Why school management committees may not work well in parts of India?

Economics in action

There are arguments to enhance the participation of the community (which includes parents) in the management or affairs of government schools. Such participation is to improve the accountability of schools, increase and ensure a more cost-effective use of resources and, more importantly, be responsive to local needs. Such participation is expected to improve equitable access, retention, quality and performance of schools.

However, in reality, School Management Committees (SMC) do not work well in many parts of India and developing world. We should not be surprised to see such a situation. Why? Here is an explanation.

For the sake of explanation, I divide Indian society into three categories:

Category A: The middle and upper-middle-class which want education for their children and can afford, if necessary, to bear the full cost of it.

Category B: The lower middle-class and a section of the poorer households (for example, those in the urban areas)…

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