Education
Historically, Varanasi has been an educational center within India, drawing students and scholars from across the country. Varanasi has an overall literacy rate of 80 percent (male literacy: 85%, female literacy: 75%). It is home of a number of colleges and universities. Most notably, it is the site of Banaras Hindu University, which – with over 20,000 students – is one of the largest residential universities in Asia The Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi is an Institute of National Importance in Varanasi and is one of the 16 IITs all over India. Other colleges and universities in Varanasi include Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Imania Arabic College, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (at Sarnath), Institute of Integrated Management and Technology (IIMT), Udai Pratap Autonomous College, Nav Sadhana Kala Kendra, and numerous others.
Schools in Varanasi are affiliated with the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), or the U. P. Board. The overall "state of education in Varanasi is ... not good". Schools in Varanasi vary widely in quality, with private schools outperforming government schools. In government schools, many teachers fail to come to class or fail to teach children. Some government schools lack basic equipment, such as blackboards and sufficient desks and chairs for all students. Private schools vary in quality, with the most expensive conducting lessons in English (seen as a key to children's success) and even having computers in classrooms. Pupils attending the more expensive private schools (with tuition around 300 Rs./month in 2001–2002), tended to come from upper-class families. Lower-cost private schools (with tuition around 50 Rs./month in 2001–2002) also attracted children from lower-income families, or at least those lower-income families with higher educational aspirations. Government schools tend to serve lower-class children with lower educational aspirations.
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