Why Cascade Training Fails in Indian Budget Schools — And What to Do Instead

However, the basis for selection was worrying. The teachers were chosen not for their instructional capability or readiness, but primarily for tenure. Two of the three had limited English proficiency, even though English was the medium of instruction for the training. The expectation was that these teachers would later return and train the rest of the staff.

This raises an uncomfortable but essential question:

How can teachers who are still negotiating language, concepts, and confidence be expected to act as trainers for others?

When such initiatives fail — as they often do — the conclusion is predictable: “The training didn’t work.” Rarely do we ask whether participant selection and cascade expectations were realistic to begin with.

This situation is similar to taking a photocopy-of-a-photocopy.

Results of cascade training begin to resemble repeatedly photocopying a worksheet.

Each copy / generation loses:

• Finer details
• Sharpness / clarity

In Indian schools, this dilution of training impact is intensified by:

• Language barriers of the “master” trainers (English or Hindi as second languages)
• Limited time for reflection
• Pressure to “finish the syllabus”

By the time training reaches the rest of the teachers, what remains is often a simplified checklist, not a change in teaching practice.

A Well-Intentioned Shortcut

Indian low-fee private schools operate under severe limitations — financial, operational, human, and sometimes management intent. Within this reality, a common professional development strategy has emerged: send one or two teachers for training and ask them to train everyone else.

On the surface, this seems practical. In practice, it has become one of the most misleading shortcuts in teacher development. As the founder of an EdTech organisation, I have seen this model repeatedly fail — not because teachers lack intent, but because the system misunderstands how professional learning actually works.

The Indian Training Paradox: High Coverage, Low Impact

India has invested heavily in teacher training over the last decade. Most teachers would have attended some form of professional development programmes, either government initiatives such as NISHTHA or through private organisations.

Yet, ASER and NAS data continue to show:

• Persistent learning gaps
• Weak conceptual understanding
• Limited classroom transfer of “trained” practices

Training exposure does not equal instructional improvement. The problem lies not in the quantity of training, but in its design and dissemination.

What Cascade Training Assumes — And Why Those Assumptions Fail

Cascade training rests on three flawed assumptions:

• Training is primarily about information
• Information can be transferred intact
• Any trained teacher can train others

Teacher development research and everyday school experience contradict all three. Teaching expertise is contextual, embodied, and practice-based — it cannot be passed down a chain without loss.

Absorption Capacity: The Missing Variable

Teachers, like students, have a finite capacity to absorb new learning. Most Indian teachers return from training to:

• Full teaching loads (often 30–40 periods a week)
• Examination pressure
• Administrative responsibilities

Expecting them to deeply internalise new pedagogy and support colleagues — without time, preparation, or authority — is not efficiency. It is overload.

Teachers Are Not Trainers by Default

Being an effective trainer requires:

• Pedagogical clarity
• Facilitation skills
• Confidence to handle resistance
• Ability to model practice

NEP 2020 recognises this gap and advocates continuous professional development, mentoring, coaching, and school-based learning communities — approaches that cascade training aligns poorly with.

A Leadership Choice

Improving teaching quality is a leadership decision, not a logistical one.

School leaders must ask:

• Are we designing training for coverage or impact?
• Are we setting teachers up to succeed — or to absorb blame?

If your school is grappling with these questions and wants to design teacher development that works within Indian realities, we at Chippersage would be happy to support that conversation.