Tripura’s school education sector needs a productivity-focused reform strategy, with greater emphasis on technological advancement, efficient resource utilisation, teacher capacity and measurable learning outcomes, according to findings of a Sixteenth Finance Commission report.
Tripura’s school education sector needs to place greater emphasis on technological improvement, efficient utilisation of resources and measurable learning outcomes, according to findings presented in the report “Evaluation of Finances of State of Tripura” prepared for the Sixteenth Finance Commission. The findings indicate that improving financial allocation alone may not be sufficient; the state also needs to strengthen the productivity and effectiveness of its school education system.
The report’s Malmquist Index analysis of the School Education Department shows that the average Total Factor Productivity (TFP) stood at 0.923 during 2013–14 to 2023–24. Since a productivity index below 1 indicates a decline, the result points to an overall reduction in total factor productivity over the study period. The analysis also shows that technological change remained below 1 in most years, suggesting technological regression in the school education sector during much of the period. The annual figures indicate that TFP was below 1 in most years. However, notable improvements were recorded in 2020–21, when the index reached 1.119, and in 2021–22, when it stood at 1.006. The highest value during the period was recorded in 2022–23 at 1.159, although the index subsequently declined to 0.890 in 2023–24. These fluctuations suggest that the education system has the capacity to improve productivity, but such improvements need to be made more consistent and sustainable.
The findings point towards the need for a comprehensive productivity-oriented strategy for school education in Tripura. The government may consider strengthening digital learning infrastructure, improving the use of educational technology, expanding teacher training and ensuring that available physical and financial resources are utilised efficiently. Particular attention could also be given to schools in rural and geographically difficult areas so that technological improvements do not remain concentrated in better-connected locations. A regular education productivity monitoring framework could further help the state identify schools and districts where resources are generating better outcomes and those requiring additional intervention. Such a system could combine indicators relating to student enrolment, attendance, learning outcomes, teacher availability, infrastructure, digital facilities and expenditure efficiency.
The report also provides an important basis for linking public expenditure with measurable educational outcomes. Rather than assessing progress only through expenditure levels or infrastructure creation, policymakers could increasingly evaluate whether additional resources are translating into better learning and institutional performance. The findings therefore offer an opportunity for Tripura to move towards a more evidence-based approach to school education planning. A sustained focus on technological progress, teacher capacity, resource efficiency and learning outcomes could help reverse the productivity decline and build a more effective and resilient school education system in the state.
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The study was prepared under the leadership of Principal Investigator Prof. Subhrabaran Das, Professor & Head, Department of Economics, Tripura University. The research team included Kiran Bhowmik, Assistant Professor in SRM University in Chennai presently and Ex-Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Tripura University, as Research Associate; Srijan Debnath, M.Sc. in Economics, Tripura University, as Research Assistant; and Supporting Research Assistants Sekharan Das, Samar Das and Alimpiyo Das, Research Scholars of the Department of Economics, Tripura University.
