Primary schooling is considered as important for girls as for boys. Finally, Himachal Pradesh appears to have a cooperative social environment. Most villages have active panchayats and mahila mandals, which are sometimes involved in educational matters. The rapport between parents and teachers too seems to be better in Himachal Pradesh than in the other states covered by probe. If children are absent, teachers often go to their houses to seek them.
Parents are keen to discuss the progress of children with teachers.
Their interest and vigilance seem to have been far more effective than the official inspection system in keeping the schools alive. The need for a major improvement of India's schooling system is obvious enough. If rhetoric is the yardstick, there has been a great leap forward. However, much remains to be done in terms of action. Similarly, the teacher-pupil ratio has been steadily falling in recent years.