Education
A not-so-fun tug-of-war: Government or Private School?
Anshu Pande compares government and private schools.
Mitali came running to me with her report card one afternoon. She had scored 89 per cent in class 12th boards. “I did it didi!” she said and placed the mark sheet in my hand. Mitali was the eldest of two sisters. After her father passed away in 2005, her mother became the sole breadwinner of the family. Their financial conditions only worsened with time and her mother couldn’t afford to send any of the kids to a private school. One would lose hope in such a situation, but Mitali did not let her problems become a barrier. She was rather motivated and gave her best in her exams, making everyone proud. But what caught my attention were her marks, particularly in English. She had scored 85, highest amongst the five subjects. When she saw me surprised, she said, “No one would believe at first that a government school student could score and score this well in English, but I, and all the other students of my school proved them wrong.”
This reminded me of a Bollywood film that released in May 2017 – Irfan Khan and Saba Qamar starrer Hindi Medium. A satire directed by Saket Chaudhary, it talked about the obsession with English language, the immense pressure on Indian parents of sending their children to private schools and to what extent they would go for their child’s education. To give you a summary, Raj (Irfan Khan) and his wife Mita (Saba Qamar), a nouveau riche couple, are determined to get their young daughter Pia (Dishita) accepted into one of Delhi’s most prestigious schools. In their attempt, they even attend coaching classes that prepare both, the students and the parents, for the school interview. But all of this goes in vain when their daughter doesn’t get admission. Later, they find out that Pia could get into the school through RTE (Right to Education) quota on one condition – they have to act poor. So they do. Leaving behind a sprawling bungalow in south Delhi, they move to Bharat Nagar, a slum. While the ending is cringe worthy, Hindi Medium comments on the private school system and how it has become so important in our lives.
Not so long ago, government schools were held in high regard, with many luminaries from all walks of life emerging from them. Currently, government schools are the last choice of every parent. This has caused as much as a loss of 6 million children in just the two years. In the year 2010-11 and 2015-16, student enrolment in government schools across 20 Indian states fell by 13 million, while private schools acquired 17.5 million new students, according to a new study on India’s public-school education crisis by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London.
The reason for this shift could be innocent explanations such as the parents’ desire to make their children learn English, their belief that the schools offer better value for money, has better teachers, to match the social expectations or the growing opulence in the country. Tiny (with 20 or fewer students) and small (with 50 or fewer students) government schools are being abandoned, according to the study Gandhi. If the past six years are taken into consideration, the number of tiny government schools rose 52 percent and small ones by 33.7 percent. As many as 5,044 government schools had no students in 2015-16, up 14 percent from 4,435 in 2010-11. West Bengal witnessed a 280 percent rise in tiny schools–more than any other state–followed by Madhya Pradesh (225 percent) and Jharkhand (131 percent). However, Bihar bucked the national trend by reporting a 98 percent decrease in tiny schools.
Why are students opting out of India’s government schools, which educate the poorest and most vulnerable students until the age of 14 for free, and migrating to fee-charging private institutions in such large numbers?
Radha Shashidharan, a mother to two, from Patna says “Infrastructure in the government schools are a nightmare. The schools offer unusable toilets, non-functional fans and lights, some of them even without electricity, how would you expect a parent to send their child to such a poorly equipped school?” I couldn’t disagree with that.
After 16 years of implementation of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, that aims to provide the provision of infrastructure facilities in government schools, children still sit on mats or the bare floor. Thanks to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, many schools in India are getting a toilet. But the problem lies in the maintenance.
In the case of Telangana, according to the annual status of education report, 2016, about 15.2% of government schools in Telangana do not have a separate toilet for girls. Though the numbers are small, the real problem lies in the maintenance of existing toilets. A newspaper report says that none of the government schools in Telangana received the funds for maintenance of toilets and the prescribed salary of toilet/workers is as low as rupees 2000 to 3500 per month.
In the age of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), nearly 97,000 primary and middle schools are without power in Madhya Pradesh if we go by the data presented by the school education department on electricity connections for the year 2017-18.
Ramandeep Kaur, a parent, wrote a blog post on the conditions of government school in India. “Quality of teachers at Government schools is another major concern. Most of the teachers do not themselves know what they are teaching. A few days back I saw a video of a school teacher teaching students in a rural Government school. Every single spelling of the days of the week, the twelve months that she was teaching was wrong. Sunday was being taught as ‘Sundie’. When asked about the number of days in a year her answer was 300. It was so shocking.” Read her post.
A report released by ASSOCHAM has revealed that Indian schools suffer from acute shortage of teachers. The shortage is a problem pervasive at all levels of government schools in India. At present, there are about 50 per cent vacancies in schools across the country, with 30,000 vacancies for teachers in Haryana alone where more than 800 schools are being run without principals. Shortage of teachers obliges the government to recruit contract teachers who are often not well trained. Several states have exempted candidates from Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) as only 20 per cent of the aspirants clear it. This wrong move, in an attempt to quickly fix the issue of dearth of teachers, has deteriorated the quality of education in the states even further.
However, there has been a remarkable progress in the past three years in terms of the performance. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) results have shown that the students of government schools have outshone the private school students. This year’s result was also the first time in last 20 years that the passing percentage of government school students crossed the benchmark of 90 percent.
Among the best performing government schools, state government's Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVVs) outperformed central government's Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs). RPVVs' pass percentage, standing at 99.7 per cent is five per cent ahead of KVs' 94.6 per cent. As many as 33 students have scored as much as 100per cent in one or more subjects. The number of schools which have a pass percentage of more than 90per cent has gone up from 547 to 554 this year.
Not just this, in 2016, according to Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), performance of government schools better than the private schools. The percentage of children enrolled in grade III in government schools in the state who can read Grade II level text is 41.2 per cent and the percentage of children enrolled in Grade III in private schools who can read Grade II level text is 38.8 per cent. The performance of Grade-III children in government schools who can read Grade-II level text is better than performance of Grade III children in private schools, the report stated. It shows that reading levels in higher grades have also increased. In 2014, the percentage of children enrolled in Grade V who can read a Grade II level text was 53.5 per cent, it has increased to 62.5 per cent in 2016, the report said.
In Delhi, the increase in budgetary allocation should be given credit. The Education Minister, Manish Sisodia made education a priority by proposing to spend Rs 13,997 crore this year as compared to the year 2017-18, where the investment stood at Rs 11,300 crore. Improved infrastructure also helped the teachers to manage students better. "The benefit of increased rooms is that now the teachers can teach the students without any hassles. If you are conducting classes in the open, the noise of the students prevents teachers from teaching them. Much of their energy got lost in managing them," said a teacher from a Delhi government school.
So, what does this detailed article conclude? First, let us acknowledge the faults in our education system because there is some serious damage control that needs to be done. The children in schools today will be entering the workforce in the 2030s. Schools are preparing them for their lives 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now. We have to divert all our attention to our future. Secondly, now more than ever, the future of our country lies in the hands of the educators. So the teachers need to be trained immediately, especially those serving in in the poorest of urban and rural areas. They need to be viewed as professionals who require multiple skills to do their job, and accordingly professional standards need to be built into all teacher education programmes. Such programmes must focus on both, building an essential knowledge base, as well as skill sets required for making a difference in the classroom. Importantly, they must locate the professional development of teachers within the larger socio-cultural, economic and political context of contemporary India. Today, with the success of SSA and the RTE, classrooms are often diverse and many students are first generation learners who may not have any academic support system at home. Teachers need to factor in the socio- economic backgrounds of children, for instance a hungry or an abused child will not be able to learn effectively. Programmes must guide teachers on how to nurture and develop this set of children. The more a teacher knows about a student, the better they will be able to support their learning and progress.
The government is where I should’ve begun, but nevertheless, here’s the third advice – a lot of what’s happening can happen in a different direction. Why don’t we use our funds on schools for better infrastructure instead of constructing statues? I don’t mean to come out rude, but I think classrooms equipped with basic resources like non-wobbly bench and chair, is more important than building a temple. Also, why don’t we introduce new rules in the system instead of re-naming cities? Lastly, can we agree on this together that the future of our country is, slightly important than the cows of our country?
Delhi set a great example for the rest of the country with the expansion in the yearly budget.
Lack of clean water supply, unmaintained buildings, cramped classrooms, poor electricity and many such complaints have become a major reason why there is a downfall of student enrollment in government schools. The budget needs to be drafted in such a way that it is able to cover these aspects of education too. It is no surprise that, even in 2018, outdated syllabus is being followed in schools. Like software and app updates improve the quality, an update is needed in the curriculum and books for the improvement in the quality of skills and knowledge. Another step could be to introduce the schools to digital world. Digital facilities like computers, projectors and other accessories that support digital education, should be made available to all schools, not just the private schools. A targeted literacy program could also be introduced for focusing on polishing skills in areas like vocabulary, comprehension, writing, phonemic awareness, phonic instructions, and many others. Such programs could be beneficial for those who are unable to afford long-term regular education, for adults who haven’t had a chance to go to school and for those who’ve studied but need to polish their skills again. They could be conducted as individual workshops, weekly classes, night training for the working populations – the possibilities are endless.
Nelson Mandela said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I believe in this, do you?
In a bid to support youth skilling in India, NIIT Foundation and YuWaah (a UNICEF India initiative) have jointly launched an Open Online Course in Digital Marketing as part of their #NayiDigitalDisha campaign.
The initiative has been rolled out in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha and aims to reach 500 participants. The 8-week online program has been structured to be accessible to learners from underserved and remote areas. Upon completion, students will receive a credential assessed by NCVET and certified by NSDC.
The curriculum focuses on practical digital marketing skills including social media strategy, online customer sourcing, and campaign execution. Course development was led by NIIT Foundation, drawing on industry consultation and its prior experience in skill training.
According to the organisers, the goal is to provide industry-aligned learning opportunities to help learners secure employment and enhance their readiness for digital roles. Participants will receive certifications from both NIIT Foundation and YuWaah, UNICEF.
The program’s implementation coincides with India’s broader push towards a skilled workforce, aligning with national goals to build digital and job-readiness capacity by 2047. The digital learning initiative is part of a larger ecosystem supported by YuWaah that includes career guidance, leadership opportunities, and pathways to socio-economic participation for young people.
Earlier success stories, such as a student securing job placements after course completion, indicate emerging results; however, the course’s full impact is yet to be assessed as it progresses through its first implementation cycle.
In a move set to impact India’s school education ecosystem, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, convened a high-level National Conference on Curricular and Assessment Equivalence of Boards and Improving Learning Outcomes at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
With over 250 senior officials from education departments, boards, SCERTs, and autonomous bodies like CBSE, KVS, and NVS, the conference reflected a coordinated push to align learning outcomes and assessment standards across India’s diverse schooling systems.
Chaired by DoSE&L Secretary Sanjay Kumar, the sessions explored how India can move toward competency-based education while ensuring fairness and flexibility for States/UTs. He emphasised that equivalence in curriculum and assessments is essential as India modernises its academic benchmarks in line with NEP 2020.
A key highlight was the launch of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal, giving open access to national and state-wise data on student performance. The tool is designed to help States/UTs craft targeted improvement plans.
Prof. Indrani Bhaduri, CEO of PARAKH, also unveiled the findings from the 2024 National Survey, highlighting district-wise variations and prompting calls for data-driven, localised reform.
Best practices from six States/UTs — including Kerala, Punjab, UP, and Maharashtra — offered a practical lens on how systemic innovations can drive classroom-level change.
The conference also delved into board equivalence frameworks, with seven State Boards — including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, and J&K — presenting models for alignment of curricula, assessments, and evaluation standards.
CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh spoke on school quality assurance, urging emphasis on self-evaluation and data transparency.
The conference spotlighted the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF) and called for the establishment of State School Standards Authorities (SSSA) in every State/UT.
Further, the session on vocational education equivalence underscored the importance of recognising school boards as vocational awarding bodies — a step towards seamless academic–skill integration and lifelong learning.
Ready Reckoner videos, Holistic Progress Cards (HPCs), and tools for continuous, child-centric evaluation were also introduced, aimed at embedding NEP’s vision in day-to-day school practice.
The event concluded with a collective reaffirmation: building an equitable, high-quality education system will require collaborative governance and commitment to learning for all.
More than 8,600 villages in Maharashtra remain without a single school, according to a recent report by the state’s Women and Child Development Department.
The gap isn’t just in classrooms. Nearly half of all government schools in the state have failed to install CCTV cameras, despite a Bombay High Court directive issued over a year ago mandating the move for student safety.
The numbers come from an internal state government communication that has now surfaced publicly, raising concerns about Maharashtra’s compliance with both the Right to Education (RTE) Act and judicial orders.
While urban education garners attention with smart classrooms and NEP pilot projects, rural Maharashtra still contends with the fundamentals: no schools, no surveillance, and often, no real learning environment.
The CCTV issue, though seemingly minor, ties directly to concerns about student safety and teacher accountability, especially in government-run schools where complaints often go unaddressed. The High Court directive had explicitly asked for CCTV cameras to be installed in all government school premises. Yet, as per the report, only 53% of schools have complied so far.
Educationists and civil society groups have pointed out that the absence of schools in over 8,000 villages violates the RTE Act’s basic requirement of ensuring a primary school within a 1-km radius of every habitation. These gaps disproportionately affect students from marginalized communities who lack access to private schooling options or reliable transportation.
While the state has announced new digital initiatives and curriculum reforms, this data signals the urgent need for parallel investment in basic school infrastructure and safety mechanisms, especially in rural and tribal regions.
If Maharashtra is serious about achieving educational equity, the solution isn’t just in policy blueprints or digital dashboards — it’s in ensuring that every child has a safe, functional school to go to.
In a push to democratize access to competitive exams, the Haryana government has announced a free after-school coaching initiative for meritorious students in government schools. The scheme will initially roll out in 26 educationally backward blocks, targeting students aspiring to crack entrance exams like JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NDA (National Defence Academy).
The move is designed to level the playing field between private and government school students, many of whom lack access to the coaching ecosystem often necessary for success in high-stakes exams.
According to the Education Department, only those students who score above 60% in Class 10 and rank among the top 500 in state-level merit lists will be eligible for the coaching. The classes will be held in selected schools after regular hours.
Officials said that around 100 government school teachers have been identified to undergo training from expert faculty members from IITs and coaching institutions, ensuring quality instruction that mirrors national standards.
The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the national not-for-profit organization, the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, and aims to align with the broader goals of the NEP 2020 by enabling access, equity, and excellence in education.
By empowering students with structured coaching support—often inaccessible due to financial or geographic barriers—the Haryana government signals its intent to redefine what government schooling can offer in a competitive academic landscape.
In a review meeting held at the Command Control Centre, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed education officials to take urgent steps to ensure students who complete Class 10 successfully transition into and complete their Intermediate education.
This directive stems from a persistent gap: while many students clear the Class 10 SSC board exam, a sizable number fail to complete the next academic stage. The CM has asked for a detailed study of the education policy for Classes 9 to 12 to identify where the system is failing and how it can be made more responsive to students’ needs.
Reddy emphasized that Intermediate education is a crucial link in helping students build careers and that adequate career guidance must begin at the college level. He directed officials to work on specific interventions to improve pass percentages in the intermediate board exams.
The review also touched on infrastructure: from proposing that every school fly a national flag to demanding regular updates on the construction progress of Young India Residential Schools. The CM expressed concern over the slow pace of infrastructure projects and instructed officials to accelerate tender processes, especially for the Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Mahila Vishwa Vidyalayam (Women’s University) expansion.
Funding was another key focus, with Revanth asking departments to coordinate with the Centre to ensure that Telangana receives its full share under centrally sponsored schemes.
The policy emphasis is clear: a push for a seamless Class 10 to Intermediate pipeline, improved exam outcomes, stronger infrastructure, and better career preparation for young learners.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently on a 14-day scientific expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, is scheduled to interact with school students and ISRO engineers on July 4.
The communication will take place via ham radio, through a telebridge set up at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. The session is facilitated by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programme, which enables students to engage with astronauts in orbit.
The interaction is scheduled for 3:47 PM IST and will offer participating students an opportunity to ask questions directly to Shukla, who is joined on the mission by three other astronauts.
Shukla has been conducting various scientific experiments during his stay aboard the ISS. These include deploying and imaging space microalgae samples, which are being studied as a potential food source for long-duration missions. He has also participated in the Neuro Motion VR project — involving brain activity tracking through VR tasks in microgravity — and contributed to the Telemetric Health AI study, which uses biometric data and analytics to study cardiovascular and balance changes during spaceflight.
The Axiom-4 mission, organized by Axiom Space, focuses on scientific research in space with potential applications in both space exploration and Earth-based health systems.
In a firm push for accountability, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued show-cause notices to 89 higher education institutions for failing to comply with mandatory anti-ragging regulations. The defaulters include some of India’s most prestigious institutions—17 of which are Institutes of National Importance—including IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IIM Bangalore.
These institutions, despite repeated advisories, failed to submit the required anti-ragging undertakings from students and institutional compliance reports. The lapses have been termed a “significant violation of regulatory norms” by the UGC, raising serious concerns over student safety and campus climate in India’s top educational spaces.
A notice dated June 9, signed by UGC Secretary Prof. Manish R Joshi, has directed all 89 institutions to respond within 30 days by submitting comprehensive compliance reports, securing online anti-ragging affidavits from all students, and detailing both current and planned anti-ragging mechanisms.
If the institutions fail to act within the deadline, consequences may include withdrawal of UGC grants, public disclosure of non-compliance status, and potential derecognition or withdrawal of affiliation.
Among the list of defaulters are the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, AIIMS Raebareli, Aligarh Muslim University, RGIPT Basar, and several National Institutes of Design. The issue becomes even more urgent in light of recent ragging-related incidents and an increasing perception of campus hostility. “Institutions must treat this as a matter of utmost urgency. Your prompt compliance will be essential in upholding institutional responsibility towards student welfare,” reads the UGC’s statement.
Ragging has no place in modern education, especially not in a country positioning itself as a global knowledge leader.
In 2025, with India’s education sector expanding in reach, recognition, and responsibility, compliance with anti-ragging norms shouldn’t require reminders. It should be a given.
As the world watches Indian institutions climb global rankings, student safety and well-being must remain central, not as compliance checkboxes, but as part of the educational culture we aspire to build.
In a decisive step toward reforming India’s fragmented senior secondary education system, the Ministry of Education has constituted an 11-member high-level committee to address the mushrooming of dummy schools and the unchecked influence of coaching centres. Chaired by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, the committee includes representatives from CBSE, NCERT, and faculty from IITs in Madras, Kanpur, and Trichy.
The move is seen as part of a growing policy consensus across central and state governments to reclaim the authority of schools, following recent crackdowns and reforms aimed at regulating coaching institutions and curbing the dummy school culture that sidelines holistic education.
Dummy schools — where students are officially enrolled but rarely attend — have emerged as a by-product of India’s competitive entrance exam culture. These institutions prioritise JEE, NEET, and CUET preparation through coaching classes, while students disengage from formal schooling. The CBSE’s March 2025 advisory warning that students from dummy schools could be barred from board exams marked a serious turning point in policy enforcement.
Earlier this year, the Delhi Government carried out inspections in over 600 private schools, issuing notices to at least 10 for running dummy setups. The move followed media reports and parental complaints about students being denied regular schooling in favour of coaching arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Cabinet approved a bill in April 2025 to regulate coaching centres operating in Kota and other education hubs. The legislation aims to curb exploitative practices, mandate mental health counsellors, and prevent coaching centres from operating without a minimum infrastructure standard—prompted by rising student suicides in the state.
Central Framework and Industry Oversight
In February 2025, the Central Government announced a new framework for coaching centres, proposing registration, transparency in fee structures, and guidelines on advertising to prevent misleading claims. Together with the current committee’s formation, these reforms indicate a systematic tightening of oversight at all levels.
The new panel’s mandate is broad. It will investigate:
- The socio-academic reasons behind the rise of dummy schools
- The misalignment between school curricula and competitive exams
- The impact of coaching on student well-being and critical thinking
- The need to promote alternate career pathways beyond engineering and medicine
- Regulations around coaching advertisements and contract practices
A National Rethink on the Purpose of Schooling
Education experts like Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal have welcomed the initiative, calling it “a vital opportunity to restore the sanctity of school education.” The rise of coaching centres as parallel systems, she noted, has come at the cost of creativity, values, and even mental health in adolescents.
As India contemplates the future of its learners, the Ministry’s recent actions suggest a serious intent to bridge the gap between boardrooms and classrooms. Whether the new committee’s recommendations lead to tangible change remains to be seen, but the signals are clear: education in India must prepare children for life, not just for an entrance exam.
In a move aimed at reducing academic pressure and offering students a second shot within the same academic year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a revised board examination structure for Class 10. Starting from the 2025–26 session, students will appear for two board exams: the first in February and the second in May.
While the February exam will be the ‘main’ board, students who wish to improve their scores in up to three subjects can take the second board exam. Those who fail in one or two subjects may also attempt the May exam under the compartment category. However, those who miss three or more subjects will be marked ‘Essential Repeat’ and have to retake the exam the following year.
Importantly, this is not a semester system. Students must appear for the first exam. The second is optional—meant only for improvement or compartment cases. No additional or new subjects can be added between the two exams.
CBSE has clarified that the structure, syllabus, and pattern of questions will remain unchanged. The results of the first exam will be declared in April, enabling provisional Class 11 admissions. However, the final marksheets and certificates will be issued only after the second exam results are announced in June.
This dual-exam model was opened for public feedback earlier this year and will initially apply only to Class 10. A similar system for Class 12 is being considered but has not yet been confirmed.
For schools, this change will require rethinking academic calendars, counselling processes, and internal assessments, especially for students who may be at risk of needing a second attempt. The move aligns with CBSE’s broader goals of offering students more flexibility and reducing the high stakes of a single board exam.
The dopamine-rich scrolling in late mornings with amorphous freedom has made our zealous students so comfortable that they are re-entering their classrooms with minds tuned to instant gratification, not delayed rewards. Now the challenge isn’t just academics but to re-engage our bud’s attention and curiosity. Neuroscience backed motivation strategies and intentional school design could prove to be a catalyst as it will bring a positive change and enable the students to learn at a better pace.
1. Rewiring the Dopamine rush with 2 Ps, Purpose and Productivity:
Neuroscience says: Where our brains are functional to seek novelty and purpose on their own, during summer break, the buds often lean into adding the activities to their routine which are unpredictable, quick, and rewarding referring back to instant gratification, these activities may include social media, gaming, and chatting anonymously and grateful to internet and inventions, there are plethora of platforms enabling students to be distracted. And then joining back the school with a gradual drip of delayed academic rewards may seem to be a let-down for students.
Actionable tip: We as facilitators have to be the mystery-solvers channeling their energy into productivity, enlightening them with real-world challenges, interdisciplinary projects, or a mystery to solve that taps into their intrinsic curiosity. Novelty may allow us to reset their attention-even primitive changes in surrounding like rearranged desks, learning outdoors, and using the BALA method to utilize infrastructure, can signal a shift in engagement and productivity.
2. Design for Autonomy and Flow
Neuroscience says:
Neuroscience tells us that motivation really flourishes when students feel they have some control over their learning. The brain’s reward system kicks in when choices are part of the equation, especially regarding how tasks are structured or what content is covered.
Here’s a practical tip: give students structured choices, like deciding which book to dive into, which problem to tackle first, or how they want to present their findings. A design that promotes flow—complete with clear goals, manageable challenges, and instant feedback—helps keep students in that ideal zone, avoiding both boredom and anxiety.
3. Rebuild Social Motivation Through Spaces That Connect
Neuroscience tells us that connecting with peers is a huge motivator, especially after the pandemic. Our brains are wired for social interaction, which plays a key role in how we learn and engage emotionally.
Actionable tip: Create flexible seating arrangements or common areas that encourage group work and casual collaboration. Try incorporating daily activities like “curiosity circles” or peer-led problem-solving sessions to foster a sense of belonging and shared learning objectives.
4. Leverage Routines to Rewire Attention
Neuroscience shows that our habits influence our attention. After a summer of scattered focus, students thrive on rhythmic and consistent routines that help retrain their executive functions.
Actionable tip: Kick off classes with familiar “mind-on” rituals — whether it’s a thought-provoking question, a brief reflection, or a quiet sketch — to help anchor their attention. Consistency breeds comfort, and that comfort boosts confidence.
5. Make Joy a Design Priority
Neuroscience indicates that positive emotions can enhance learning by boosting neuroplasticity. When students (and teachers) experience joy, they’re more likely to engage deeply and retain what they learn.
Actionable tip: Infuse joyful moments into the day — through fun challenges, movement breaks, or a bit of humor. Allow time for students to share what excites them. A joyful classroom isn’t just a nicer place to be; it’s also more effective for learning.
Conclusion: To capture wandering minds, we need to understand how motivation truly works and design both our curriculum and learning spaces to support it. When we ignite curiosity, honor autonomy, and weave joy into the experience, even the sleepiest summer brain can come alive again.
This article is written by:
Renu Sharma
Assistant Director – Systems – Indirapuram Group of Schools
Principal – Indirapuram Public School – Crossings Republik
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