpvuo Kikon is an IT Program Management Consultant (State e-Mission Team)

working for the Department of Electronics & Information Technology. He stated that
education is a power vested in us which can eliminate the socio-educational disparity
and help us climb the social ladder through a legitimate process. He strongly
commented that the Nagaland Government needs to seriously evaluate the education
system especially with regards to Government schools in our State. The purpose of
having schools is to educate our future generation in order to build a progressive,
brighter future for our State and not to shove our younger generation to become
dropouts.

It is indeed a general and unhidden fact that most of the time, dropouts contribute to a
major part of anti-social activities in any society, usually arising out of frustration
because they are stuck in the middle, that is, neither illiterate nor fully educated and
due to this, they can neither be employed in white/blue colour jobs nor as labour
workforce. This forces many of the failed students to engage in illegal activities which
impact a society negatively contributing to a REGRESSIVE SOCIETY RATHER
THAN A PROGRESSIVE ONE. THE QUESTION HERE IS: ARE GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS CONTRIBUTING TO PRODUCING EDUCATED YOUTHS OR DROP
OUTS? Is our Government education system producing youths who can build our
society or break it?

Another issue that Kikon has mentioned is the practise of ‘proxy teachers’ which is
very famous in government schools. There are some teachers who are doing business
or other politically appointed jobs while the students, who they are paid to educate are
left at the mercy of their negligence. He states that this kind of practises should be
checked strictly as the lives of our younger generation are at stake. He further adds
that the state government should take major steps to improve the education system of
government schools so as to control the rate of dropouts.
37

By PTI- Press Trust of India, (November 7, 2016); ‘Nagaland: 42% of

Government Teachers Untrained’: Nagaland Minister for School Education and
SCERT, Yitachu said that about 42% of the government teachers in Nagaland are
untrained while 15 per cent schools, numbering around 172 or more, are being run by
a single teacher, a major deterrent in achieving quality education in the state. Quality
education can be achieved only when we are serious about it and work towards
achieving it. Leaving the fate of hundreds of children on a single teacher is absurd and
so the state should work towards solving this issue.

Yitachu said that beside opening and upgrading schools to reach each and every
student, the Right to Education (RTE) policy which has been implemented by the
Central government has brought immense infrastructural improvements which also
created opportunities for recruitment of teachers. However the process has also
created a huge gap in imparting quality education to the students, which has led to a
rise in the number of school dropouts and drop in students’ enrolment in government
schools. He further added that the gap is also widening because of the high number of
professionally unqualified teachers in the education department as recruitment of
teachers has become a way to solve unemployment problem rather than imparting
quality education.

Yitachu said that steps are being taken to make sure that all the untrained teachers of
government schools are trained. The teachers who are already in service are allowed
to go the B.Ed training by employing a substitute teacher during their training period.
Prof P A Reddy, Dean, Faculty of Education, Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra
Pradesh, has also stressed on the need to improve teachers’ education programme and
said that the programmes should be based on the need of the quality education of the
particular state while teaching should not be a mere means of employment but a
profession. Teaching is a noble profession and so it’s high time to take this job
seriously and not just as a means to save our self from unemployment.
38

By Rashmi and Lungsang Zeliang (November 2017), ‘Status of Government

Schools in Nagaland State: An Overview’:

This research paper talks about how education plays an important role in changing the
quality of one’s life, and bringing about change in the state and country. Qualities of
educational institutes can be evaluated through the academic achievements of their
students. This research paper compares the achievement of Class 10 (from 2009-
2016) students of government and private schools and consequently tried to evaluate
the quality and condition of government schools in comparison to private schools of
Nagaland state. After evaluating the data, the researchers concluded saying that the
condition of government schools in Nagaland are very poor in terms of enrolment,
appearance in examination and achievement in examinations. From this, we can
clearly understand that the passing percentage of students from government school is
low comparing to that of private schools. They further added that the quality and the
condition of government school are also very poor in comparison to private schools.
The researchers stated that there may be various reasons behind it and that the
government researchers and policy makers should focus in finding the actual reasons
and recommend measures to remedy the situation.

Academic achievement is a means to measure change and development and so it is

important to work toward providing quality education with proper infrastructure. The
question out here is why are the government schools lacking behind in almost all the
areas? In spite of receiving funds and support from the government, why are they still
lacking? If the funds are not used towards improving the government schools, then
what is it used for? The government researchers and policy makers should indeed
work towards finding the reasons and cause for all the issues and provide proper
solutions to curb with it. Everything is possible if one works with dedication, if the
state wants changes to take place in the education system, then steps should be taken
towards achieving it.
39

Nikunja Behari Biswas (2008), ‘Education in North-East India’:

Dr. Nikunja Behari Biswas is associated with the Department of Education, Assam
University, Silchar. He has earlier worked with Arunachal University, Itanagar. He
has guided many students in their research work; authored books and contributed
numerous articles in journals of repute.

This book talks about how education began in North-East India and the ways in which
it has developed with time. He states that schooling does not only provide basic
education, but under the best circumstances it aids a child to explore the world and to
express ideas, ask questions and puzzle out answers. He states that according to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 26, 1948), ‘education is a human
right’. School education, not only prepares a child to live in their immediate world but
it prepares them to live in the world beyond their daily experience. School education
develops the basic abilities of an individual to live a full personal life both as an
individual and as a member of a family, and an economically productive life as a
worker, and a socially useful life as citizen.

This book is of great help as it provides an overview about the history of education in
North-East India. Yes education was available even before schools were introduced;
however it was in the form of informal education. It was the responsibility of the
elders of the village or clan to educate the young ones about their cultures, values,
tradition and norms. Formal education in North-East is believed to have been started
by the Christian Missionaries who were also responsible for the introduction of
schools.
40

B.D Bhatt and S.R Sharma (1993), ‘Sociology of Education’:

This book states that the responsibilities of the public/government school have
undergone many changes. It is not a simple institution in a simple society but it is now
a complex institution in a complex society and has to keep up with all the updates.
Schools have to

change their roles in the changed circumstances and they have to keep the students
updated of the changes taking place in the society. Society is approaching its organic
status where it can direct its own progress, and education is its greatest force or rather
tool that can help society meets its requirement. Individuals are not becoming less
important but more specialized. Education is expected to teach co-operation and
service, and an educated man must feel dependence upon society and his
responsibility for its betterment. With regard to public/government schools, the author
says that there are two fundamental principles that needs to be observed in the public
school administration, first is guaranteeing equality of opportunity to all pupils and
second is that of securing democratic efficiency of management.

This book is helpful as it talks about the responsibilities of the public/government

schools which have changed with the changing era. A school these days have lots of
responsibilities apart from just imparting knowledge. It also talks about the
importance of equality in education, i.e., not being bias and providing admission to all
irrespective of caste, religion or gender.
41

Sureshchandra Shukla and Krishna Kumar (1985), ‘Sociological Perspective in

Education’:

This books talks about the views of different sociologists regarding education. For
example, the French sociologists, Emile Durkheim, saw education as a process which
helps in the creation and maintenance of social order by moulding the young
individual in a social image. Durkheim’s focus was the part education plays in the
maintenance and continued existence of society and its culture and how this is passed
on from one generation to another so that society survives. The acquisition of traits,
values, knowledge and skills of the culture by the younger members of the society
happens with the help of various institutions like family, the kinship group and the
school. Apart from Emile Durkheim, John Dewey recognised the relation of education
to changes in the occupational and social roles, Karl Mannheim recognised conflict in
society yet he saw a unifying function for education and Talcott Parsons took the
existing state of society, its integration as well as differentiation and looked into
education as a process for explanation.

This book was helpful as it helps us understand the relationship between education
and society. It helps us understand the importance of cultures and traditions in the
society and how education can help in passing it on from one generation to another.
There are times wherein families or kinship groups are unable to make the younger
members of the society understand certain things and that’s when schools/education
comes into action.
42

S. Kumar and Sujata Srivastava (2010), ‘School Education in India’:

This book talks about how education plays a vital role in the nation building process
and acts as an agent of social change and reflects the ethos, culture, aspiration and
concerns of any society. School education is an important segment of the education
system and contributes significantly to the development of the individual and the
nation. It is widely accepted that school education, of enhanced quality is the most
powerful tool for the overall improvement of the system. Since independence in 1947,
there has been an enormous expansion of education in India. The school segment has
adopted and Integrated information and Communication Technology (ICT) to
improve the quality and productivity of education. However, the existing inequalities
prevailing in education has led to several issues. Other problems and challenges are
related to curriculum, pedagogy, infrastructure, dropouts, access, inequity,
administration, vocationalization etc.

The authors states that large number of dropouts usually takes place because of
reasons related to school environment which may include attitudes of teachers,
irrelevant curriculum, sub-standard and uninteresting teaching, teacher absenteeism,
corporal punishment, poor school infrastructure, inability to cope with the pace of
learning, lack of parental support, etc.

This book also mentioned about the continuous movement of children from free state-
managed schools to privately-managed institutions. So why are the students or rather
the parents keen on sending their children to private schools? If we look further, then
we will find out that most of the dropouts are students from public/government
schools and there have also been instances where in the students drop out of school to
join the world of work and money for survival.

This book was helpful as it helps us understand the role played by schools in the
development of individual and the nation and how school education of good quality
43

helps in the improvement of the society and the nation as a whole. Quality education
is a powerful tool which can help us to turn the table around. Along with proper
infrastructures, if the school is missing all the other important qualities as well, then
how can it stop the occurrence of dropouts? School is a place where we learn various
things, including the art of survival. Every society needs a well maintained school
where the kids can go and learn. We cannot deny the importance of school with a well
maintained infrastructure and qualified teachers because after all, how can a school
function without dedicated teachers.
CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

As indicated in the title, this chapter includes the research methodology of the thesis.
As my area of study is Kohima, Nagaland, the data/ information has been collected
from there. In this chapter the researcher outlines the methods and tools adapted to
conduct the study. The researcher also discusses about the research limitations.

Data collection Method

The data for this study has been collected from primary as well as secondary sources.
The primary data has been collected via surveys i.e., with the help of questionnaires
(multiple choice questions- close and open ended) and interviews. The secondary data
on the other hand have been collected from articles, reports, news-papers and website.

This research is mainly based on survey (questionnaire) and interview methods. The
researcher has used the methods of survey (questionnaire) and interview in order to
know about the differences between the government and private schools. These
methods have helped the researcher to collect important information/data from the
respondents. The questionnaires were presented in the form of multiple choice
questions which included both close as well as open ended questions. The researcher
has also conducted interviews with some few people in order to obtain some
information. Before starting off with the interview session, the interviewer explained
the nature and scope of the study. Most of the respondents were receptive and willing
to participate in the discussion/ interview which lasted for about 30 to 45 minutes.
45

During the interview, the respondents were encouraged to share their views and ideas
freely which resulted in a smooth and pleasant session.

Sample Selection

There are 83 schools in Kohima, out of which 18 are of government and 65 of private.
As it is not possible to study each and every school, the researcher has used the
method of sample wherein a number of government and private schools have been
selected to conduct the study. In this study, the non-probability sampling
method (convenience, purposive and snowball sampling) has been used as it is more
convenient. Non-probability sampling is a method of gathering data/information from
the units chosen by the researcher. The samples are gathered in a process that does not
give all the individuals in the population equal chances of being selected. Non-
probability sampling makes no claim for representatives as every unit do not get the
chance of being selected. As there is no list of persons to be studied, the use of
probability sampling may be difficult and not appropriate. Additionally the
probability sampling method is expensive, time-consuming and quite complicated due
to the large sample size and the selected units being widely scattered. Hence for this
study, the use of non-probability sampling is convenient and efficient.

The researcher has selected 100 students/respondents, 50 from government school and
50 from private school for the study of ‘Comparative study of Government and
Private Schools: A Sociological study in reference to Kohima, Nagaland’. Each
students/respondents were given the questionnaires prepared by the researcher.

Data Analysis

The analysis of the data has been done on the following basis:
46

1. Information obtained from the respondent

2. Challenges faced due to lack of proper infrastructure and quality education
3. Solutions and suggestions provided by the respondents

Data analysis has been presented by using tables and charts. Detailed explanation of
each table has been provided in order to avoid confusion and to make it easy and
convenient for the readers to understand.

Aims and Objectives

1. To compare the infrastructural facilities of government and private schools.

2. To compare the teaching qualities- methods/ qualifications of teachers.
3. To know why maximum numbers of drop outs are from government schools
4. To examine changing educational preferences.

Hypothesis

1. Private schools growing and more preferred.

2. Government schools not doing well in terms of business.
3. Teaching methods of private schools better than that of government school
4. Results of private schools better than government school.

Scope of the Study

In India education is of vast importance; there are numbers of private and government
schools. The proposed study is based on primary and secondary data sources. The
study will cover the comparison between private and government schools especially
in the context of Kohima, which is a district of Nagaland state.
47

Limitations of Study

As a researcher there are certain limitations to this study. While some teachers and
administrations of some schools are happy to help and participate, some are not and
tends to be quite aloof. Additionally in some cases, the participant tends to brush off
the questions that require them to talk about the challenges they face. The feeling of
loyalty towards their respective institution prevents some respondents to speak out or
discuss about the challenges or problems they are facing. The students on the other
hand are quite outspoken; however at times even they tend to skip some topic of
discussion due to one or the other reason. As the area of study is Kohima, Nagaland,
the researcher will focus more on the schools there and also try to look into some
other schools in Nagaland.

Significance of study

1. The study is significant because through this study, we will know the
problems faced by government schools.
2. The study is significant as it will help us understand the ways in which private
schools are growing.
3. The study is significant as it will help us know the teaching qualities/methods
adapted by the government and private schools.
4. The study is significant as it will help us know why the numbers of dropouts
are more in government schools then in private schools.
5. The study is significant as it will help us know why people prefer to send their
children to private schools despite the fact that most of these schools are quite
expensive.
48

Louis Althusser: Ideological State Apparatuses

Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses was written by Louis Althusser, a French
Marxist philosopher. It was first published in 1970 and it advances the Althusser's
theory of ideology. Althusser talks about how the means of production and productive
forces are reproduced and maintained in a society. As per Althusser, the
reorganisation of the productive forces is ensured by the wage system that pays least
amount of wages to the workers who have to work every day without any raise in
status. Workers are expected to work without expecting a raise in their wage or status.
We are all aware that wages are not set by biological needs in the sense that wages are
not set as per the convenience of the workers but it is set as per the convenience of the
employer. The reproduction of conditions of productions and the reproduction of
relations of production takes place through the state apparatuses which are mostly
controlled by the dominant ideology of the capitalist class.

The capitalist class is the base and the working class is the superstructure. There are
two structures i.e., infrastructure (the economic base) and superstructure (the law/the
state and ideology). A brief description of both structures has been provided:

The infrastructure consists of the forces, the means and the relations of production. It
is the economic base that reproduces certain fixed models and behaviour patterns in
society. The forces include the workers who perform the work, such as training and
knowledge; the means are the materials needed for production, it basically includes
the raw materials, tools, and machines; and the relations of production reflect the
interactions between workers and between the workers and owners.

The superstructure arises from the infrastructure and consists of culture and ideology.
Superstructure refers to culture, education, knowledge production, art and aesthetics.
It also includes law and politics as these are based on ideologies and normative
frameworks.
49

Repressive State Apparatuses

According to Althusser, state is a bureaucratic body that organises conformity through

repressive apparatuses in the sense that it is a machine of repression that eventually
results in the capitalist and middle class dominating the labouring class. The
dominating class always comes up with different ways and tactics to ensure their grip
on the labouring class. The dominating class uses the Repressive State Apparatuses
(RSA), which includes government, courts, police, armed forces, prisons,
administrations etc, to dominate the labouring class. The RSA is controlled by the
dominating class who also have control over the powers of the state (political,
legislative and armed). It is believed that the main function of the RSA is to work for
the interests of the dominating class and so at times when an individual or any groups
of individual challenges or threaten the dominant ideology of the state; the dominating
class uses RSA to control or stabilize the situation, be it by violent or non-violent
means.

Ideological State Apparatuses

Now coming to Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA), according to Althusser, ISA uses
methods other than physical violence to carry out the same objectives or goals as the
RSA. The ISA functions behind the shield in the form of moral and ethics. For the
moment we can regard the following institutions as Ideological State Apparatuses:

 Religious ISA (the system of the different churches),

 Educational ISA (the system of the different public and private schools),
 Family ISA,
 Legal ISA,
 Political ISA (the political system, including the different parties),
 Trade-union ISA,
50

 Media outlets ISA (press, radio and television, etc.),

 Cultural ISA (literature, the arts, sports, etc.).

Of all the institutions, Althusser states that the educational institution is the heart of
the ISA as it shapes the mind of people and helps them to learn moral and ethics.
Students are taught the ways in which they should present themselves and how they
should behave, talk, think, interact or act. Schools teach children the things that are
important for them and also help them to understand the importance of being a
responsible person. Before schools were established, in most of the societies it was
the responsibility of the church to help educate the people about the moral and ethic
values as it is something that cannot be ignored or neglected but today, schools have
taken over this job and are believed to be doing better.

Interpellation

Interpellation means giving identity to an individual. For Althusser, ideology is an

important factor in terms of interpellation and that there are two functions of it: one is
‘recognition’ and the other is ‘misrecognition’. Althusser gave two examples to
explain the two functions:

 When a friend of yours knocks on your door, you ask “Who’s there?” The
answer, since it is obvious, is “it’s me”. Once you recognize that “it is him or
her”, you open to the door. After opening the door, you see that it truly is he or
she who is there.
 Another illustration reflects Althusser’s idea of reconnaissance. When
recognizing a familiar face on the street in France, for example, you show him
that you have recognized him and that he has recognized you by saying
“Hello, my friend”. You also shake his hand when speaking. The hand-shake
represents a material ritual practice of ideological recognition in every-day life
of France. Other locations across the world may have different rituals.
51

Althusser uses the term "interpellation" to describe the ways in which ideology
constitutes individual person as subjects. The ideological social and political
institutions such as the family, the media, religious organisations, the education
system, etc., hails an individual in social interactions, giving the individual his or her
identity.

Paulo Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, written by Paulo Freire proposes pedagogy with a new
relationship between the teachers, students and society. Based on his own experience
while helping the adults in Brazil to read and write; Freire incorporated a thorough
explanation of the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. Freire saw
how important education was and the changes that it can bring in a society and so
much of his works began as a step to change the educational, social and political
system of Brazil. When Freire saw that the right to vote was only given to the literate
people during the first half of the 20th century, he saw the importance of literacy and
what an important tool it was which can help people in their everyday life by giving
them the confidence to question the things happening in the society. Freire believed
that education can bring about changes in the society as the more the people are
educated, the more they will understand about the thing happening around them.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed stresses on the importance of education and how it can
bring about changes in the society. It states that education is the path to permanent
freedom as the more the people are educated, the more they will understand the things
happening around them and conclude whether a particular thing is right or wrong.
Freire’s Pedagogy is an educational plan to free those who are oppressed. He believes
that education is important for all the individuals of every society as it promotes
humanity which seems to be missing most of the time. People who are oppressed
52

usually do not believe that there is a better life for them especially those who have to
live hand to mouth and since most of them are illiterate, they end up believing in what
the oppressors tell them. Freire states that the oppressed may be frightened of the
oppressors and that may be one of the reason as to why without asking any question
they end up believing and doing what they are being told. Freire admits that the
oppressed can be terrified by the idea of freedom however, according to him; freedom
cannot be given, but rather is acquired by conquest, not by gift. Freedom must be
pursued constantly and responsibly.

Freire also talks about the so called ‘banking’ approach to education wherein the
students are treated as an empty bank accounts open to deposits made by the teachers.
Freire discards this ‘banking’ method of teaching stating that it undermines
individuality of the students as well as the teachers. Freire states that education should
be more world-mediated which encourages the co-creation of knowledge; it should
allow the children to ask questions and doubts and also encourage them to think
outside the box. Education should give the child an opportunity to be creative and
unique. According to Freire, this approach to education will help people to be
conscious of their short-comings and work towards becoming a better individual.
Students should be allowed to ask questions which will help them to understand
certain things that are unclear for them. Freire’s states that in order to become truly
free, people must learn about what they can relate to in a codified way.
53

Pierre Bourdieu: Theory of Class Distinction

Bourdieu theorised on class contradictions and social stratification is based on

aesthetic taste in his 1979 work Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of
Taste (in French, La Distinction). Social Stratification is basically a kind of social
differentiation wherein a society divides people into socio-economic strata as per their
wealth and social status, occupation and income, or derived power (social and
political). Bourdieu (1979) states that how an individual chooses to present oneself to
the world depicts their status and class; if an individual present himself poorly, people
ultimately conclude that he is financially unstable and if an individual present himself
with class then people ultimately conclude that he is of upper class. He further added
that usually children develop these habit at an early age under the influence of their
family members or peer groups and that this guides them towards their suitable social
position, help them understand the behaviours that are expected from them and last
but not the least, develop a strong dislikeness towards other behaviours, especially of
those whom they do not like. Bourdieu states that the various class fractions i.e.,
social, economic and cultural capital teaches preferences to the young. Brief
description of social, economic and cultural capital is as follows:

 Social capital: Social capital can be defined as the circle of friends, groups,

memberships and social networks

 Cultural capital: Cultural capital is an individual’s knowledge, experience and

connections (academic background, credential and work life). There are three

types of cultural capital: Embodied cultural capital, institutional cultural

capital and objectified cultural capital.

 Economic capital: Economic capital is the economic assets held (property

54

owned, earning ability)

Bourdieu argued that cultural and economic capital are closely related with education
and the middle classes stating that the majority of the graduates from various
university are of educated parents from middle class who knows from their own
experience as to how different institutions of education works and also have the
economic capital to send their children to good colleges. As cultural capital is
unequally distributed throughout the class structure, this results in class differences
which in turn create various issues. The educational system is mainly effective in
maintaining the power of the dominant classes since it presents itself as a neutral body
based on meritocratic principles providing equal opportunity for all. Bourdieu
concludes that in practice, education is basically concerned with the reproduction of
the recognized order.

Certain symbolic goods which are incorporated by the society as an attributes of

excellence are usually shaped in the interests of the dominating or the upper class. As
not everyone has same taste, at times, the choice of certain people creates class
divisions in social groups which eventually separate one social class from the other in
a society. Certain inclinations such as to food, music, art etc. are taught and infused to
children at a young age and it generally becomes the tastes and choices and leads
them to their appropriate social classes.

The choice of a class is attained by infusing the child into believing the objects and
behaviour that are appropriate and the ones that are not appropriate. This ultimately
leads to the development of distaste towards the other class for their favoured
behaviour and objects. In other words, when an individual encounters the culture,
food, arts and behaviour of another social class, he/she may get the feeling of loathing
and dislike towards that people because of what they like.

‘Taste’ is an important example of cultural hegemony; it teaches how classes are

55

divided not only by social capital or economic capital but by cultural capital which
ensures the social reproduction and cultural reproduction. Moreover, as an individual
is taught to like or dislike certain things at an early age, it literally gets engraved in
their mindset and so it becomes difficult to change their taste. Bourdieu states that
taste in food, culture and presentation are all indicators of class. ‘Taste’ functions as a
kind of social direction, a sense of one’s place, which guides an individual of a given
social space towards certain social positions adjusted to their properties. Bourdieu
states that class distinction and preferences are mostly marked with the ordinary
choices of everyday existence, such as furniture, clothing, or cooking. In fact
Bourdieu believes that “the strongest and most indelible mark of infant learning”
would probably be in the tastes of food.

Conclusion

Louis Althusser: Ideological State Apparatuses, Paulo Freire: Pedagogy of the

Oppressed and Pierre Bourdieu: Theory of Class Distinction; these three works by the
three amazing authors has helped me a lot in my research. It helped me to understand
the importance of education and how it can bring about changes in the society or the
nation as a whole. Education not only provides knowledge but also helps in shaping
the mindset of the people and helps them to learn moral and ethics. The students are
taught the ways in which they are expected to behave and present themselves in the
society. Education can bring about immense changes in the society as the more the
people are educated, the more they will understand about the thing happening around
them.
CHAPTER 4

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTEPRETATION

4.1 Introduction

As mentioned in the title, this chapter describes the analysis of data. Data have been
collected from 100 respondents/students, 50 from government schools and 50 from
private schools. The students have been selected from class 8 to 10. As we cannot
expect every respondents/students to be of same age irrespective of their class, every
participant were asked to mention their age. The respondents/students were from the
age group of 13-18 years.

Table no: 4.1.1

Do the students like their school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 50 100%
2. No 0 0 0%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
0%

1. Yes
2. No
100%
57

Interpretation: Table 4.1.1. The above table gives information of whether the
respondents like their school or not. According to the responses, 100% of the
respondents (50% from government schools and 50% from private schools) said, yes
they like their school. Irrespective of whether the students are studying in government
or private schools, they all love their school. On asking them why they like their
school, they replied, ‘this is the place where we learn things that are important for our
future’.
58

Table no: 4.1.2

Are the students interested in pursuing higher studies?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 49 48 97%
2. Not sure 1 2 3%
3. No 0 0 0

Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
3% 0%

1. Yes
2. Not sure

97% 3. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.2. The table gives information of whether the students are
interested in pursuing higher education. With regard to the responses, majority of the
respondents, that is, 97% (49% from private schools and 48% from government
schools) said yes they are interested in pursuing higher education. While 3% (1%
from private school and 2% from government schools) said that they are not sure
about pursuing higher education.
59

Table 4.1.3

Which institution do the students prefer?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government school

1. Private 44 7 51%
2. Government 6 43 49%
Total 50 50 100%

PERCENTAGE

49%
51%
1. Private
2. Government

Interpretation: Table 4.1.3. The table gives information of the students’ institution
preference. Out of the 100 respondents, 51% (44% from private schools and 7% from
government schools) said that they prefer private institutions because of their well
maintained infrastructural facilities while 13% (6% from private schools and 43%
from government schools) said they prefer government institution because it is not
very expensive like private institutions.
60

Table 4.1.4

Proper infrastructural facilities are important for all the students, irrespective of
whether they are from Government or private schools. Do you ______

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Agree 50 50 100%
2. Disagree 0 0 0%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
0%

1. Agree
2. Disagree
100%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.4. This table gives information of what the students’ think
about every school having a proper infrastructural facilities. According to the
responses, 100% (50% from private schools and 50% from government schools) of
the respondents agreed that it is important for every school to have proper
infrastructural facilities so as to provide a better learning environment for all the
students, be it from government or private schools. Some of the respondents further
61

added that a school with a well maintained infrastructure enhances the teaching-
learning method, provides a better environment for learning and also provides
opportunity for higher learning. Additionally the respondent commented that every
school should have proper infrastructure as education is incomplete without it.
62

Table 4.1.5

Are all the facilities that are needed for your everyday activities provided by the
school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 20 12 32%
2. Partially 30 17 47%
3. No 0 21 21%

Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
21%
32%

1. Yes
2. Partially
47% 3. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.5. This table gives information of whether the school
provides all the facilities that are needed by the students for their everyday activities.
With regard to the responses, 32% (20% from private schools and 12% from
government schools) said yes their school provides all the necessary facilities, 47%
(30% from private schools and 17% from government schools) said partially, i.e.,
their school provides most of the needed facilities and 21% (government school) said
that no facilities are provided by the school.
63

Table 4.1.6

Do your school provide proper desk and benches?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 40 37 77%
2. Partially 10 11 21%
3. No 0 2 2%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
2%

21%

1. Yes
2. Partially
77% 3. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.6. This table gives information of whether the school
provides proper desk and benches. Out of the 100 respondents, 77% (40% from
private schools and 37% from government schools) said yes their school provides
proper desk and benches, 21% (10% from private schools and 11% from government
schools) said partially, i.e., proper desk and benches are provided however it is not
sufficient for all the classrooms and 2% (government schools) said no, proper desk
and benches are not provided.
64

Table 4.1.7

Are proper ventilations and lightings provided in the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 38 10 48%
2. Partially 12 23 35%
3. No 0 17 17%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

17%

48%
1. Yes
2. Partially
35%
3. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.7. This table gives information regarding the basic interior
features such as ventilation and lighting. According to the responses, 48% (10% from
private schools and 11% from government schools) said yes their school has proper
ventilations and lightings, 35% (10% from private schools and 11% from government
schools) said partially, i.e., not all the classrooms in the school have proper ventilation
and lighting and 17% (government school) said no, their school does not have proper
ventilations and lightings.
65

Table 4.1.8

Are CCTV cameras installed in the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 0 50%
2. No 0 50 50%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

50% 50%
1. Yes
2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.8. This table gives information about the availability of
CCTV cameras in the school. As per the responses, 50% (private school) said yes
CCTV cameras are installed in their school and 50% (government school) said no,
CCTV cameras are not installed in the school.
66

Table 4.1.9

Is there a computer lab in the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 25 75%
2. No 0 25 25%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
25%

1. Yes
75% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.9. This table gives information of whether there is a

computer lab in the school. As per the responses, 75% (50% from private school and
25% from government school) said yes, there is a computer lab in their school and
25% (government school) said that there is no computer lab in their school.
67

Table 4.1.10

How often do you use the computer lab?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government school

1. Once a week 0 0 0%
2. Twice a week 20 0 20%
3. As per 30 25 55%
requirement
4. Never 0 25 25%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
0%
20%
25%

1. Once a week
2. Twice a week
3. As per requirement
55% 4. Never

Interpretation: Table 4.1.10. This table gives information of how often the students
use the computer lab. According to the responses, 20% (private school) said they use
the computer lab twice a week, 55% (30% from private school and 25% from
government school) said as per requirement and 25% (government school) said that
they have never used the computer lab.
68

Table 4.1.11

Is there a practical lab in the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 40 25 65%
2. No 10 25 35%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
35%

1. Yes
65%
2. No

If yes, how often do you use the practical lab?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government school

1. Once a week 0 0 0%
2. Twice a week 0 0 0%
3. As per 40 0 40%
requirement
4. Never 10 50 60%
Total 50 50 100%
69

Percentage
0%
0%

40%
1. Once a week
2. Twice a week
60%
3. As per requirement
4. Never

Interpretation: Table 4.1.11. This table has two linked questions. The first question
asks whether there is a practical lab in the school. According to the responses, 65%
(40% from private school and 25% from government school) said yes, there is a
practical lab in their school and 35% (10% from private school and 25% from
government school) said there is no practical lab in their school.

The second question asks if yes, how often they use the practical lab. With regard to
the responses, 40% (private school) said that they use the practical lab as per
requirement and 60% (10% from private school and 50% from government school)
said that they have never used the practical lab.
70

Table 4.1.12

Do your school provide special equipments and resources for students with
disabilities?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 20 0 20%
2. No 30 50 80%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

20%

1. Yes
2. No
80%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.12. This table gives information of whether the school
provide special equipments and resources for students with disabilities. According to
the responses, 20% (private school) said yes, their school provides special equipments
and resources for students with disabilities and 80% (30% from private school and
50% from government school) said no, their school do not provide special equipments
and resources for students with disabilities.
71

Table 4.1.13

Are the classrooms in your school spacious and well maintained?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 45 27 72%
2. No 5 23 28%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

28%

1. Yes
72% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.13. This table gives information of whether the school
provides spacious and well maintained classrooms. According to the responses, 72%
(45% from private school and 27% from government school) said yes, their school
provides spacious and well maintained classrooms and 28% (5% from private school
and 23% from government school) said no, their school do not provide spacious and
well maintained classrooms.
72

Table 4.1.14

Is there a library in your school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 0 50%
2. No 0 50 50%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
50% 50%

1. Yes
2. No

If yes, how often do you use the library?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government school

1. Once a week 20 0 20%

2. Twice a week 0 0 0%
3. As per 30 0 30%
requirement
4. Never 0 50 50%
Total 50 50 100%
73

Percentage

20%
0%
1. Once a week
50%
2. Twice a week
30% 3. As per requirement
4. Never

Interpretation: Table 4.1.14. This table has two linked questions. The first question
asks whether there is a library in the school. According to the responses, 50% (private
school) said yes, there is a library in their school and 50% (government school) said
there is no library in their school.

The second question asks if yes, how often they use the library. With regard to the
responses, 20% (private school) said that they use the library once a week, 30%
(private school) said as per requirement and 50% (government school) said that they
have never used the library.
74

Table 4.1.15

Are the schools maintaining the practical lab with all the necessary equipments
and materials?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 40 0 40%
2. No 0 0 0%
Total 40 0 40%

Percentage
0%

1. Yes
2. No
40%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.15. This table gives information of whether the schools are
maintaining the practical lab with all the necessary equipments and materials.
According to the responses, 40% (private school) said yes, their schools are
maintaining the practical lab with all the necessary equipments and materials, 35%
(10% from private school and 25% from government school) did not answer this
question as they do not have a practical lab in their school and 25% (government
school) left the answer column blank as they have never visited the practical lab.
75

Table 4.1.16

Is there an audio visual resource in your school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 30 0 30%
2. No 20 50 70%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

30%

1. Yes
70% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.16. This table gives information of whether the schools
have audio visual resources. According to the responses, 30% (private school) said
yes, they have audio visual resources in their school and 70% (20% from private
school and 50% from government school) said no, their school does not have this
facility.
76

Table 4.1.17

Are the computers in the computer lab updated with the latest software and
hardware?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 0 50%
2. No 0 25 25%
Total 50 25 75%

Percentage

25%

1. Yes
50% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.17. This table gives information of whether the computers
in the schools are updated with the latest software and hardware. Out of the 100
respondents, 50% (private school) said yes, all the computers in the computer lab are
updated with the latest software and hardware, 25% (government school) said no, the
computers in the lab are not updated and 25% (government school) left the answer
column blank as they do not have a computer lab in their school.
77

Table 4.1.18

Proper playgrounds in the school.

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 24 25 49%
2. No 26 25 51%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage

49%
51%
1. Yes
2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.18. This table gives information of whether there is a

proper playground in the school. According to the responses, 49% (24% from private
school and 25% from government school) said yes, there a proper playground in their
school and 51% (26% from private school and 25% from government school) said no,
their school lacks proper playground.
78

Table 4.1.19

Availability of clean drinking water in the school.

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 50 100%
2. No 0 0 0%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
0%

1. Yes
2. No

100%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.19. This table gives information of whether the school
provides clean drinking water. According to the responses, 100% (50% from private
school and 50% from government school) said yes, their school provides sufficient
water for drinking purpose.
79

Table 4.1.20

Are the books available in the school library as per the curriculum?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 25 0 25%
2. Partially 18 0 18%
3. No 7 0 7%
Total 50 0 50%

Percentage

7%

25%
1. Yes

18% 2. Partially
3. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.20. This table gives information of whether the books
available in the school library are as per the curriculum. As per the responses, 25%
(private school) said yes, the books in the library are as per the curriculum, 18%
(private school) said partially, i.e., not all the books in the library deal with their
subject, some are for general knowledge, 7% (private school) said no, books in the
library are not as per the curriculum and 50% (government school) did not answer this
question as they do not have a library in their school.
80

Table 4.1.21

Are all the requirements that are needed for the betterment of the students met
by the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 44 35 79%
2. No 6 15 21%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
21%

1. Yes

79% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.21. This table gives information of whether all the
requirements of the students are met by the school. As per the responses, 79% (44%
from private school and 35% from government school) said yes, their school has met
all the requirements of the students and 21% (6% from private school and 15% from
government school) said no, their school is not meeting the requirements that are
needed for the betterment of the students.
81

Table 4.1.22

Are the washrooms always clean and hygienic with enough water for use?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 25 26 51%
2. No 0 24 24%
3. Sometimes 25 0 25%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
25%

51%
1. Yes
24% 2. No
3. Sometimes

Interpretation: Table 4.1.22. This table gives information of whether the washrooms
of the school are clean and hygienic. According to the responses, 51% (25% from
private school and 26% from government school) said yes, the washrooms in their
school is always clean and hygienic, 24% (government school) said no, the schools
washroom is not clean and hygienic and 25% (private school) said that sometimes the
washrooms are dirty with no water for use.
82

Table 4.1.23

Are resources such as blackboards, chalks and dusters readily available and in
abundance?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 43 93%
2. No 0 7 7%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
7%

1. Yes

93% 2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.23. This table gives information of whether the school
provides basic necessities like blackboards, chalks and dusters in abundance. As per
the responses, 93% (50% from private school and 43% from government school) said
yes, the school provide enough blackboards, chalks and dusters, while 7%
(government school) said no, there is shortage of these items.
83

Table 4.1.24

Provision of midday meal in government schools.

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 0 50 50%
2. No 0 0 0%
Total 0 50 50%

Percentage
0%

1. Yes
2. No

50%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.24. This table gives information of whether the students of
government school receive midday meals. According to the responses, 50% of the
respondents from government school said yes, they receive midday meal till class 8.
The respondents from private school did not answer this question as this is not
applicable for them.
84

Table 4.1.25

Provision of free school uniform in government schools.

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 0 0 0%
2. Partially 0 50 50%
3. No 0 0 0%
Total 0 50 50%

Percentage
0%0%

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No
50%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.25. This table gives information of whether the students of
government school receive free school uniforms. According to the responses, 50% of
the respondents from government school said partially, i.e., they only receive a t-shirt
that is to be used on Wednesdays. The respondents from private school did not answer
this question as this is not applicable for them.
85

Table 4.1.26

Teachers help in moulding the life of every student. Do you_____

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Agree 44 41 85%
2. Disagree 1 3 4%
3. Neutral 5 6 11%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
4%
11%

1. Agree
2. Disagree
85% 3. Neutral

Interpretation: Table 4.1.26. This table gives information of the students’ view on
the statement: ‘teachers’ help in moulding the life of every student’. According to the
responses, majority of the respondents, i.e., 85% (44% from private school and 41%
from government school) agreed with the statement that teachers help in moulding the
life of every student, 4% (1% from private school and 3% from government school)
disagreed with the statement and 11% (5% from private school and 6% from
government school) were neutral.
86

Table 4.1.27

Rating the teachers in terms of knowledge, behaviour and presentation.

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Good 25 31 56%
2. Satisfactory 23 19 42%
3. Bad 2 0 2%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
2%

42%
1. Good
56%
2. Satisfactory
3. Bad

Interpretation: Table 4.1.27. This table gives information of how the students have
rated their teachers in terms of knowledge, behaviour and presentation. As per the
responses, 56% (25% from private school and 31% from government school) have
rated their teachers as good, 42% (23% from private school and 19% from
government school) rated satisfactory and 2% (private school) rated bad.
87

Table 4.1.28

Do you understand what is being taught in the school and do you find it useful?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 48 49 97%
2. No 2 1 3%
Total 50 50 100%%

Percentage
3%

1. Yes
2. No
97%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.28. This table gives information of whether the students
understand what is being taught in the school. Majority of the respondents, i.e., 97%
(48% from private school and 49% from government school) said yes, they
understand what the teachers are teaching and 3% (2% from private school and 1%
from government school) said no, they do not understand as some teachers do not
teach properly and just hand out the notes without explaining the topics.
88

Table 4.1.29

Do teachers listen when the students share their problems and difficulties?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 46 96%
2. No 0 4 4%
Total 50 50 100%%

Percentage
4%

1. Yes
2. No
96%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.29. This table gives information of whether the teachers
listen to the students when they share their problems and difficulties. According to the
responses, majority of the respondents, i.e., 96% (50% from private school and 46%
from government school) said yes, the teachers listen and helps them whenever they
share their concerns and 4% (government school) said no, the teachers do not listen to
them.
89

Table 4.1.30

Teachers should be well versed with their subjects. Do you ______

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Agree 50 50 100%
2. Disagree 0 0 0%
3. Neutral 0 0 0%
Total 50 50 100%

Percentage
0%

1. Agree
2. Disagree
3. Neutral
100%

Interpretation: Table 4.1.30. This table gives information of what the students think
about every teacher being well versed with their subjects. All the respondents, i.e.,
100% (50% from private school and 50% from government school) agreed that every
teacher should be well versed with their subjects in order to make teaching effective
and easy.
90

Table 4.1.31

Do you have a counsellor in the school?

Options Respondents Percentages

Private school Government
school
1. Yes 50 0 50%
2. No 0 50 50%
Total 50 50 50%

Percentage

50% 50%
1. Yes
2. No

Interpretation: Table 4.1.31. This table gives information of whether the students
have a counsellor in their school. As per the responses, 50% (private school) said yes,
they have a counsellor in their school and 50% (government school) said no, they do
not have one in their school. The students from private schools further added that
counsellors are important as they help them by giving good advices and also
encourages them to focus on the important things in life.
91

Findings of the Study

1. 100% of the respondents said that every school, irrespective of whether it is

government or private, should have proper infrastructure.
2. Out of 50 respondents from government school, 21% said that their school do
not provide all the facilities that are needed for their everyday activities.
3. Majority of the respondents from government school said that their school
lacks in providing various facilities such as library, audio visual resources,
computer labs and proper ventilations and lightings.
4. CCTV cameras which are now considered as a must so as to ensure security of
the students are missing in government schools.
5. Out of 50 respondents from government school, 23% said that their school do
not provide spacious and well maintained classrooms which are important
especially when the numbers of students are huge.
6. The respondents were asked as to why they chose government/private schools.
Respondents from private school replied that they chose private school as it
provides better education, dedicated teachers and good infrastructural
facilities. Whereas some of the respondents from government schools replied
that as their parents cannot afford to send them to private school, they have to
study in government school. They further added that if they had a choice, then
they would have chosen to study in private schools.
7. The respondents were asked as to what are the facilities they think their school
should add. Respondents from private schools said the school needs bigger
playgrounds, personal lockers and fans in classroom. On the other hand, the
respondents from government school said that the school needs to provide
library, labs, lights in all the classrooms, proper windows, school buses, proper
school uniform and all the other facilities that private schools has. From this,
we can clearly understand that while the school authority may brush off the
92

importance of infrastructural facilities, the students surely knows the value of

it.
8. The respondents were asked as to what role the Government can play in
improving the education system. For this question, the respondents from both
government as well as private schools gave strong answers:
Respondents from private school said that the Government should pay special
attention to government school in villages and backward areas and make sure
to appoint proper and well educated teachers with good moral attitudes. The
respondents further added that the Government has the power to improve the
government schools in every area and to spread awareness about the
importance of education
Respondents from government school said that the Government should cater
to the needs of every government school by providing proper facilities to
improve the teaching-learning method. They further added that as every parent
is not rich to send their children to private schools; the Government should try
to improve the present education system of government school and make sure
that quality education is provided.
9. Majority of the students in government schools comes from economically
weaker families who cannot afford to send their children to private schools
like their better placed counterparts.
10. Compared to the teachers from private schools, almost all the teachers in
government schools are B.Ed trained.
11. While most of the teachers from private schools stresses about the unruly
behaviour of students being a challenge, the teachers from government schools
states that lack of proper curriculum, infrastructures, equipments and teaching
aids are the major challenges they face.
12. Teachers from government schools usually uses lectures, demonstration and
explanation as a method of teaching whereas the teachers from private schools
93

uses projects, power point presentations, role-play, social media,

experimentation, figures and material related teaching aids such as charts and
models as a method of teaching. The usage of different methods of teaching
makes learning interesting as well as effective.
13. Majority of the teachers from private schools states that the school monitors
their work or practises and gives feedbacks accordingly which helps them to
understand where they are lacking or how they are improving in their works.
On the other hand, the work or practises of the teachers from government
schools are not monitored hence they do not receive any feedbacks or advises.
CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

On the basis of above results, it can be concluded that the quality and the condition of
government school in Kohima is very poor in comparison to private schools. There
may be various reasons behind it like poor management of schools, very low teacher
to student ratios, scarcity of qualified teachers, lack of motivation in students for
learning and in teachers for teaching, socio-economic and educational status of family
and perhaps lack of accountability in the system etc. While private schools are
growing and becoming people’s first choice, government schools are kind of
degrading and unless compelled, there are parents who want to avoid sending their
kids to government schools. It is a matter of concern that further research needs to be
conducted by government, research scholars and policy makers to investigate further
into these issues on priority basis.

Majority of the government schools in Kohima are not maintained properly, the
school buildings are not upgraded, washrooms which are supposed to be kept clean
and hygienic are not kept in that manner and the absence of numerous facilities just
adds an extra weight to the problem. When we compare government and private
schools, we cannot deny that private schools are way ahead, be it in terms of
infrastructural facilities, quality education or better performance shown in
examinations. Most of the private schools are equipped with almost all the latest
technologies whereas the government schools seem to be struggling to provide even
the needful.

It has been found that majority of the students in government schools are from the
economically weaker families who cannot afford to send their children to private
schools like their better placed counterparts. The students did not hesitate to add that
95

if they had a choice, then they would have definitely chosen to study in private
schools where they will have proper uniforms and numerous facilities. Additionally,
the teaching methods adapted by the teachers of government and private schools are
also different. While the teachers of government schools are accustomed to the
methods of explanation and notes, the teachers of private schools uses different
methods other than that and also encouraged the students to ‘think outside the box’
which usually results in the students coming out of their shell and comfort zone and
participating in different activities. Teachers of private schools commented that when
the students are taught giving real life examples, they tend to learn faster and eagerly
participates in classroom discussions as well.

Over the past years, the educational preference has changed a lot. Parents now a day’s
prefer sending their children to private schools even if it means an hour drive from
their home. They are hesitant when it comes to government schools and basically end
up choosing private schools. Government schools were introduced with an aim to
provide education to all, especially to the economically weaker section of the society.
However as the quality of education in government schools are degrading, parents
these days are more in favour of private schools. Additionally, it has also been found
that majority of the dropouts are students from government schools. Dropouts are a
major headache of our state and every year, numbers of students’ dropout from the
school due to one or the other reason. While some students leave the school to join the
world of work and money, some leaves because of the school’s environment.

In order to find out the problems face by the government schools in Kohima, the
researcher mainly focused on the challenges faced by them and the areas in which
they struggle. The researcher has highlighted the problems and challenges faced by
the students of government schools. In this thesis, the researcher has suggested some
solutions and recommendations to curb with the problems faced by the government
96

schools. To understand and find out the differences between government and private
schools, I have chosen the topic entitled

‘Comparative study of Government and Private Schools: A Sociological study in

reference to Kohima, Nagaland’.
97

Recommendations

1. The state government, researchers, scholars, teachers and policy makers must
try to identify the factors which cause the government schools to lag behind
and after identifying the cause; the government must make strategies and
policies for the betterment of its schools.

2. The state government should take major steps to make sure that quality
education is provided to all the students in every school, especially in
government schools.

3. Infrastructure is a vital need for every school. While the private schools are
keeping themselves updated with all the latest technologies, the government
school is still struggling to provide even a proper computer lab and library. I
think that it is high time for the government to pay special attention to the
needs of the government school and work towards providing the needful.

4. ‘Proxy’, which is a known and famously practised trend in government school,

should be kept under strict check. No teachers should be allowed to keep a
proxy teacher on their behalf. Why should we allow them to play with the
future of the students? They applied for the job knowing the requirement and
so they should live up to it.

5. The state government should encourage all the teachers in government schools
to be regular and punctual and to avoid the practise of excessive
‘absenteeism’. The students attend the school to learn and if the teachers are
missing, then how can learning take place.
98

6. The Government should pay special attention to government school in villages

and backward areas and make sure to appoint proper and well educated
teachers with good etiquettes.

7. The state government should frequently check the attendance of teachers in

government schools, especially the ones posted in villages.

8. The state government should try to adapt measures to curb with the issue of
‘dropouts’, which is a major headache for most government schools.

9. State governments, private organizations and NGOs should organize camps

for the guidance and counselling of the students and parents so that enrolment,
appearance in examination and achievement of the student could increase.

10. Student counselling and support services such as tutorials and remedial
teaching should be introduced.

11. The teaching faculties should be encouraged to attend trainings which can help
in keeping them updated of the latest developments taking place all around.

12. The Government should take some interest to revive some of the old methods
of teaching and modernise as per the current trend and requirements.

13. Book knowledge alone is not enough this days and so the teachers should be
encouraged to adapt different methods of teaching other than just using the
method of explanation and notes. The students should be encouraged to ‘think
outside the box’ and express themselves.
99

14. Introduce suitable activities or programs which may attract the interest of the
students and help them explore their talents.

15. Parental and community participation should be enhanced so as to ensure

maximum participation of the parents and the community as a whole.

16. State government should raise the funds for government schools and should
also ask for an account for the issued fund so that they can keep a check on the
progress of the government schools.
100

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ANNEXURE
QUESTIONNAIRE ON COMPARATIVE STUDY OF
GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS: A
SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY IN REFERENCE TO KOHIMA
(NAGALAND).

Name:

Class:

Age:

Gender:

School:

Date:
118

Sample of the Questionnaires

The following questions were prepared by the researcher for the students. This
questionnaire has been given to 100 students/respondents to answer. The researcher
was with the students and before passing on the questionnaires to them, the researcher
gave a brief introduction of the study. In order to make the students answer the
questions honestly, they were given the assurance that the answered questionnaires
will not be shown to their teachers or school authority. The questions are as followed:

1. Do you like your school?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

2. Are you interested in pursuing higher education?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Not sure
3. No

If no, why?

3. Which institution do you prefer?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Government
2. Private
119

4. Do you think that every school should have proper infrastructural facilities?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

If yes, why?

If no, why?

5. Do your school provide all the facilities that are needed for your everyday
activities in school?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No

6. Are the following facilities available in your school? (Please tick the correct
options)

Computer lab Yes No

Practical lab Yes No
Library Yes No
Audio visual resources Yes No
Special equipments and resources for Yes No
students with disabilities
Spacious and well maintained classrooms Yes No
Proper playgrounds Yes No
Clean drinking water Yes No
120

7. Do your school provide proper desk and benches?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No

8. Are proper ventilations and lightings provided in your school?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No

9. Does your school have CCTV cameras installed?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

10. How often do you guys use the computer lab, practical labs, library and other
facilities?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Once a week
2. Twice a week
3. As per requirement
4. Never
121

11. What are the facilities you think your school needs or should add?

_____________________________________________________________________
______

_____________________________________________________________________
______

12. Are the computer systems in the computer lab updated with the latest software
and hardware?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

13. Are the books available in the school library as per your curriculum?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No

14. Are the washrooms always clean and hygienic with enough water for use?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No
3. Sometimes
122

15. Does your practical lab have all the equipments and materials that are needed?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

16. Proper infrastructural facilities are important for all the students, irrespective
of whether they are from Government or Private schools. Do you _____

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Agree
2. Disagree

17. Do you think that your school is meeting all the requirements that are needed
for the betterment of the student and school?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

If no, why?
_____________________________________________________________________
______

18. Why did you choose to study in Government/ Private school?

_____________________________________________________________________
123

19. Are resources such as blackboards, chalks and dusters readily available and in
abundance?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

20. Are midday meals provided by your school (Government school)?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

21. Are uniforms provided by your school (Government school)?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. Partially
3. No

22. Teachers help in moulding the life of every student. Do you _______

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Agree
2. Disagree
3. Neutral
124

23. How would you rate your teachers in your school, in terms of knowledge,
behaviour and presentation?

Sr. No Options Response

1. Good
2. Satisfactory
3. Bad

24. Do you understand what is being taught in the school and do you find it
useful?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

If yes, how?
_____________________________________________________________________
______

If no, why?
_____________________________________________________________________
______

25. Do your teachers listen to you when you share your problems or difficulties?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No
125

26. What is your expectation from your school (infrastructural wise)?

_____________________________________________________________________

27. Teachers should be well versed with their subjects? Do you ____

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Agree
2. Neutral
3. Disagree

28. Is there a counsellor in your school?

Sr. No. Options Response

1. Yes
2. No

If yes, what are the ways in which they help you?

_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

29. What role do you think our government can play in improving the present
educational system of our state?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________