Can Money Buy Good Education?

Back in the day, when parents started realised the importance of good education, they believed that the only way to ensure that their kids get good education is by sending them to an expensive, international school. When the supply end of the education market realised the vulnerability of parents when it came to their kids’ education, they quickly capitalised on it by introducing a lot of new schools with world-class facilities.

In fact, many modern schools have better facilities than hospitals in villages. World class cafeterias, well-learned teachers, excellent infrastructure, etc are only some of things that modern schools can boast of. The real question here is: can money buy good education?

For a long time, money has been the answer to a lot of problems that people in a developing country face. However, as the economies progressed, people soon realised otherwise. While parents are spending a bigger proportion of their incomes for their kids’ education, there are few ways of measuring how efficiently is their hard-earned money being used.

A lot of factors contribute to good education: a comprehensive syllabus, experienced teachers, participation in co-circular activities, competitive students, etc. However, it is not possible to measure these factors objectively.

Under these circumstances, how do you know which are the top schools in India? Are they the ones which charge the highest fees, or the ones which have been around longest, or those which the oldest teachers?

A good way to figure this out is preparing an index based on the factors which are important for you, and researching by asking questions to people whom you trust. Most high-school students have a fair idea of how their schools are. The idea is to not trust the brochures of schools blindly: ask good questions to people who have been in contact with the school, and take your time before deciding which is the best school for your kid.

After all, this is your child’s future we are talking about.