RIGHT TO EDUCATION & NON-STATE PRIVATE ACTORS IN EDUCATION & INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, POLICY, AND PRACTICE 

Research Programme

Dr. Srivastava's research programme focuses on the changing role of the state and new private non-state actors in education delivery and provision in developing countries, and emerging forms of private provision in the context of global education initiatives. Her research aims to gain a nuanced understanding of the ways in which state and non-state actors structure and constrain the education ‘policyscape’, and the impact of this on education access for socially and economically disadvantaged groups and the right to education. 

Research activities are broadly centred on three main lines of inquiry as listed below. 
Hover on the 'Research' tab above for more information on individual research projects.

The right to education and evolving global discourse

This line of inquiry focuses on the changing global and globalized discourses of education policy in the context of the right to education over the past 20 years (and in India since independence). It aims to conduct detailed analyses of the institutional evolution of basic education, with a further focus on the way that the roles of the state and private non-state actors have evolved, and the way that access to education for disadvantaged groups has been framed and conceptualised over time.

The role of non-state private actors 

The role of non-state private actors in education internationally has been noted in the recent academic literature. While there is much discussion of these actors in ‘Western’ contexts, there is relatively little work on the role of local private non-state actors in emerging power and other contexts. The purpose of this line of research is to shed further light on these actors to contribute to the academic and professional knowledge-base in this area. Of particular interest are influential private school lobbies, ‘Southern’ philanthropic private foundations, and think tanks which have not been the subject of serious research in international education research thus far. 

Low-fee private schooling

'Low-fee private' schooling, i.e. independent private schools targeting disadvantaged groups in developing countries, emerged as a significant type of provision in many developing countries over a decade ago. On its face, it represents a paradox in the international policy context of education for all. While on the one hand there has been an increased outwardly push on free and universal access with assumed state responsibility, reports on the mushrooming of low-fee private schools, particularly across Africa and Asia, emerged. Low-fee private schooling has, thus, become a provocative and illuminating area of research and policy interest on the impacts of privatisation and its different forms. Dr. Srivastava's work in India was among the first scholarly research on the topic. She is credited as coining the term, 'low-fee private schooling'. As there was no coherent sub-field examining the issue across countries, over the years, she has actively worked to consolidate low-fee private schooling as a sub-field of research investigation.