The latest ASER results have once again drawn national attention to the dismal state of education in India. The plethora of statistics collectively paint a dire picture, but one statistic has been consistently underscored to illustrate the situation: less than half of grade 5 children in India can read a grade 2 text in English.

In fact, the focus on English comprehension understates the problem by obscuring an even bigger underlying issue – for the 20 million+ students studying in English-medium schools, English language struggles are hindering learning levels across all subjects. The 2013 ASER report found that, in Andhra Pradesh, students at Telugu-medium private schools achieved better outcomes than those in English-medium schools in all subjects but English. This is not India-specific; the 2013/4 EFA Global Monitoring Report highlights studies showing that teaching in a language other than the mother tongue can hold children back.

Does that mean a push towards instruction in native languages is the answer?

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. The rise in English-medium instruction embodies a belief by parents that English represents the path to the upper middle class in India. A confluence of forces indicates that belief is quite accurate: university education is provided exclusively in English, government jobs require English fluency, and the software and IT boom in India has an English foundation. This is why the number of Indian children in English-medium schools has grown from 5 million to 20 million in the past decade, becoming the second-largest medium of instruction. As government schools see more children going to low-fee English medium private schools, there has been an increasing willingness to utilise English-medium instruction in some areas. Overall, the demand for English-medium instruction is real and growing rapidly, driven by significant economic opportunities for those who can achieve fluency.

What is the way out of this dilemma?

The only way to make progress is to upgrade the language infrastructure in India. This means improving English instruction at pre-primary and primary levels before students are well behind grade level in their comprehension. State and national education budgets should prioritise English teacher training, especially for those at the lower grade levels where an estimated 30 per cent of English language teaching positions are unfilled.

Additionally, India must look to the private sector for innovative approaches to delivering English instruction. Two early-stage startups illustrate the potential of private players in addressing the issue. Karadi Path is a Chennai-based company that offers an affordable 1-2 year program to primary schools to accelerate English language learning. The program methodology is based on native language learning in rural India and attempts to create an immersive, experiential English environment in the classroom for both teacher and students. Thus far, the results are promising – Karadi Path is in hundreds of government and affordable private schools, where they’ve seen excellent results in speaking, comprehension and reading gains.

The second example is Zaya*, a Mumbai-based blended learning startup that also seeks to enhance teachers’ abilities to create a more immersive environment. They provide a software solution that allows for a personalised learning experience for K-8 students. With best-in-class English content sandwiched between comprehension questions, the teachers in a Zaya classroom can take a more data-driven approach and allow students to engage deeply and personally in a spoken English environment.

These companies illustrate the potential for new approaches in what has been an intractable challenge to date. In order to make meaningful progress, private sector innovation must be paired with systemic change that supports the training and professional development of English teachers. These efforts must have a sense of urgency; because poor English language comprehension is not just a result of low quality education – it may also be one of the causes.

*Full disclosure: Pearson Affordable Learning Fund is an investor in Zaya.