School Education in India – A detailed Analysis

India has a vast education system with over 1.4 million schools and more than 260 million students, makes India one of the largest education systems in the world. 

The responsibility of education in India is primarily concerned with the state governments and local authorities, whereas the role of the central government is to provide guidelines and frame education policies such as NEP 2020. The duty of implementation of education policies is given to the state governments.

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School Education in India 2024

As per the Indian constitution, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, guarantees every child between the ages of six and fourteen the fundamental right to receive free and compulsory education. This means that all children in India within this age group are entitled to attend school without any cost and it is mandatory for them to do so.

School education in India is divided into several levels:

 1) primary education (grades 1-5), 

2) upper primary education (grades 6-8)

3) secondary education (grades 9-10), and 

4) higher secondary education (grades 11-12)

History of School Education in India

In ancient times, Gurukul was the first educational system which dates back to 5000 B.C in India. In the Gurukul system of education, Shishyas (students) would live with their Guru (teacher) in an ashram (hermitage).

The aim of the gurukul education system was to provide holistic education to students, which included not just academic knowledge, but also physical, emotional, and spiritual development.

In the Gurukul education system, the mode of communication & teaching was ancient sanskrit language and the aim of education was holistic development of students.

In the past, education in India was reserved mostly for children considered to be higher-caste. However, new education policies have been aimed to achieve equal opportunities and the right to education for all children, irrespective of one’s social class. 

Modern School education in India

The Indian government has made significant efforts to improve access to education in recent years, with initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program, which aims to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged 6-14 years old. 

With the aim & objective to provide universal high quality education, the Indian government launched a new national education policy on 29 July, 2020. 

However, despite these efforts, there are still significant disparities in access to education, particularly for girls and children from marginalised communities.

Most schools in India follow a formal classroom-based teaching method, where the teacher imparts knowledge to the students using various tools such as blackboards, projectors, and audio-visual aids. 

However, efforts are being made on incorporating modern teaching methods such as e-learning, gamification, and project-based learning to make education more engaging and interactive.

However, despite these efforts, there are still significant disparities in access to education, particularly for girls and children from marginalised communities.

Stages of School Education in India

The school education system in India is divided into several stages, each stage with its own unique characteristics and objectives. The different stages of school education in India are given below:

• Pre-primary education
• Primary education
• Upper primary education
• Secondary education
• Higher Secondary education

Pre-primary education

Pre-primary education aims to prepare children for formal schooling by developing their social, emotional & cognitive skills. This stage is not mandatory and is only meant for children between the ages of 3-6 years.

Primary Education

The aim of Primary education is to provide basic literacy, numeracy, and life skills to the children, and typically includes subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, English, and regional languages. 

This is the first stage of formal schooling and is compulsory for all children aged 6-11 years.

Middle Stage Education

This stage is for children between the ages of 11-14 years and builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in primary education. 

The curriculum of Upper primary education typically includes more advanced subjects such as algebra, geometry, history, and geography.

Secondary education

The secondary education starts from class 9th to 10th. Children between the ages of 14-16 years are enrolled in secondary education. This stage prepares them for higher education or vocational training. In most of the education boards this is the time when student student first appear in the boards exams i.e. in class 10th.

Higher Secondary education

This stage is meant for students who wish to pursue higher education or vocational training. This stage includes more advanced subjects such as mathematics, science, and humanities, and aims to prepare students for higher education or the job market.

School Education Boards in India

There are several school education boards in India that are responsible for managing and regulating the education system in the country. The total number of education boards in India can be broadly classified into four categories:

• Central Boards/All India Level Boards
• State Boards
• International Boards
• Other Boards

Central Boards/All India Level Boards

These boards are responsible for managing the education system at the national level and are controlled by either the central government of India or any private educational organisation approved by GOI . 

These educational boards are very popular in India and provide affiliation to thousands of schools all over the country. 

Some of the major central boards in India are:

a. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

b. Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

State Education Boards

These boards are responsible for managing the education system at the state level and are controlled by the respective state governments. 

The state education boards operate under the purview of their respective state governments’ education departments. Their responsibilities include advising the state government on education-related policies, developing guidelines for education within the state, creating academic curricula, assessing student performance, and allocating funds to schools.

List of state education boards in India

The list of state education boards in India are given below:

• UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board)
• West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBSE)
• Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (Rajasthan Board)
• Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE)
• Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh 
• Punjab School Education Board (PSEB)
• Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (Chhattisgarh Board)
• Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH)
• Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha
• Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education (TNBSE)
• Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE)
• Board of Secondary Education, Manipur
• Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE)
• Himachal Pradesh School Education Board (HPSEB)
• Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)
• Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE)
• Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC)
• Gujarat Secondary and Higher Education Board (GSEB)
• Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE)
• Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB)
• Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA)
• Department of Higher Secondary Education, Kerala (DHSE)
• Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE)
• Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE)
• Telangana Board (BSETS)
• Jammu & Kashmir Board (JKBOSE)
• Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE)

International Boards

These boards follow a curriculum that is recognised internationally and are meant for students who wish to pursue higher education or careers abroad. Some of the major international boards in India are:

a. International Baccalaureate (IB)

b. Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)

Other Boards

Apart from the above-mentioned boards, there are several other boards in India that cater to specific needs or sections of the society. Some examples include:

a. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

b. State Open Schools (SOS)

Government Initiatives to Improve school education in India

The central & state government has initiated several programmes and polices to uplift the standard of school education and make compulsory & quality education accessible to all. Some of these programmes are:

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

This program was launched by the government of India to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 6 and 14. The goal & objective of this program is to increase enrollment, reduce dropout rates, and improve the quality of school education in the country.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) is a scheme launched by the MHRD (now ministry of education) government of India in the March 2009. The objective of this scheme was to provide universal access to secondary level education and remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers across all publish schools in India.

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