The Essential Guide to Jobs in Indian Education Sector

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First Crayon

9 min readDec 29, 2017

Education sector is booming business. Just ask the parents scrambling for months to get admission into the ‘best’ schools in their city. Naturally, shouldn’t this boom result in exciting careers for those in the sector? Well, it does. But the truth is hidden under myths that were better suited to the 20th century. Let us sample a few common ones:

Only job in education sector is a teacher
Education jobs are only for women (Woman is a teacher but a man is ‘sir’)
Education jobs don’t pay well
Education jobs are to retire or have an easy life
Education jobs have no career path

Over the course of this article, we will demystify the sector and the career opportunities it provides to everyone.

Education in India

India’s literacy rate has an upward trajectory since independence. The irony is that a ‘women-oriented’ sector has a yawning gap between the genders it reaches.

At 75% in 2016, more people are opting to further their studies. There are over 1.5 million schools, 38,000 colleges, 12,000 standalone institutions, and 750 universities in India (See table below). There are over 300 million students taught across these halls. At a conservative ratio of 1 teacher for every 40 students (World Bank estimates it to be 32 in primary education), there are more than 7.5 million teaching jobs available. And that does not take into account the preschool caregivers, non-teaching staff, ancillary services, and EdTech businesses [1].

There are 5 levels in India — preschool, primary, middle, secondary and higher secondary. Preschool is not compulsory but considered important for development. Primary and middle school education for ages 6–14 is compulsory [2]. Secondary, starting from Grade 9, prepares students for the grade 10 board exams. Higher secondary prepares students for the grade 12 board exams. Some schools follow this as a 10+2 system, while some colleges offer this as junior college [3].

Schools at each level are further divided into private schools and government schools. Private schools have a profit motive whereas government schools are social driven.

These schools are further divided into Indian and International Boards. Private and government schools offer Indian boards like CBSE, ICSE, and state boards. Only private schools provide International boards like IB and CIE. Salaries for both varies, though private, international schools usually pay more.

Higher education is for studies beyond Grade 12. These consist of undergraduate colleges and universities that offer further degrees.

Working in the Education Industry

Why Choose the Education Industry?

Continuous growth — Education industry in India is currently valued at US$100 billion. The market will double by 2020
Diverse job opportunities — It is not only teaching. EdTech, administrative work, finance and marketing are all part of education
Stability — Your day is stable, with little overtime, and fixed timings
Personal fulfilment — Teachers are a respected part of the community. You get a chance to impact young minds and build the country’s future

What Do I Need?

Qualifications — Most positions need an undergraduate degree. Teachers often need special training. University professors need higher degrees, such as Master’s or PhD. Experience in HR, Finance, or Marketing are transferrable to this industry
Standards — Jobs in education may not need overtime. But often needs dedicated time outside work to excel. Preparation and hard work are a must
Personality — Communication, patience, and love for learning are your best friends here. It’s necessary to get your point across to young minds and work with them in new ways [4]

When Can I Start?

If you want to teach or work in a school, you can start out of college. This would start your career in your early twenties. If you want to teach in a reputed college, you have to get more degrees. This could delay the start to your late twenties. While teachers are subject to the retirement age of 60, you may tutor after that.

Where Can I Work?

Within school or outside — Schools have roles like teachers, caregivers, and administrators. But there are options outside this. You may choose to work in corporate (HR, Marketing), as a coach, or in an EdTech start-up.
Government or private — If you choose to teach in a school, a private school has many advantages. They generally have better facilities and higher budgets. They usually have have the money to invest in new teaching methods as well, for example, augmented reality. But they expect their staff to have higher degrees and put in more time. Government schools are open to all children and subsidized. The best place to have an impact at the bottom of the pyramid is in one of these schools. [5]
Primary or secondary — Working in primary schools means working with a group of bright young people everyday. Caregivers and teachers alike get to nurture new minds outside the curriculum. Secondary school means working with older children who have more complex needs. Personal problems can often come up and teaching is more complicated. [6]
School or college — Teachers in school often guide their students beyond academics. As they’re still learning, the approach is much more hands on. Events, paperwork, and other administrative duties are also overseen by staff. Non teaching staff must be much more involved. College professors leave most work to the students and provide less guidance. They often undertake their own research or projects instead.

Teaching Jobs

Teaching is the first thing anyone thinks of when they look for a job in education. But not all teachers must sit behind a desk — many are out there on the field.

Teaching at the school level

Preschool teaching involves making sure kids reach developmental goals. Caregivers are on hand to help out.
Primary school teaching involves teaching the primary level curriculum. A single teacher usually teaches all the subjects, and must be creative and patient. Supervising field trips and organizing fun activities are often part of the job.
Secondary school teachers specialize further. They usually stick to teaching one field. The subject material is tougher, as are the students.
Government schools are less demanding but have fewer facilities and resources for teachers. Student-teacher ratio is higher.
Private schools demand more degrees and dedication. But they usually have more resources and a lower student-teacher ratio. [5]
You may also choose to teach through an NGO, for example, Teach for India. While these NGOs work with government schools, you have more support.
Teachers must also choose which Education Board suits their style most — CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, IB or others.
You can also train as a special needs teacher. Certain children with learning or mental disabilities need teachers with extra training. The job can be hard but very rewarding.
There are teachers who do not deal with academics. PE, Art, Music or other disciplines are also great places to start a career in education.
Depending on their training, interests, and experience, teachers can progress. You may move from primary to secondary school, or to head of a department.
Salaries for teachers vary depending on where they teach and their experience. The average pay is about Rs 3 lakh per year. Some schools may pay lower than this.

Teaching for higher education

Professors in college are much more specialized and expert at their field. Depending on your degree, you may teach undergrad, postgrad or higher. Your can teach management, media, humanities, engineering, medicine, etc.
In college, you may teach at a private university like Amity or a government university like IIT. You may also want to check rankings.
A college professor’s salary is usually higher than a teacher’s. There are other perks like on-campus accommodation.
Depending on your experience, you can may start as an assistant professor. You can progress to an associate or full time professor.
College faculty may also engage in research, which has practical applications. They may choose fields as varied as finance and medicine. But this may lead to slower career progression and growth.
The salary for a college professor is variable. Assistant Professors may start at Rs 2.4 lakh per year and progress to Rs 10–12 per year as their rank rises. Top B-schools in the country pay between 40–50 lakh per year besides benefits [7]

Non Teaching Jobs

There’s plenty of work within the campus but outside the classroom. Administrative duties, on-ground staff and others help in smooth delivery of education. Salaries for these depend on the job, seniority level and experience.

Core Staff

The principal or director oversees the daily operations of the school or college. They are in charge of faculty, students and other staff. They often make hiring and other decisions.
Sports directors oversee all the sports programs.
Counsellors are essential parts of a school. They help out students who may be having issues at home or in school. Career counselors help students pick subjects in school and colleges.
Librarians oversee organization, checking out and return of books in the library. They work with students and teachers on projects.
Administrative assistants/secretaries help out the administrators. They often know as much if not more than them. They communicate with other members of the institute, parents and students.
Nurses are in charge of the medical center. They provide first aid and keep students’ health records.
In preschools, caregivers are often essential assistants to the teacher. They take care of the day to day needs of the children.

Support Staff

Cooks provide and sort food for the whole institute for breaks/lunches.
Maintenance staff keep the facilities running. These may include plumbers, electricians, and more.
Computer technicians help out in the computer labs. They answer queries and carry out routine maintenance.
Custodians are in charge of cleaning. They sweep, clean bathrooms, empty trash and may also move furniture as needed.
Bus drivers take children back and forth from school. In colleges, they are often employed on large campuses. [8][9]

Outside the School

Coaching

Academic Coaching — Most students now need extra help to get through senior school. Private tutoring and coaching is now a $45 billion industry in India. Private tutors can often earn between Rs 1,000–6,000 per student per month. Coaching centers are always on the lookout for qualified teachers. You may also coach students to crack entrance exams. [10]
Non Academic Coaching — You can choose to extend your learning to colleges and offices. Training seminars give practical knowledge to the students. In a corporate, you can conduct skill building workshops. [11]
Vocational Training — This may involve teaching students new skills. These could be in the areas like artificial intelligence or augmented reality. Skill development is a huge industry in India which is encouraged by the government. [12]

Support Services

Curriculum Development — Did you ever think something you studied was useless? That you could’ve made the textbook so much better? Then curriculum development is for you. You can work to develop new textbooks and testing materials. Textbooks for each level need different skills and outlooks. You may work with government institutes such as the NCERT, or private publishers. [13]
Startups — Education is an ever evolving industry. As technology has entered, many companies have begun to try improving it. Some have begun to work with schools, such as Khan Academy in the US. Within India, startups such as Byju’s provide professional courses to students. Others, such as Careerguide, help students pick their future path. These start ups often have openings for developers, sales and marketers. If you have new ideas, you could always start your own. [14]

Corporate

A school is still a business, and needs corporate employees. Accountants, marketing managers, and HR specialists can find places in schools and colleges. You may recruit new staff, manage the finances, or work to make sure the institute is well known. Private schools, especially, need marketing and PR specialists. Recent safety incidents at schools and colleges have brought more demand for such roles.

Conclusion

Education has a lot to offer your career. You can choose where you may want to go based on your goals, qualifications and needs. Remember this — everyday you work shapes the future of your country.

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