Delhi’s poorer children prefer nearby schools, wealthier students travel farther: IIT-Delhi study

A study reveals Delhi's lower-income children attend nearby government schools, while wealthier families opt for distant private schools, affecting transport modes.

Children from lower-income families in Delhi are far more likely to attend government schools within walking distance of their homes, while wealthier households are able to access private schools located much farther away, a new study by researchers at IIT-Delhi has found, highlighting that socio-economic status and distance are both key factors in school preferences.

Delhi’s poorer children prefer nearby schools, wealthier students travel farther: IIT-Delhi study

Published in the International Journal of Educational Development, the study, dated May 28, found that 77% of children from the lowest socioeconomic groups attend schools within 1km of their homes, compared with just 16% of children from the highest socioeconomic groups. Researchers also found that 57% of students in the sample were enrolled in private schools, with children from wealthier households significantly more likely to study in unaided institutions and travel longer distances to reach them.

The study, authored by Deepty Jain and Shabnam Khan of the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre (TRIPC), IIT-Delhi, analysed school access, travel distance and transport choices among 777 households across six locations in Delhi.

The differences were also reflected in how children travelled to school. Walking accounted for 51% of all school trips, making it the dominant mode of transport, followed by school vans (18%) and personal vehicles (13%). Bus usage was at 4%. The study notes that bus usage remains low and needs improvement.

“School buses can provide a safer and more comfortable commute for children. Yet, it is not the choice for the majority. School transport management authorities need to reconsider bus routing and operational characteristics to attract ridership to school bus services. This can also help reduce operational costs, which in turn improves the affordability of the school bus system for the majority,” it states.

Overall, researchers found that 54% of all children studied within 1km of home and 80% within 3km, with the average school commute measuring 2.13km. It said children enrolled in government-aided schools generally travelled shorter distances and were more likely to walk than those attending private schools.

“Children belonging to the very high socioeconomic well-being scores (SEWS) group are 70% less likely to enrol in government-aided schools than those belonging to low SEWS,” the authors noted.