Expenditure per student
Also called: Per student expenditure · Topic: Human Capital: Education, Health and Demographic Dividend · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Human Capital Formation in India"
Meaning
Expenditure per student is the amount spent on education at one level, divided by the number of students enrolled at that level.
Expenditure per student = Total spending on a level of education ÷ Number of students at that level
In India, elementary education takes the largest share of total education spending, and tertiary (college) education takes the smallest. Spending per student, however, is higher in tertiary education. Colleges need costly labs, specialised teachers and research, and they have fewer students.
Example
A university engineering department spends much more on each student than a village primary school. Its budget, though, is far smaller than the total spent on all primary schools. This does not mean money should be moved from colleges to schools. The teachers needed for more schools are trained in colleges, so spending at every level must rise.
Don't confuse with
- Share of total education spending: this shows which level gets the most money overall. By this measure elementary education is highest, even though its spending per student is lower.
Related concepts
- Government intervention in education and health
- Education expenditure ratios
- Six per cent of GDP for education
- Free and compulsory education