Impact of Poor Infrastructure on Student Learning in India
Poor school infrastructure in India, such as inadequate electricity, sanitation, and digital resources, significantly affects student learning outcomes. This report synthesizes data from various sources, including the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), and the Performance Grading Index (PGI), to explore how infrastructure impacts education across Indian states. It also provides data visualizations to illustrate these relationships.
Overview of School Infrastructure in India
School infrastructure encompasses physical facilities like classrooms, toilets, electricity, libraries, and digital resources such as computers and internet access. According to the UDISE+ report for 2023-24, while significant progress has been made, many schools still lack basic amenities:
| Facility | Percentage of Schools with Facility |
|---|---|
| Drinking Water | 98.3% |
| Girls' Toilet | 97.2% |
| Boys' Toilet | 95.7% |
| Electricity | 91.8% |
| Computer Facility | 57.2% |
| Internet Facility | 53.9% |
| Playground | 82.4% |
| CWSN Toilet Facilities | 34% |
These statistics highlight that while basic facilities like drinking water and toilets are nearly universal, digital infrastructure and accessibility features for children with special needs (CWSN) remain limited. For instance, approximately 1.52 lakh schools lack functional electricity, and 67,000 schools, including 46,000 government-run schools, lack functional toilets, which can disrupt the learning environment.
Impact on Student Learning Outcomes
Poor infrastructure can hinder student engagement, attendance, and academic performance. Research indicates that well-equipped schools with adequate classrooms, lighting, and resources like libraries and playgrounds foster better learning environments. A study analyzing 800 government schools in Delhi over three academic years (2014–17) found statistically significant associations between school performance, measured by a Quality Index (average scores in five subjects), and infrastructure factors such as:
- Existence of playgrounds
- Number of books in the library
- Student attendance in initial months
The study showed that these factors, along with others like the number of inspections and the proportion of female teachers, explained approximately 35% of the variation in test scores, underscoring the importance of infrastructure in educational outcomes.
State-Wise Analysis from PGI 2.0
The Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report for 2023-24 provides state-wise scores for Infrastructure & Facilities (IF) and Learning Outcomes (LO), offering insights into their relationship. The following table presents data for selected states and Union Territories:
| State/UT | Infrastructure & Facilities Score (out of 190) | IF Grade | Learning Outcomes Score (out of 240) | LO Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandigarh | 115.5 | Uttam | 103.6 | Prachesta-2 |
| Delhi | 103.3 | Prachesta-1 | 63.8 | Akanshi-1 |
| Haryana | 77.9 | Prachesta-2 | 78.4 | Prachesta-3 |
| Kerala | 94.1 | Prachesta-2 | 60.2 | Akanshi-1 |
| Bihar | 41.0 | Akanshi-1 | 64.4 | Akanshi-1 |
| Meghalaya | 46.6 | Akanshi-1 | 31.6 | Akanshi-2 |
The data suggests a general trend where states with higher infrastructure scores, like Chandigarh and Delhi, tend to have better learning outcomes. However, exceptions exist, such as Haryana, which has a lower infrastructure score (77.9) but a higher learning outcomes score (78.4) compared to Delhi (63.8). This indicates that while infrastructure is crucial, other factors like teacher quality and governance also influence outcomes.
Data Visualizations
The chart above illustrates the relationship between Infrastructure & Facilities scores and Learning Outcomes scores across various states and Union Territories, based on PGI 2.0 data. Each point represents a state or UT, with labels indicating the specific region. This visualization helps identify patterns and outliers in the data.
For more detailed visualizations, the UDISE+ and PGI reports available on the Ministry of Education’s website include graphs and tables. The UDISE+ report for 2023-24, for instance, contains Chart 2.4.1, which shows the percentage of schools with basic infrastructure facilities at the national level, and state-wise data for selected facilities. These reports can be accessed at UDISE+ Report 2023-24 and PGI Website.
Additional Insights from ASER
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, conducted by Pratham, provides further insights into school infrastructure and learning outcomes in rural India. ASER visited 15,728 government schools and noted improvements in facilities like girls’ toilets (from 66.4% in 2018 to 72% in 2024) and drinking water availability (from 74.8% to 77.7%). However, it also highlighted that learning outcomes, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy, remain a challenge, with many students in Classes 3 and 5 unable to read Class 2-level texts or perform basic arithmetic. While ASER does not directly correlate infrastructure with learning outcomes, the data suggests that inadequate facilities can exacerbate learning gaps, especially in rural areas.
Policy Implications
The evidence underscores the need for targeted investments in school infrastructure to enhance educational outcomes. States with lower infrastructure scores, such as Bihar and Meghalaya, could benefit from increased funding for basic amenities and digital resources. Additionally, integrating infrastructure improvements with teacher training and curriculum enhancements, as suggested by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, could yield better results. The PGI 2.0 report’s alignment with NEP 2020 emphasizes qualitative assessments and digital initiatives, which could further bridge the gap between infrastructure and learning outcomes.
Conclusion
Poor school infrastructure in India, characterized by deficiencies in electricity, sanitation, and digital facilities, poses a significant barrier to student learning. Data from UDISE+, ASER, and PGI reports indicate that while progress has been made, disparities across states persist. Research and state-wise data suggest a positive correlation between better infrastructure and improved learning outcomes, though other factors also play a role. For comprehensive data and visualizations, stakeholders can refer to official reports on the Ministry of Education’s website, which provide detailed graphs and tables to inform policy andwarden and practice.
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