​The perception seems to be that parents want their children to study in the best private schools of the country. But, the reverse is true in rural India. Data from the Annual Status of ​Education Survey (ASER) 2020 showed that parents in rural India have, in fact, shifted their wards from private to government schools. This could possibly be a result of financial stress in these households or due to the private schools themselves shutting down. The highest shift has been seen in the Standard IX and above bracket showing that the trust is higher on state-owned schools when the child gets closer to the board-exams. ​