Beyond access: Why the next decade of education reform must focus on learning quality

There have been tremendous advances made in India's school education access, with higher enrollment, improved infrastructure, and greater outreach, as emphasised in the recent NITI Aayog report. However, the subsequent steps in the education revolution would now need to go far beyond mere access and concentrate on the quality of learning.

With changes in technology and artificial intelligence taking centre stage for the future, the role of schools needs to go far beyond ensuring the completion of the curriculum and preparing students with critical thinking skills to solve real problems and learn continuously throughout life.

We educators in 2026 understand that the Class of 2044 entering our schools today will graduate into a world we can scarcely predict. As the world of 2044 and beyond remains unwritten, unpredictable and uncertain, the responsibility of nurturing the future of these young ones seems daunting. It also means we have a chance to co-create their future together as they evolve into leaders who will further shape it.

From expanding access to improving outcomes

Lately, the Educational Division of NITI Aayog has outlined the steady expansion of India’s schooling system, which is emerging as one of the largest in the world, with more than 14.71 lakh schools and nearly 24.69 crore students. The nation has a Gross Enrolment Ratio of 90.9% in Primary Education, reflecting the consistent efforts of central and state governments and the impact of RTE.

These achievements deserve recognition. However, they also highlight the next challenge before us. Student attrition continues as they move through successive stages of schooling, stark regional contrasts in enrolment and access, and the need to bridge last-mile gaps in infrastructure. The successes of our push to strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy are also evident in the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024

Together, these reports highlight that India is inching closer to an important inflexion point. The conversation must now move beyond expanding access towards strengthening learning quality. Success should no longer be defined solely by the number of children enrolled in school, but by the depth of their understanding and their ability to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Redefining learning for the future

The NITI Aayog report underscores the need for a shift from rote textbook completion to competency-based assessments and recommends pedagogical instruction from where a child actually is, rather than from where the curriculum assumes they should be. This shift is fundamental; learning quality is best reflected in a student’s ability to apply concepts, think critically, and connect knowledge across contexts, rather than simply completing prescribed syllabi. Hence, the next phase of reforms must focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning within classrooms.

Teachers as the cornerstone of change

Improving the quality of learning begins with strengthening the people who shape it every day: the teachers. We need to urgently prioritise resources, time and commitment towards teachers, the backbone of our schools. This is pertinent even for our current graduating classes, for whom knowing facts and figures is no longer enough in a world where artificial intelligence is getting deeply embedded in work and life. In such a world, adaptability, resilience and anticipatory competence are the skills needed beyond remembering, understanding and analysing; critical evaluation of information outshines critical analysis.

It is pivotal to the evolving role of educators from primarily knowledge providers to facilitators of inquiry, reflection, and deeper learning. This is achieved by attracting the best and most motivated minds to teaching and providing meaningful professional opportunities for growth.

Alongside teacher development, investments in enabling infrastructure remain equally important. Reliable digital connectivity, well-equipped classrooms, accessible learning resources, and supportive school environments help ensure that improvements in learning quality reach students across diverse regions and socio-economic backgrounds.

The next milestone for Indian education

The true success of education reform lies in how effectively systems convert improved access and infrastructure into sustained learning outcomes, as rightly envisioned by NEP 2020. Therefore, the next decade of reform should focus on creating classrooms as spaces of joyous learning, where curiosity is prized, failure is a stepping stone, and community and belonging are fostered. Technology is understood as a pedagogical enabler rather than an end in itself, supporting richer learning experiences. Assessment systems work in parallel with pedagogy to evaluate competencies, application-based understanding, and real-world problem-solving. Such classrooms will prepare learners not only to succeed in examinations, but also to navigate uncertainty with confidence and purpose.

Ultimately, the measure of a resilient education system lies in the extent to which it nurtures independent thinking, adaptability, and the ability to learn continuously in a changing world. A motivated, knowledgeable and well-trained teacher supported by the right frameworks and infrastructure is the beacon that will nurture our future generations with the wisdom, values, and competencies they need to shape a future of their own making; a future that is just, sustainable and joyous.

The author is the CEO of Shiv Nadar School.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.