📄 Abstract
Background: Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly used to address challenges in the quality of school education, especially in geographically inaccessible and socio-economically disadvantaged areas. The objective of the study is to examine the role of PPP interventions in improving the quality of school education in Uttarakhand, especially the contribution of The Hans Foundation. Method: The cross-sectional survey method was adopted in the study. Data were collected from 501 students and 251 teachers across 40 schools in four districts of Uttarakhand. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling (SEM), multigroup analysis, impact-shaped analysis, ANOVA and factor analysis were used. Results: In all six dimensions of educational quality in the students associated with PPP, better results were found. The overall standardised effect was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.56-0.76), with the most impact of digital literacy. The proportion of students with higher educational quality was 61.9 per cent in the PPP group, compared with 32.4 per cent in the non-PPP group. Teachers' reactions also confirmed positive results of PPP interventions. However, the digital divide emerged as a major challenge. The educational quality of students who were deprived of internet services was found to be 9.8%. The critical interaction between PPP and internet availability (F = 7.42, p = 0.007) indicates that digital access is important for the effectiveness of PPP. Also, there is a positive relationship between the PPP period and academic results (beta = 0.08 per year, p < 0.001). The study suggests that systematic, long-term PPP interventions can significantly improve the quality of school education in difficult, resource-limited areas. The experience of The Hans Foundation in Uttarakhand shows that NGO-government partnership can provide effective support to the public education system by improving digital literacy, academic collaboration, institutional capacity and learning opportunities. The study also highlights that sufficient digital infrastructure and long-term partnerships are essential to the partnership's greater effectiveness.
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📚 How to Cite:
Dr Shailendra Kumar Singh, Santosh Singh Negi, Prof. Meenakshi Verma , PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND SCHOOL EDUCATION QUALITY IN UTTARAKHAND: EVIDENCE FROM THE HANS FOUNDATION’S EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS , Volume 14 , Issue 8, August 2026, International Journal of Asian Economic Light (JAEL) , Pages: 1 - 11 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28849