| National Policy On Education
From time to time new goals are set up from time to time for educational
development. There have been mainly two comprehensive statements
on national policy on education. They were the statements of 1968
and 1986. The 1968 policy was the aftermath of the recommendations
of the National Commission on Education 1964-66 which emphasized
on such areas like quality improvement, expansion of educational
facilities and more stress on educational facilities. The 1986 policy
was the aftermath of the renewed priority assigned by the government
under the late Prime Minster Rajiv Gandhi. This policy was modified
in 1992 by recommendations based on the committee chaired by Acharya
Ramamurthi.
Policy Framework
State policy in all sectors is ultimately guided by the supreme
constitution of India. The constitution has lot of provisions which
have bearing on education. Some of the features are provision of
free and compulsory education to all the children up to the age
of fourteen years, Education in general is the concurrent responsibility
of the union and the states, Local authorities through individual
state legislations are to be assigned a suitable role in education
and state governments and local governments are expected to provide
facilities for instruction in the mother tongue The Directive Principle
contained in Article 45 enjoins that " the State shall endeavor
to provide within a period of ten years from the commencement of
this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children
until they complete the age of fourteen years". Article 29
(i) provides that any citizen having a distinct language, script,
special care of the economic and educational interests of the underprivileged
sections, particularly, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
is laid down as an obligation of the State under article 46.
Structure and Progress of School Education in India
There is great focus on the structure, magnitude and organization
of education in India . Also priority areas in education and its
growth is also emphasized on . There are about 888 thousands educational
institutions in the country with an enrolment of about 179 millions.
Elementary Education System in India is the second largest in the
World with 149.4 millions children of 6-14 years enrolled and 2.9
million teachers. This is about 82% of the children in the age group
Structure of School Education
By and large a common structure is adopted across the states. Every
state and union territory follows the 10 +2 system .But there are
variations among states in the age for admission to class I, medium
of instruction, public examinations, teaching of Hindi and English,
number of working days in a year, the number of classes constituting
the Primary, Upper Primary, High and Higher Secondary school stages,
academic session, vacation periods, fee structure, compulsory education
etc.
Stages of School Education In India
A. The Primary Stage consists of Classes I-V, i.e., of five years
duration, in 20 States/UTs namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh,
Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura,
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh,
Delhi and Karaikal and Yanam regions of Pondicherry. The primary
stage consists of classes I-IV in Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Dadra & Nagar
Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Mahe region of Pondicherry
B. The Middle Stage of education comprises Classes VI-VIII in as
many as 18 States.Uts viz., Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman
& Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi and Karaikal region of
Pondicherry; Classes V-VII in Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman
& Diu, Lakshadweep and Mahe region of Pondicherry and Classes
VI-VII in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Yanam region of Pondicherry.
In Nagaland Classes V - VIII constitute the upper primary stage.
C. The Secondary Stage consists of Classes IX-X in 19 States/UTs.
Viz., Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
& Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan
, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman
& Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi and Karaikal region of
Pondicherry. The High School stage comprises classes VIII to X in
13 States/UTs viz., Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa, Dadra & Nagar
Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Mahe & Yanam regions
of Pondicherry. However, the Higher Secondary / Senior Secondary
stage of school comprising classes XI-XII (10+2 pattern) is available
in all the States/UTs though in some States/UTs these classes are
attached to Universities/Colleges.
Age Restriction For Admission
The minimum age for admission to class I of the Primary School stage
is generally 5+ or 6+ years. In 22 States/UTs the minimum age for
admission to Class I is 5+ years and in 7 States/UTs the minimum
age for admission is 6+ years. There is no age restriction in the
case of Mizoram. In Gujarat, the minimum age for admission is 5+
years (voluntary) and 6+ years (compulsory). In Lakshadweep, the
minimum age for admission is 5 ½ years.
Medium Of Instruction
Mother tongue or regional language is the medium of instruction
at the primary stage of education in most of the States/UTs. Facilities
for studying in a medium other than regional language vary considerable
in different States and Union Territories.
Teaching Of Hindi
Apart from Hindi speaking States, teaching of Hindi is compulsory
in most of the non-Hindi speaking States/UTs, though the classes
from which the teaching of Hindi is compulsory differ from State
to State. Teaching of Hindi is not compulsory in the States of Tamil
Nadu, Tripura and Karaikal region of Pondicherry.
Teaching Of English
Teaching of English is compulsory in all the States/UTs, except
Bihar. However, the classes in which teaching of English is compulsory
differs from State to State. In general, it is compulsory in Classes
VI-X in most of the States/UTs.
Public Examinations
In all the States/UTs Public Examinations are conducted at the end
of X an XII Classes by the respective State Boards of Secondary
and Higher Secondary Education. The minimum age for the Secondary
School Examination varies from 14+ to 16+ years in Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura,
West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Lakshadweep and
Pondicherry. In Mizoram, the minimum age for secondary school examination
is 13+ years. Other States/UTs either do not have age restriction
or have not prescribed any age restriction. The minimum age for
higher Secondary School Examination varies from 16+ to 18+ years
in Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. In other States/UTs,
either there is no age restriction prescribed or if it exists, it
has not been indicated. In some of the States/UTs, the first Public
Examination is also conducted at the Middle stage of School Education.
Number Of Working Days
The number of working days of School Education in a year is generally
more than 200 days in all the States/UTs.
Academic Session
The academic session begins from different months of the year in
the different States and Union Territories. However, in most of
the States, the long vacation periods are availed in the summer
season while in some of the hilly States, these fall in the winter
months.
Compulsory Education
Compulsory education has been enforced in four States and Union
Territories at the primary stage of education while in eight States/UTs
there is compulsory education covering the entire elementary stage
of education. As many as 20 States/UTs have not introduced any measure
of compulsion upto the year 1997-98.
Free Education
A majority of States and Union Territories have introduced free
education in Classes I-XII of their schools.
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