| Abstract: |
The present study investigates the combined influence of parental involvement and school environment on the quality of primary education in India, with particular emphasis on policy frameworks and ground-level practices. The primary objectives are to examine the extent to which parental engagement and institutional infrastructure determine learning outcomes at the primary level, and to assess the alignment between national education policies and actual school-level implementation. A descriptive-analytical research methodology was adopted, drawing upon secondary data from nationally representative surveys, including the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 and the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024–25. The study hypothesizes that higher levels of parental involvement, coupled with an improved school environment, significantly contribute to enhanced foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes among primary-age children. The results reveal that while India has achieved near-universal enrollment at the primary level (98.1%), critical gaps persist in foundational learning, school infrastructure, and meaningful parental participation. Student attendance in government primary schools increased from 72.4% in 2018 to 75.9% in 2024, and school infrastructure indicators such as drinking water availability (99.3%) and electricity access (93.6%) showed marked improvement. However, only 23.4% of Standard III children could read Standard II-level text, indicating persistent quality challenges. The discussion highlights that policy interventions like NEP 2020 and NIPUN Bharat have created enabling frameworks, yet their translation into practice remains uneven. The study concludes that systemic integration of parental engagement strategies within school governance, combined with sustained infrastructure investment, is essential for realizing quality primary education across India. |
