School education in India plays a pivotal role in shaping the
future of the nation by providing a foundation for knowledge,
skills, and character development. The education system in India is vast
and diverse, catering to the needs of millions of students across the country. The
school education system in India is divided into different levels, starting
from primary to secondary and higher secondary education. Primary
education forms the foundation of a child's learning journey and typically
covers classes 1 to 5. The focus is on basic subjects like Mathematics, Language,
Science, and Social Studies. The upper primary education spans100 classes 6 to 8 and aims to build
upon the foundation laid in primary education. Students are introduced to more120 advanced topics and subjects to
prepare them for higher classes. Secondary education covers classes 9 to 10. Secondary
education is crucial as it includes board examinations. The curriculum
becomes more specialized, and students have the option to choose
elective subjects based on their interests. Higher secondary education
spans Classes 11 and 12, where students pursue their chosen streams - Science,
Commerce, or Arts. The focus is on in-depth study of chosen subjects, preparing
students for university education.
Despite progress, the200 Indian education system faces challenges such as unequal
access to quality education, obsolete curriculum, and the need
for more practical and vocational learning. Efforts are being made to
address these issues through educational reforms, including the
introduction of the National240 Education Policy 2020, which aims to make education more
inclusive, flexible, and relevant.
One of the unique aspects of school education in India is
its diversity. The country is home to a multitude of languages,
cultures, and traditions. Schools often reflect this diversity, fostering
an environment where students learn not just from textbooks but also
from the rich300 tapestry of experiences that their peers bring to the classroom.
School education in India serves as the foundation for a person's intellectual
and personal development. While challenges exist, ongoing reforms and
initiatives are striving to create a more inclusive, relevant, and holistic
education system. As India continues to progress, the role of school education
in shaping versatile individuals and contributing360 to the nation's growth remains paramount.
The Annual Status of Education Report for 2023 gives a picture
of children’s schooling and learning outcomes in rural India. It shows
that most children between the age of 14 and400 18 have such a poor command of
the basics that they are unable to even match the abilities expected of
students of Classes 2 or 3. With 25 per cent of the children not able to fluently
read any text in their regional language, over half of them failing to do
simple division exercises and more than 42 per cent drawing a blank while
reading simple sentences in English, it is imperative to introspect and
come up with480 remedial steps. The findings are a wake-up call
to identify and plug the gaps in the teaching imparted to children500 in primary classes. Similar deficiencies
have been exposed in various surveys conducted over the years, with the
COVID-19 pandemic especially impacting studies as regular classes were
disrupted. Rural students are a particularly disadvantaged lot as
issues plaguing government schools have remained unresolved for
years. There is little that can be said for school infrastructural
development. State governments continue to grapple with teacher absenteeism
and vacant posts in schools located in remote or interior areas. The only positive
outcome revealed by the Annual Status of Education Report is the expansion
of digital literacy as 90 per cent of the respondents600 possess smartphones and
know how to operate them — with boys having an edge over girls. Perhaps the key
to improving literacy in the country is embedded in this finding.
Policymakers could explore a hybrid teaching mode to reach out effectively640 to the rural children.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has taken the
lead in making a provision for holding examinations for Classes 10 and 12 twice
a year from the 2024-25 academic session. The first set of examinations
is proposed to be conducted in November-December and if some students think
that they could have700 done better, they can take the exam
in February-March to improve their performance, with the best scores being
counted as720 the final result. This is in sync with the changes envisaged in
the national curriculum framework as per the National Education Policy,
2020. Having two options is expected to negate one adverse effect of the
present system: the stress and anxiety associated with a single,
make-or-break examination. It is this pressure that has pushed many students to
the brink and even forced some to end their life. This step by Central Board of
Secondary Education is also intended800 to steer children away from rote learning and comprehensively
assess their command of fundamental academic concepts and skills.
Allowing students the flexibility to choose their subjects rather than confining
themselves to the traditional streams of Science, Commerce and Humanities
is840 another
laudable reform.
This revamp of the school education system would be successful
if it achieves its objectives and makes assessment and evaluation fair
and equitable, bringing students from underprivileged sections of
society on a par with their peers from better-off families. Bridging
the yawning gap between the two groups is imperative for the country to
reap the demographic dividend.900 As the education framework ultimately shifts to a
modular system for all classes, the problems faced by a large proportion
of teenaged students, whose basic reading, writing and computing skills
are poor, may also be addressed.936
