From “Every Village a School” to “Every Child a Future”: Rethinking Public Investment in Maharashtra’s Primary Education

A six-decade journey of primary education in Maharashtra raises an urgent question: Are we investing enough in the schools that built rural Maharashtra?

The history of primary education in Maharashtra is not merely a history of school buildings, teachers and enrolment. It is the history of social transformation.

Since the formation of Maharashtra in 1960, the state has invested substantially in expanding primary education, particularly in rural areas. Thousands of schools were established, teachers were appointed, classrooms were constructed and successive governments introduced programmes to bring children into the education system. Today, however, Maharashtra is facing a fundamentally different challenge.

The question is no longer simply: “How can we establish more schools?” The more important question is: “How can we protect, strengthen and transform the schools that generations of public money have already created?”

This question is particularly important for Maharashtra’s Zilla Parishad (ZP) schools, which have historically served as the backbone of rural primary education.

Six Decades of School Expansion.

The development of primary education in Maharashtra has taken place through several important phases.

The formation of Maharashtra in 1960 and the implementation of the decentralized Zilla Parishad system in 1961–62 created an important institutional framework for rural administration. Primary education became closely connected with district-level administration and local development.

Over the following decades, the state expanded the network of primary schools across rural Maharashtra. School expansion has been a long-term public investment in Maharashtra. After 2000, the expansion became particularly significant with the implementation of programmes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, followed by the Right to Education Act, 2009, and later Samagra Shiksha.

Government Investment Created More Than Buildings

When we talk about a government school, it is easy to think only about the physical building. But a school represents much more than a structure. A government school may represent:

• Public land;
• A school building and Rebuilding;
• Classrooms;
• Teachers;
• Teaching materials;
• Electricity;
• Drinking water;
• Toilets;
• Digital equipment;
• Playgrounds;
• Libraries;
• Government grants;
• Community participation; and
• Decades of public expenditure.

Most importantly, it represents the educational future of generations of children. Therefore, when a school faces closure or merger, the discussion should not be limited to the current number of students.

The government must also ask:

What public investment has already gone into this institution? What will happen to children if the school disappears? How far will children have to travel to reach the next school? Will girls be able to travel safely? What will happen during the monsoon in remote and hilly areas?

These questions are particularly important in rural, tribal and geographically difficult regions.

The Changing Demographic Reality

Maharashtra’s population has increased enormously since the formation of the state. At the same time, however, demographic patterns are changing. Many rural areas are experiencing:

Declining birth rates; Migration towards cities; Movement of families for employment; Declining numbers of school-age children; Increasing urbanization; Changing parental preferences; and Competition from private schools.

As a result, some government schools now have very low enrolment.

This has created a policy dilemma.

Should a school with five, ten or fifteen students be closed simply because the cost per student is high?

The answer should not be automatic. A low-enrolment school may be economically expensive on a per-student basis, but it may be socially essential for the village.

The Real Question: Where Is the Education Money Going?

The debate should not be limited to how much money the government allocates to education.

The more important question is:

How effectively is the allocated money reaching students and schools?

According to analysis of Maharashtra’s 2026–27 Budget, education accounts for around 14.4% of the state’s expenditure.

This is a substantial public commitment.

But every rupee allocated for education should ultimately contribute to one or more of the following:

Better teachers Better classrooms Better learning materials Better infrastructure Better technology Better student support Better learning outcomes

The goal should be simple:

ZP Primary School Vidya Mandir Ujalaiwadi Kolhapur

Maximum educational impact from every public rupee.

Give Teachers Priority

A school without adequate teachers cannot provide quality education. Infrastructure alone cannot educate children. A modern classroom without a teacher is still an empty classroom. Teacher shortages, vacancies and uneven distribution remain important issues in government schools.

Therefore, government expenditure should give high priority to:

Filling vacant teacher positions; Rational teacher deployment; Specialized subject support; Multi-grade teaching support; Continuous professional development; Digital teaching skills; and Mentoring for teachers in remote schools.

The first investment in a school should always be its teachers.

Do Not Measure Schools Only by Student Numbers

A major weakness in school policy is the excessive focus on enrolment numbers.

A school should be evaluated using multiple indicators.

School Evaluation parameters

A school with ten students that provides excellent education in a remote village may be more socially valuable than a larger school in an easily accessible urban area.

Therefore:

Student numbers should inform policy — not determine it alone.

Before Closing a School, Conduct an Education Impact Assessment

Before merging or closing a rural government school, the government should conduct a mandatory Education Impact Assessment.

It should examine:

1. Distance to the nearest alternative school.
2. Availability of safe transportation.
3. Travel time for children.
4. Safety of girls.
5. Road conditions.
6. Monsoon accessibility.
7. Geographic and tribal characteristics.
8. Socio-economic conditions.
9. Risk of increased dropout.
10. Impact on enrolment and attendance.

The findings should be publicly available.

A school should not disappear from a village simply because a spreadsheet says its enrolment is low.

Public Money Must Create Public Educational Value

Government expenditure is ultimately funded by citizens.

Therefore, citizens have the right to ask:

Where is the money being spent?

What has been achieved? How many children benefited? What infrastructure was created? How many teacher vacancies remain? What are the learning outcomes? Which schools require urgent intervention?

A public School Education Dashboard could provide this information for every government and Zilla Parishad school.

It could display:

number of students; number of teachers; teacher vacancies; classrooms; toilets; drinking water; electricity; internet; annual grants; expenditure; infrastructure requirements; learning outcomes; and pending works.

This would bring transparency, accountability and community participation into school governance.

The Objective Should Be “Education First”, Not “Education Alone”

It would be unrealistic to argue that the government should spend all public money only on education. Roads, healthcare, water, agriculture, transport, housing and other public services are also essential.

But the state must decide its development priorities.

A government may spend thousands of crores on infrastructure and development projects.

That investment is important.

But development ultimately exists for people.

And the strongest long-term investment in people is education.

Therefore, the principle should be:

Education First in Human-Capital Investment

This means that while other sectors continue to receive necessary funding, the government should ensure that education receives sustained priority and that money allocated to education is used efficiently and transparently for the direct benefit of students.

ZP Schools Are More Than Educational Institutions

For decades, ZP schools have played a unique role in rural Maharashtra.

They have educated:

Farmers’ children;

Workers’ children;

First-generation learners;

Girls from rural families;

Children from economically weaker communities; and

Children living in remote villages.

Many people who today work as:

• teachers,
• doctors,
• engineers,
• government officers,
• entrepreneurs,
• researchers

may have started their educational journey in a government or Zilla Parishad school. Therefore, the ZP school should not be viewed merely as a budgetary unit.

It is part of Maharashtra’s social history.

The Next 25 Years Must Be Different

Between 1960 and 2000, the primary challenge was:

Build schools.

Between 2000 and 2020, the priority became:

Universalise access and strengthen infrastructure.

From 2020 onwards, the priority must increasingly become:

Improve quality, protect accessibility and make schools sustainable.

The next phase should therefore focus on:

Access + Quality + Teachers + Technology + Accountability + Equity

rather than simply increasing the number of schools.

A Call for a Maharashtra “Education First” Mission

Independence Day Celebration 2026

Maharashtra should consider a long-term Education First Mission 2047, aligned with India’s broader development goals.

The mission could have six pillars:

1. Every child within reasonable reach of a school

2. Every school with adequate teachers

3. Every school with safe and modern infrastructure

4. Every child with access to digital learning

5. Every rupee publicly accountable

6. Every student’s learning outcome measured

Such a policy would shift the focus from quantity to educational value.

Summary

The history of primary education in Maharashtra is a story of public investment. From the expansion of rural schooling after the formation of Maharashtra to the development of the Zilla Parishad education system, from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to the Right to Education Act and from Samagra Shiksha to NEP 2020, successive governments have attempted to expand and strengthen educational access.

The next chapter must be about protecting the value created by those investments. The goal should not simply be to maintain the number of schools. The goal should be to ensure that every public school produces meaningful educational outcomes for every child who depends on it.

Government spending on education should therefore be judged not merely by the amount allocated, but by the educational transformation created by that money.

ReBuild schools where they are needed.

Protect schools that communities depend on.

Give teachers the resources they need.

Make every rupee accountable.

And put the child’s education at the centre of every policy decision.

Because a school is not merely a building maintained by the government.

It is an investment in the future of Maharashtra.