Build World-Class Infrastructure for Every Secondary-School Student

Too many secondary schools in India are still built around the basic model of classrooms, textbooks, and examinations. Students may have limited access to modern science and computer laboratories, sports facilities, creative spaces, technology, or facilities that expose them to different careers.

This creates an opportunity gap. A child’s ability to discover an aptitude for science, technology, athletics, design, photography, engineering or a skilled profession should not depend on whether their family can afford an expensive private school.

India should establish a National Secondary School Infrastructure Standard and undertake a long-term investment program to bring every secondary-school student’s learning environment progressively to the level expected in developed education systems.

Schools should provide modern technology-enabled classrooms, high-speed internet, computer labs, AI and coding facilities, physics, chemistry and biology laboratories, libraries and digital learning resources, robotics and electronics labs, and maker spaces. Students should also have access to facilities for art, music, photography, graphic design, media and performing arts, along with spaces that expose them to careers and vocational fields such as automotive technology, electronics, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, hospitality and other locally relevant occupations.

Every student should also have access to high-quality sports infrastructure, including athletics tracks; football, hockey and cricket grounds; basketball, badminton, volleyball and tennis courts; indoor sports facilities; gyms; swimming facilities; and qualified coaching. Schools should provide the infrastructure needed for students to participate seriously in sports and potentially develop to competitive levels.

Secondary schools should be planned according to student population and geographic density, with an appropriate number of students served by each school. Every school should be built, equipped and funded to the same national standard, giving students access to the same core academic, technological, sporting, creative and career-exploration opportunities.

In lower-density and remote areas, transportation and, where necessary, residential facilities should be provided to ensure access to these schools. The quality of a child’s secondary-school education and the opportunities available to them should not depend on where they live or their family’s ability to pay.

This approach has already been demonstrated in countries such as the United States, where sustained public investment has enabled many public high schools to develop into broad learning environments supporting academic, technological, creative, vocational and physical development.

American high schools commonly provide science and computer laboratories, libraries, arts and music facilities, extensive sports programs, and career and technical education in areas such as engineering, healthcare, automotive technology, computer science and skilled trades. This gives students opportunities to discover and develop abilities beyond traditional academics and pursue different pathways into universities, technical education, careers, entrepreneurship, the arts and competitive sports.

The results can be seen in the breadth of talent the United States develops across science and technology, entrepreneurship, creative industries and sports. School infrastructure alone does not produce these outcomes, but providing young people with facilities, exposure and opportunities from an early age creates an environment in which a much wider range of talent can be discovered and developed.

India can adopt the same principle at scale: give every child access to the facilities and opportunities needed to discover what they are capable of becoming.