Labour has a better story to tell on education, especially in primary schools (see second chart).

ECONOMIST: Blair's government

In a speech on Tuesday, Mr Gove said more male teachers were needed, especially in primary schools "to provide children who often lack male role models at home with male authority figures who can display both strength and sensitivity".

BBC: One in four primary schools still has no male teachers

The government schools reaching into city and rural areas and the missionary schools had been the backbone of primary and secondary education, but in recent decades a mushrooming of private schools, especially in the urban areas, has drastically changed the scenario.

FORBES: From Vedas To Cloud: The Transformation Of Education In India