Ideas of India Yamini Aiyar Schools Us on Education Policy in India
Aug 14, 2025
Yamini Aiyar, a Visiting Senior Fellow at Brown University and author of 'Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi’s Schools', discusses the multifaceted challenges in India's education policy. She delves into the effects of local governance on school autonomy and the impact of Delhi’s education reforms. The conversation also addresses the complexities of decentralization, the gaps in learning outcomes, and the urgent need for portable benefits and school vouchers. Aiyar emphasizes the importance of empowering educators and the role of community in driving meaningful change.
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Reframing Schools As Learning Spaces
- Delhi’s reform framed schooling as learning, not just enrollment or infrastructure.
- The city prioritized foundational literacy and mentor teachers to change classroom practice.
Why Panopticons Fail In Education
- Education is transaction-intensive and discretionary, so simple digital tracking fails.
- Overreliance on measurable inputs pushes teachers to teach to the test and ignore real learning.
Parent Mobilization Blocked By Missing Funds
- A field project in Madhya Pradesh mobilized parents to make school development plans.
- Plans stalled when discretionary funds never reached the school bank accounts, leaving repairs undone.
