Union Budget 2026 is being pitched around growth, skills and competitiveness, but school education still gets judged by access—more classrooms, more enrolment. Education leaders argue the real test now is outcomes. Shiv Nadar School CEO Arti Dawar says sustained investment in teacher development, modern pedagogy, industry exposure and equitable tech access is essential to turn NEP 2020 from policy intent into classroom impact.Every Union Budget arrives with a familiar set of promises—growth, skilling, competitiveness—delivered in confident aggregates. School education, when it appears, is usually framed through access: new classrooms, higher enrolment, more coverage. What is discussed less often is the harder question: whether learning quality, teacher capability and institutional depth are keeping pace with the scale of the system itself.The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognised this imbalance early. Its emphasis on outcomes, pedagogy, assessment reform and teacher capacity marked a deliberate shift away from enrolment-first thinking. But policy architecture, however well-designed, does not execute itself. The next phase of reform depends not on fresh intent, but on whether public investment is willing to stay the course—patiently, predictably and at scale.It is this translation gap, between policy ambition and classroom reality, that education leaders are now urging the Budget to confront.Articulating this concern, Ms. Arti Dawar, CEO, Shiv Nadar School, says,“As India advances the goals of the NEP 2020, school education requires sustained investment in teacher training, leadership development, and institutional capacity-building to translate policy intent into classroom impact…”
Industry exposure must begin early, not at graduation
One of the recurring gaps in India’s education-to-employment pipeline is the late introduction of workplace exposure. According to Dawar, the Budget must recognise that employability does not begin in college—it is shaped much earlier. “Early integration of industry partnerships and skill-based training will be instrumental in preparing students for evolving workforce demands. We need structured internship programs, mentorship initiatives, and investments in technology-driven solutions,” she notes.She adds that such collaborations are not peripheral to schooling, but directly linked to national goals. “Such collaboration aligns with both the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) enhancement goals and India’s broader economic competitiveness objectives,” Dawar says.
Digital equity: The new fault line in school education
While digital learning infrastructure expanded rapidly during the pandemic, access remains uneven—creating new hierarchies between connected and disconnected classrooms. For Dawar, Budget priorities must explicitly address this divide. “Digital infrastructure has become foundational to equitable school education. Universal access to devices, reliable connectivity, and high-quality, locally relevant content are essential to bridging the urban–rural divide,” she says.The risk, she argues, is that technology could deepen exclusion if left to market forces alone. “Budgetary focus on digital equity will ensure that technology serves as an enabler of inclusion rather than a differentiator, allowing students across geographies to participate meaningfully in modern learning ecosystems,” Dawar adds.
Building future skills before skill gaps appear
With automation and generative AI reshaping industries, education experts increasingly warn against treating future skills as an “add-on” subject. Dawar argues that foundational skills—critical thinking, digital literacy and problem-solving—must be embedded early in schooling. “The foundation of employability is often built early in schools. Early exposure to critical thinking, digital literacy, and real-world problem-solving must be prioritised,” she says.She points to curriculum reform as a key lever. “Increased support for curriculum modernisation and industry-aligned learning frameworks can help schools prepare students for evolving skill demands shaped by technology, automation, and generative AI,” Dawar adds.
Teachers remain the strongest multiplier
Across policy debates, one consensus remains unchallenged: No education reform outpaces its teachers. Dawar argues that Budget allocations must reflect this reality more clearly.“Transforming India’s education system depends on empowering our educators with contemporary pedagogical skills and subject expertise,” Dawar says.Calling for structured, continuous professional development, she adds, “The budget must prioritise comprehensive professional development programs that encompass digital pedagogy, competency-based teaching methods, and the integration of emerging technologies.”The return on this investment, she notes, is unusually high. “Teacher training is an important investment, as every trained educator impacts thousands of students throughout their careers, making it a critical multiplier for achieving NEP 2020’s transformative vision,” Dawar says.