As India prepares for Union Budget 2026, the focus on school education should move beyond mere allocations and announcements. The critical question now is whether India’s schools are equipped to meet the demands of the country’s future. Kanak Gupta, Group Director of Seth M.R. Jaipuria Schools, believes that India’s education system must not just cater to the present but anticipate the next 25 years of growth. With over 250 million school-going children, a substantial majority of whom are from Tier 2, Tier 3, and semi-urban areas, the budget must focus on improving the quality of education in these regions to fuel the nation’s long-term progress.
While the government’s policy has rightly focused on improving access, infrastructure, and digital inclusion, Gupta argues that these are merely foundations. He stresses that execution, teacher capability, and relevant learning are the real drivers of educational outcomes. Public spending on education has remained stagnant at about 3% of GDP, well below the targeted 6%. Gupta calls for increased budget allocation and a shift in how funds are deployed—emphasising outcome-based models rather than mere financial inputs.
Key Budget Expectations for School Education
1. Outcome-linked Programs: Gupta advocates for programmes linked directly to learning recovery and teacher upskilling. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has set a robust framework; the budget must focus on its effective implementation.
2. Professional Development for Teachers: Teachers are the key to reform. Gupta calls for institutionalising continuous professional development (CPD) through a structured, credit-based national system, tied to classroom practice and teacher growth.
3. AI as Education Infrastructure: Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be integrated into schools as core infrastructure, not just an add-on. The budget should provide for teacher training in AI pedagogy, student AI literacy, and infrastructure such as shared AI labs, particularly in non-metro regions. AI should be leveraged to democratise education and reduce inequality.
4. Skills and Vocational Exposure: Gupta emphasises that employability does not start at college but in school. Skills like communication, problem-solving, and collaboration should be embedded from an early age. Budget 2026 should bolster school-industry partnerships and promote vocational learning models.
5. Inclusive Education: With roughly 1 in 60-70 children in India facing some form of learning difference, Gupta stresses the need for inclusive education systems. The budget must provide for diagnostics, special educators, assistive technology, and differentiated teaching methods to cater to diverse learners.
6. Priority Funding for Tier 2/3 Schools: Gupta is a staunch advocate for focusing on quality capacity-building in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. A “Schools of Choice Fund” should be established to boost the quality of schools in emerging towns and districts.
The 10 Key Asks for Budget 2026
Gupta outlines 10 critical asks for Budget 2026, which he believes will redefine the future of school education in India:
1. Outcome-linked programs focused on learning recovery and teacher upskilling.
2. A national continuous professional development (CPD) credit system for teachers.
3. AI-for-Schools as core infrastructure, with investments in training, safety, literacy, and shared labs.
4. Last-mile broadband support and reliable tech infrastructure for schools.
5. Competency-based assessment reforms and improvements in teacher assessment literacy.
6. Normalising school-level vocational exposure and industry partnerships from middle school onwards.
7. Creation of a “Schools of Choice Fund” aimed at Tier 2/3 capacity-building.
8. Focusing on inclusive education systems, including diagnostics, special educators, assistive technologies, and alternative pedagogies.
9. Priority-sector style credit access for infrastructure upgrades in schools.
10. Simplifying regulations, including GST benefits for education service providers.
Gupta concludes by highlighting the strategic importance of investing in school education. He sees Budget 2026 as an opportunity to treat education not as a social obligation but as India’s most crucial economic investment. The question is no longer whether the nation can afford to invest more intelligently in education—it is whether it can afford not to.
