A new nationwide study of private schools in India finds that while schools continue to provide safety, structure and academic stability, they are increasingly misaligned with students’ lived experiences, particularly in areas such as technology use, emotional wellbeing, motivation and teaching consistency.
The findings are presented in the Student Sync Index 2026: Inside the New School Reality, a research study based on insights from more than 3,700 stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers and school leaders across India’s private school ecosystem.
“Schools remain trusted institutions, but trust alone no longer guarantees relevance,” said Shreyasi Singh, Founder and Lead Researcher, Student Sync Index. “What this study reveals is a growing distance between institutional intent and student experience, particularly in technology, wellbeing and motivation, that schools will need to address with far greater urgency and coherence,” she added.
The study introduces the concept of student sync, defined as the degree to which parents, teachers, and school leaders are aligned with students’ realities, aspirations, and needs. While alignment on long-term goals remains strong, the research finds that alignment on everyday experience is increasingly fragmented.
Key Findings
- Technology and AI: Students are already using AI tools as part of everyday learning, yet institutional guidance remains limited. Only a small proportion of teachers report receiving strong training, while parents largely believe schools are falling behind the pace of technological change. Motivation and Purpose: Success is overwhelmingly defined by marks and college entry. Very few students associate success with learning that is useful for real life, reinforcing a system focused on outcomes rather than meaning or purpose.
- Stress and Emotional Wellbeing: Student stress is widespread and persistent. More than half of students’ report feeling stressed weekly, while emotional safety depends largely on individual teachers rather than consistent, school-wide support systems. Parents tend to underestimate the scale of this pressure.
- Extracurriculars and Leadership: Participation rates are high, but depth and agency are limited. Many students describe leadership roles and activities as symbolic, with little influence on decision-making or personal growth. Teaching Quality and Systems: Teaching quality varies sharply between classrooms. Teachers report heavy workloads, limited collaboration and professional development that has not kept pace with evolving expectations. School Culture and Reputation: Physical safety and institutional stability remain strong, and parent trust is high, often driven by reputation and rankings. Students, however, judge schools primarily on daily experience rather than brand perception.
A System at an Inflection Point
Despite these gaps, the report notes that India’s private schools retain strong foundations in safety, structure and academic continuity. The challenge ahead is not one of intent, but of alignment.
The Student Sync Index 2026 concludes that future school effectiveness will depend on the ability to synchronise human systems including teaching, wellbeing, motivation and technology around the student, rather than relying solely on outcomes or reputation.
