Education: A report card

According to data collated by the non-governmental organisation Pratham, levels of reading and maths ability at every level are not only poor but are declining in many States. It finds that private school enrolment in rural India is increasing at about 10 per cent a year and at this rate the private sector will soon become the major education provider in the country. Although the learning gap between government schools and private schools is widening, the study says there is a national crisis in learning that permeates all schools.