EDUCATION VOUCHERS

An education voucher is a coupon offered by the government entitling a student to take education at any school of his choice. It is a tool in the hands of a poor student to exercise the same choices in education, as are available to the richer students.

Here is how it works..

The government grants vouchers or coupons to poor students that can be exchanged for education at any educational institution of their choice. It is denominated at a pre-specified amount, which is sufficient to cover the full or partial cost of education to a child in any private/ government, or government aided school. These vouchers can then be encashed by the schools from the government. Thus, the money from the government follows the student and not the schools. Government schools compete with private schools to get students, thus creating competition and enhancing performance.
Obviously, such a scheme should only be implemented with a time lag allowing government schools to prepare themselves for the challenge!!!

Vouchers - A Concept Note