Abstract

Several residential schooling strategies exist for girls in the publicly funded school system in India but there is no definite policy on residential schooling in general or for girls in particular. The information on the performance of these programmes remains uneven, isolated and sporadic. A good number also exist in private sector catering to both girls and boys, and information about them is even more limited. It is in this context that this study based on review of literature and documents coupled with some validation visits to a few sites and consultations with key stakeholders plays an important role in providing several key pointers for policy.

This policy brief explains the distinct categories that define India’s residential educational institutions; namely formal schools, hostels, accelerated learning programs (ALPs), and bridge courses. The focus here is on formal schools and ALPs, which contribute to girls’ education and empowerment by fostering collective identity and enhancing individual capabilities through shared living and learning experiences. This brief reviews and analyses the performance of formal schools and ALPs as educational institutions and as spaces for empowering and embedding a sense of identity in young women. The report gives an overview of the physical and social environment that the different residential schools provide, as well as the learning environment they produce. The brief also provides some insight into funding norms and provisions for the different publicly funded residential schooling schemes.

Jha. J., Menon, G., Minni, P., & Priya, S. (2015, February). Residential schools for girls in India: review of the policy and practise. Bengaluru, Karnataka: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.