India, Oct. 6 -- With the exception of a handful of places in the country, government schools across India have long carried a reputation for neglect. What should be cradles nurturing future generations --especially children from disadvantaged communities -- have instead become symbols of bureaucratic apathy, political indifference, teacher neglect, and public silence.

Last month, I visited Firozpur Jhirka in Nuh for a meeting with a local reporter. While travelling together on a motorcycle, our conversation turned to the many problems faced by residents, eventually focusing on the state of education for village children. By then, we had reached Gokalpur, where villagers lamented the poor condition of the local school building. After hea...