Quality education for all? A case study of a New Delhi government school

This article is based on a case study conducted at a government (state-run), girls’ secondary school in a low-income neighbourhood in New Delhi that was conducted in March, 2012, two years after the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) came into force. The study examined how RTE and its related reforms were being implemented, with the objective of gaining insights into how education objectives and the curriculum were being implemented at the school and how its teachers approached the implementation of the curriculum. Findings of this investigation are presented here in relation to the systemic issues of ‘teacher professionalism’ and ‘high teacher–pupil ratio’. The findings present some insights into the effects of a significantly high teacher–pupil ratio on educational outcomes and on the professionalism of teachers.