PRE-PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC FINANCIAL DYNAMICS OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN RAIPUR DIVISION

The COVID-19 pandemic essentially changed the financial situation of the Indian private school, and the areas with a significant effect were such as the Division of Raipur in Chhattisgarh. This paper presents the financial performance of the private schools in the pre-pandemic (2019-2020) and post-pandemic (2020-2022) years via the deep analysis of the enrollment trends, sources of revenues, and operational issues in the form of national and state data. The study hypothesized the dramatic financial decline of the pandemic in the context of the sphere of private schools, which triggered the loss of enrollment and revenues, as well as the disturbance of operations. This documentary reading used Secondary data under UDISE+ reports, Ministry of Education publications, and peer-reviewed research studies to analyze enrollment, fee collection trends, infrastructure trends, and teacher employment patterns in the country with particular focus to Chhattisgarh state indicators. Findings indicated that in 2020-21 the national enrollment in private schools had fallen by 3.1 percent, and this corresponded to the loss of 3.1 million students. The average loss of revenue was 40-60 per cent as a result of unpaid fees, and 89 per cent. of schools said they were financially stressed. Even when schools became physically closed 39% increased fees. The state of Chhattisgarh created 45 per cent of the risk of the closure of private schools, and 82 per cent of students showed the presence of digital learning gaps. The recovery after the pandemic was characterized by slow restoration of enrolments of 6.9% in 2023-24, yet operational financial instability remained. The paper concludes that the private schools were in a financial crisis never before, and structural adjustment is needed to sustain and recover.