ASSIGNMENT ON

M.ED/3/SP/301 – B
SECONDARY EDUCATION : INSTITUTIONS, STRUCTURE AND
ISSUES

TOPIC : DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY AND HIGHER

SECONDARY EDUCATION DURING POST INDEPENDENT PERIOD

SUBMITTED BY :
LALTHAKIMA
M.ED 3RD SEMESTER
ROLL NO – 15

INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES IN EDUCATION

Development of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education during post
independent period.
= On August 15, 1947 India attained independence from the British
domination. This gave the people of the country the first fullest opportunity to
mould their educational policy according to the needs of the nation in the fast
changing times. But this opportunity was not free from heavy responsibilities
that lay ahead for reorienting the entire system of education, which apart from
enabling the coming generations to develop their natural faculties may also
enable them to rebuild a new India. The content of learning, which from the
very beginning of the British era had been mainly of a general and theoretical
nature, had to be given a practical basis. The country needed a large number of
technicians, engineers, doctors, scientists and other skilled workers who could
impart a new shape to various things in the developing economy of the country,
which had been languishing under colonial exploitation for about two centuries.

The most important problems in the field of education before the national
government were the expansion of facilities for mass compulsory elementary
education, reform of the secondary and university educational systems, to
develop vocational and technical education at various levels, to encourage
women education and also to reorganize the structure of educational
administration. With a view to fulfill all these objectives, the Central and State
Governments have been endeavouring to give a concrete shape to various
programmes under the Five-year Plans.
Administration of Education
Since 1947, Education Department in the Center has developed in a full-fledged
Ministry under the Central Government. The education at the State level is
primarily the responsibility of the State Governments; the Union Government is
concerned only with the coordination and determination of academic standards
in respect of higher education, research and scientific and technical education.
The problem of standards and co-ordination in the sphere of higher education is
now the responsibility of the University Grants Commission. Co-ordination in
regard to primary and secondary education is secured through All-India
Councils. The Union Government is also managing Central Universities of
Delhi, Aligarh, Benaras and Shantiniketan and other such institutions of
national importance as may be decided by the Parliament of the country. The
Central Advisory Board of Education lays down the general educational policy.
The Board has four Standing Committees dealing with the primary, secondary,
university and social
education. These Standing Committees formulate aims and objectives, assess
present position and draw up future plans of development in their respective
fields.
In the States there is an Education Minister assisted by subordinate Ministers
and then a secretary to execute the government’s plans. The Director of
Education controls the Elementary and Secondary education in states with the
help of inspectorate, which is directly responsible for the supervision of schools.
The Universities in India are purely autonomous bodies, whereas secondary
institutions are partly under the State Government, partly under local bodies and
largely under private control, but recognized and aided by the State departments
of education. The majority of educational institutions are managed on grant-in–
aid basis, by non-governmental agencies, such as local bodies, religious or
denominational trusts, private associations or individuals.

Modern Education System in India

Soon after gaining independence in 1947, making education available to all had
become a priority for the government. As discrimination on the basis of caste
and gender has been a major impediment in the healthy development of the
Indian society, they have been made unlawful by the Indian constitution. The
86th constitutional amendment has also made elementary education a
fundamental right for the children between the age group 6 to 14. According to
the 2001 census, the total literacy rate in India is 65.38%. The female literacy
rate is only 54.16%. The gap between rural and urban literacy rate is also very
significant in India. This is evident from the fact that only 59.4% of rural
population is literate as against 80.3% urban population according to the 2001
census.

The present education system in India mainly comprises of primary education,

secondary education, senior secondary education and higher education.
Elementary education consists of eight years of education. Each of secondary
and senior secondary education consists of two years of education. Higher
education in India starts after passing the higher secondary education or the 12th
standard. Depending on the stream, completing graduation in India can take
three to five years. Postgraduate courses are generally of two to three years of
duration. After completing post graduation, scope for doing research in various
educational institutes also remains open.
There are quite a good number of educational institutes in India that can
compete with the best educational institutes of the world. The Indian Institutes
of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes
of Science, National Law Schools, Jawaharlal Nehru University are some such
institutes. The growing acceptance of distance learning courses and expansion
of the Open
University system is also contributing a lot in the democratization of higher
education in India.
Secondary Education Commission (1952-53)
On September 23, 1952, the Government of India appointed the Secondary
Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr. A.L. Swami Mudaliar.
Also known as the Mudaliar Commission after his name. The Commission
studied the various problems of secondary education in the country and
submitted its report on August 29, 1953 in 240 pages consisting of 15 chapters.
The Commission was basically required to study deeply the various problems of
secondary education and to suggest measures for reforms on aims, teaching
arrangements, organization, the relationship of secondary education with
primary and university education, the useful pattern of secondary education for
the whole country. The Commission pointed out various defects in the existing
pattern of secondary education and suggested various reforms.
NEW ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN

1. Duration of Secondary Education

The commission has recommended that the secondary education should be for
children between 11 to 17 years of age. It has divided this 7 years education into
two parts:
a) Middle or Junior high school stage for 3 years
b) Higher secondary stage which should cover a period of 4 years

2. 3 year degree course

The commission recommended that the degree courses should consist of 3
years ,where the abolition of separate intermediate stage and of the intermediate
examination and the institution of a three year degree course would undoubtedly
considerable saving of time and a better planning of educational programme and
activities during the three-year degree period.
 3. Curriculum and co-curriculum
a) At the Middle school stage, the curriculum should include (i) Languages
(1i) Social Studies; (iii) General Science; (iv) Mathematics; (v) art and
Music; (vi) Craft; and (vii) Physical education.
b) At the High school or Higher Secondary stage, diversified courses of
instruction should be provided for the pupils.
c) A certain number of core subjects should be common to all students
whatever the diversified courses of study that they may take; these should
consist of (1) Languages, (ii) General Science, (iii) Social Studies, and
(iv) a Craft.
d) Diversified courses of study should include the following seven groups:
(i) Humanities, (ii) Sciences, (iii) Technical subjects, (iv) Commercial
subjects, (v) Agricultural subjects, (vi) Fine Arts, and (vii) Home Science,
as and when necessary additional diversified courses may be added.
e) The diversified curriculum should begin in the second year of the high
school or Higher Secondary school stage.

Co-curriculum/Extra curricular activities

Extra-curricular activities should form an integral part of education imparted in
the school and all teachers should devote adequate time to such activities. The
State should give adequate financial assistance to the Scout Movement and
should help to secure suitable sites for Scout Camps; schools should, as far as
possible, afford an opportunity for groups of their students to spend a few days
every year at such camps. The N.C.C. should be brought under the Central
Government which should take the responsibility for its proper maintenance,
improvement and expansion. Training in First Aid, St John’s Ambulance and
Junior Red Cross work should be encouraged in all schools.
4. TEXTBOOK
With a view to improving the quality of textbooks prescribed a high power
Textbook Committee should be constituted which should consign of a high
dignitary 0f the judiciary of the State, preferably a Judge of the High Court. a
Member of the Public Service Commission of the region concerned, a Vice
Chancellor of the region, a headmaster or headmistress in the State, two
distinguished educationists and the Director of Education; this Committee
should function as an independent body.
A) A fund should be maintained from the amount realised from the sale of
publications which may be utilised for awarding scholarships, and
providing books and certain other amenities for school children.
B) The Textbook Committee should lay down clear criteria for the type of
paper illustration printing and format of the book.
C) The Central Government should set up a new institution, or help some
existing Art schools to develop training in the technique of book
illustration.
D) The Central and State Governments should maintain libraries of blocks
of good illustrations. which could be loaned to Textbook Committee and
publishers in order to Improve the standard of book illustration.
E) Single textbooks should not be prescribed for every subject of study, but
a reasonable number of books which satisfy the standards laid down
should be recommended leaving the choice to the schools concerned.
F) In the case of languages, however, definite textbooks should be
prescribed for each class to ensure prepare gradation.
G) No book prescribed as a textbook or as a book for general study should
contain any passage or statement which might offend the religious or
social susceptibilities of any section of the community or might
indoctrinate the minds of the young students with particular political or
religious ideologies.
H) Frequent changes in textbooks and books prescribed for-study should be
discouraged.

5. Method of teaching
a) The methods of teaching in schools should aim not merely at the
imparting of knowledge in an efficient manner, but at Inculcating
desirable values and proper attitudes and habits of work m the
students.
b) They should, in particular, endeavour to create in the students a
genuine attachment to work and a desire to do it as efficiently,
honestly and thoroughly as possible.
c) The emphasis in teaching should shift from verbalism and
memorization to learning through purposeful, concrete and realistic
situations and, for this purpose, the principles of “Activity Method”
and “Project Method” should be assimilated in school practice.
 d) Teaching methods should provide opportunities for students to learn
actively and to apply practically the knowledge that they have
acquired in the classroom. “Expression Work” of different kinds must.
therefore, form part of the programme in every school subject.
e) Teaching methods should aim less at imparting the maximum
quantum of knowledge possible and more on training students in the
techniques of study and methods of acquiring knowledge through
personal efforts and initiative.
f) A well-thought out attempt should be made to adopt methods of
instruction to the needs of individual students as much as possible so
that dull, average and bright students may all have a chance to
progress at their own pace.
g) Students should be 'given adequate opportunity to work in groups and
to carry out group projects and activities so as to develop in them the
qualities necessary for group life and cooperative work.
h) In the teaching of all subjects special stress should be placed on clear
thinking and clear expression both in speech and writing.
i) In order to popularize progressive teaching methods and facilitate their
introduction “Experimental” and “Demonstration’ schools should be
established and given Special encouragement where they exist. so that
they may try out new methods freely without being fettered by too
many departmental restrictions.

6. Examination and evaluation

a) The number of external examinations should be reduced and the element
of subjectivity in the essay-type tests should be minimized by introducing
objective tests and also by changing the type of questions.
b) In order to find out the pupil’s all around progress and to determine his
future a proper system of school records should be maintained for every
pupil indicating the work done by him from time to time and his
attainments in the different spheres.
c) In the final assessment of the pupils due credit should be given to the
internal tests and the school records of the pupils.
d) The system of symbolic rather than numerical marking should be adopted
for evaluating and grading the work of the pupil in external and internal
examinations and in maintaining the school records.
 e) There should be one public examination at the completion of the
Secondary school course.
f) The certificate awarded should contain besides the results of the public
examination in different subjects, the results of the school tests in
subjects not included in the public examination as well as the gist of the
school records.
g) The system of compartmental examinations should be introduced at the
final public examination.

7. Medium of Instruction
Mother-tongue or the regional language should generally be the medium of
instruction throughout the Secondary school stage, Subject to the provision that
for linguistic minorities special facilities should be made available on the lines
suggested by the Central Advisory Board of Education.
During the Middle school stage, every child should be taught at least two
languages. English and Hindi should be introduced at the end of the Junior
Basic stage, subject to the principle that no two languages should be introduced
in the same year.
At the High and Higher Secondary stage, at least two languages should be
studied, one of which being the mother-tongue the regional language.
8. Technical education
Technical schools should be set up in large numbers either separately or part
multi-purpose school. Suitable legislation should be passed making it
compulsory for the industry to provide facilities to students for particular
apprenticeship training .
9. Improvement of teacher’s status
1. Trained teachers should be appointed to teach higher classes.
2. The policy of same pay for the same work and ability should be adopted.
3. Teachers should be given handsome salary in order that the society may
respect them.
4. Teachers should be given pension, provident fund and life insurance benefits
in order to give then some economic security. The Government should provide
these facilities.
5. The children of teachers should be given free education.
6. Teachers and their dependents should be given free medical service.
7. Separate committees should be appointed for removing the difficulties of
teachers.
8. The retirement age for teachers should be 60 years.
9. The teachers should not be permitted to take up tuition of students.
Training of teachers
The Commission has suggested that for junior classes at least higher secondary
school and for senior classes at least graduate teachers should be appointed.
These teachers should be given two years training.

10.Management and administration

The Commission has given the following suggestions in this respect:
1. The post of Education Director should be equivalent to the Joint Secretary of
the secretariat and he should advise the minister in this capacity.
2. Central and State Committees should be organised for giving advice on
secondary education.
3. The District Inspector of Schools should not only find faults with teachers but
should also assist them in performance of their duties. They should solve their
problems arising from time to time and should acquaint them with latest
developments in the field of education.
4. The Secondary Education Board should be organised under the chairmanship
of Education Director who should arrange for secondary education in his State.
5. A Board for teachers’ training should be established.
6. New schools should be recognized only when they fulfill all conditions.
7. The State Government should organize a Committee for management and
administration of schools. This Committee should be responsible for the
management and administration of schools, but it must not interfere with the
work of the Principal.
11. Finance
For this the Commission has given the following suggestions:
1. The Government should be responsible for providing vocational education.
2. Industrial education should be levied for the development of vocational and
technical education.
3. The Centre should give financial aid to States for education.
4. No octopi and toll tax should be levied on goods purchased for education
institutions.
The recommendations of Mudaliar commission  emphasized on the dominant
needs of the present situation and recommended for bringing  revolutionary
changes in Secondary education. The suggestions regarding training of
character in the emerging social order, improvement of practical and vocational
efficiency through education and development of human qualities are note
worthy to be praised.
Narendradeo Committees on Secondary Education.
Two Narendradeo Committees were set up to suggest reforms in secondary
education. The First Narendradeo Committee was set up in 1939 during the
First Congress Ministry in U.P. The Committee recommended Hindustani as the
medium of instruction for children between 7 and 14 years of age. It gave some
suggestions for Basic Education and Secondary Education. The Second
Narendradeo Committee was set up in 1952-53. The current system of
secondary education in U.P. is a contribution of this Committee.
National Policies on Education ( 1968 )
The necessity of national policy on education cannot be over emphasized, as it
is related to the essential development of a country. It was in 1968, for the first
time that a national policy on education was formulated for preparing suitable
hands for shouldering responsibilities in the various fields of our national
reconstructions. Number of programmes was included in this policy viz. free
and compulsory education, development and protection of all the Indian
languages, equality of educational opportunities, identification of gifted
children, provision of work experience and national service scheme, science
education and research, education in Agriculture and Industries, reform in
examination system, part time education and correspondence curriculum,
expansion of literacy and adult education and sports and games.
National Policies on Education ( 1986 )
PRESENT SITUATION
There were 56323 secondary/higher secondary schools and 1,23,000 upper
primary schools in 1983. This would give a ratio of 1:2.5. The enrolment at
secondary level was 97,45,519 and at higher secondary level 51,01,435 in 1983.
There are unserved areas in the country where, there is no school for 10 to 20
kms like in some tribal areas, desert or hilly areas where the low density of
population does not allow enough children to be enrolled. An area may also be
unserved though near a school if a physical barrier like river or mountain
separates it.
PRE-REQUISITES & BROAD PARAMETERS OF STRATEGY
ENVISAGED
Secondary and higher secondary education is on the one hand terminal for those
who enter the world of work after this stage. For such people a strengthened
vocational scheme should form the main plank of strategy. For the rest it is
preparatory to higher education and, therefore, a good grounding in the subject
area should be provided along with learning orientation. The improvement in
management system of which perhaps the school complex system and improved
supervisory system are the most important should be the main programmes
during the 7th Plan and would continue thereafter. A flexible and interactive
teaching programme supported by adequate laboratories and libraries would be
a pre-requisite for learning- oriented education. A programme of curricular
reform and examination/evaluation reform would provide conditions for a good
grounding in subject areas.
The policy relating to secondary education implies extension of the school
system in the unserved areas consolidating the existing facilities and providing
special arrangements for the gifted children and the high achievers. This would
mean that it would require
(a) Programme to ensure access to secondary education being widened to cover
unserved areas:
(b) Programme of consolidation in other areas/schools:
(c) Programme of setting up Navodaya Vidyalayas
PROGRAMMES & IMPLEMENTATION
As a short term measure the State Governments would be persuaded to open
secondary schools in unserved areas taking blocks as a unit having a lower ratio
than 1:2.5 duly considering the present distance of habitation from the nearest
secondary school and population in the unserved habitations. As a medium and
long term measure a programme of school mapping in each state for locating
schools to cover all areas will be taken up. The technique of school mapping
will be followed both for planning and implementation for location of
secondary schools on the basis of clearly defined norms and standards. Special
emphasis will be laid in this study on backward areas, areas predominantly
inhabitated by SC/ST and schooling facilities for girls. School clusters will be
established with secondary school as its lead school and upper primary schools
in the catchment area. The ratio of upper primary to primary schools will be
attempted to be kept at 1:3 as recommended by the Kothari Commission. This
programme would be taken up by NIEPA in cooperation with SCERTs. This
exercise can be completed by 1988 and from 1989 onwards it could be
implemented. By 2000 the unserved areas will be fully served. The funds
required for this purpose which cannot be estimated now will be fully met by
the State Governments only.
3. For the products of non-formal education at elementary stage many of whom
will continue to find it difficult to attend full time school and for the working
people who have missed the secondary school and others of this type, a flexible,
non-formal arrangement is needed at secondary and higher secondary level.
This requirement is proposed to be met by open schools. Open schools would be
established in a phased manner by 1990 with a resource centre in each district.
These resource centres should be located in or linked to the selected secondary
teacher training institutions or the district institutes of education.
4. It is known that the secondary and higher secondary schools are under-
provided particularly in the rural areas in terms of buildings, teachers and
school facilities but the extent of these shortages have not been surveyed in all
aspects. The programme of consolidation envisaged in the policy will have the
following components of which the cost cannot be precisely estimated:
(a) Adequate playground facilities where needed will have to be provided
by making available nearby vacant land and in other places by arranging
for sharing of such facility with neighbouring school as a priority
programme during the 7th Plan.

(b) A programme for construction of additional class- rooms and

laboratory facilities in schools to the extent they are deficient will be
taken up. School education is mainly looked after by the State
Governments and local bodies. If possible the Central Government may
consider supplementation of resources.

(c) Every school must have laboratories and other facilities as specified in
the terms of recognition of the Board of Secondary/Higher secondary
education to which it is affiliated. These norms have been developed by
the NCERT and KVS also. Taking into consideration the past experience
that the equipment once given is not replaced and even maintained it is
suggested that community participation by way of student contribution at
the rate of Rs. 10 to 15 per month should be levied, except from girls and
other exempt from payment of tuition fee. This collection should remain
in the school for replacement and maintenance purposes.

(d) The teacher competencies would be improved by attracting better

qualified people to the profession as envisaged in the policy and by
improving the pre-service and in-service training programmes through
strengthened secondary teacher training institutions. The process will
begin straightaway and will be continued for consistently upgrading
teachers' competencies.

(e) As envisaged in the Policy the core-curriculum will play an important

role in educational consolidation. This will be followed by overall
improvement in curriculum, the textual material, teaching practices and
examination/evaluation methods.

(f) The Kothari Commission suggested that the ratio of higher secondary
and secondary schools should be 1:3. This should be ensured. A large
number of higher secondary schools have only one or two streams out of
humanities, science and commerce and most do not have vocational
stream. As an important programme in the process of consolidation,
schools should be helped to have all the three streams and a vocational
stream in selected schools. This will be the responsibility of the State
Government concerned. Vocational stream would be set up with the
assistance of the Government of India as may be determined.

5. The programme for bright children has two parts one is for potentially
high achievers particularly in the areas who are substantially left
uncovered by the present system and the other is the programme for the
gifted students who can be expected to make original contribution in their
subject areas if properly nurtured.

Under the scheme of Navodaya Vidyalayas for catering to the category of

high achievers one such Vidyalaya will be set up in each district during
the 7th Five Year Plan period. These schools will make available good
quality education irrespective of the parents' capacity to pay and their
socioeconomic background. In these schools there will be 75%
 reservation for children from rural areas. There will be reservation for SC
and ST as per their actual population in, the district subject to a minimum
of nationally prescribed figure of 15 and 7 1/2 for SC & ST respectively.
An effort will be made to cover girls to the extent of 1/3 in a school.
Education will be free including boarding and lodging in these schools.
These schools will be affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary
Education.
The gifted students frequently have pronounced competence in a limited
subject area accompanied by indifference in certain other areas.
Therefore, arrangements for such students cannot be fitted into regular
courses of study. Special arrangements for such students will have to
provide teaching/learning on modular basis for every small group of
students in a small number of subjects of interest to them. Such
arrangements will be characterised by large facilities, higher teacher-
student ratio and regular participation by professionals in teaching
programmes. A detailed project for this purpose should be worked out by
a specially constituted group within one year. Arrangements will be
designed for implementation within the present system for such students.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

SECONDARY STAGE (CLASSES 9-10)
The SUPW/WE (Socially Useful Productive Work/ work experience )
programmes for the secondary stage are viewed as a linear extention of that for
the middle stage. These activities at secondary stage are also expected to enable
students to opt for vocational programmes at the +2 level with better
appreciation and undertaking. It may also be mentioned that a significant
number of students drop out after this stage. Hence the programmes of
SUPW/WE are expected to ensure to modest preparation for students before
they leave the school, to enable them to choose an occupation. Such pre-
vocational courses are to be handled by teachers with specific skills and
competence. These programmes also need proper resources within the school.
HIGHER SECONDARY STAGE
The vocational courses at higher secondary stage are to be regarded not as a
preparation for the college, but as a period for preparing an increasingly large
number of school-leavers for different vocations in life. The need for
vocationalisation of higher secondary education has been conceded by all, but
the problems in its implementation may be appreciated by the fact that only a
small percentage of students population has been covered by vocationalisation
in the past nine years (1976-85). The estimated number of students seeking
admission to +2 in 1985 is of the order of 25 lakhs. Even if 10% of this
population was to be diverted for vocational courses, the number should have
been over 2.50 lakhs, against the present intake of 0.72 lakhs. The problem can
be further appreciated, if this data is seen against the Kothari Commission's
recommendation, expecting a diversion of 50% of 10+ students for vocational
education.
National Education Policies ( 2020 )
This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be
modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4
covering ages 3-18.
Restructuring school curriculum and pedagogy in a new 5+3+3+4 design
The curricular and pedagogical structure of school education will be
reconfigured to make it responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and
interests of learners at different stages of their development, corresponding to
the age ranges of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The curricular
and pedagogical structure and the curricular framework for school education
will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design, consisting of the Foundational
Stage (in two parts, that is, 3 years of Anganwadi/pre-school + 2 years in
primary school in Grades 1-2; both together covering ages 3-8), Preparatory
Stage (Grades 3-5, covering ages 8-11), Middle Stage (Grades 6-8, covering
ages 11-14), and Secondary Stage (Grades 9-12 in two phases, i.e., 9 and 10 in
the first and 11 and 12 in the second, covering ages 14-18).
The Foundational Stage will consist of five years of flexible, multilevel,
play/activity-based learning and the curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE( early
childhood care and education) . The Preparatory Stage will comprise three years
of education building on the play, discovery, and activity-based pedagogical and
curricular style of the Foundational Stage, and will also begin to incorporate
some light text books as well as aspects of more formal but interactive
classroom learning, in order to lay a solid groundwork across subjects,
including reading, writing, speaking, physical education, art, languages, science,
and mathematics.
The Middle Stage will comprise three years of education, building on the
pedagogical and curricular style of the Preparatory Stage, but with the
introduction of subject teachers for learning and discussion of the more abstract
concepts in each subject that students will be ready for at this stage across the
sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences, and humanities. Experiential
learning within each subject, and explorations of relations among different
subjects, will be encouraged and emphasized despite the introduction of more
specialized subjects and subject teachers.
The Secondary Stage will comprise of four years of multidisciplinary study,
building on the subject-oriented pedagogical and curricular style of the Middle
Stage, but with greater depth, greater critical thinking, greater attention to life
aspirations, and greater flexibility and student choice of subjects. In particular
students would continue to have the option of exiting after Grade 10 and re-
entering in the next phase to pursue vocational or any other courses available in
Grades 11and12, including at a more specialized school, if so desired.
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: An Urgent & Necessary
Prerequisite to Learning
Enjoyable and inspirational books for students at all levels will be developed,
including through high-quality translation (technology assisted as needed) in all
local and Indian languages, and will be made available extensively in both
school and local public libraries. Public and school libraries will be significantly
expanded to build a culture of reading across the country. Digital libraries will
also be established. School libraries will be set up - particularly in villages - to
serve the community during non-school hours, and book clubs may meet in
public/school libraries to further facilitate and promote widespread reading. A
National Book Promotion Policy will be formulated, and extensive initiatives
will be undertaken to ensure the availability, accessibility, quality, and
readership of books across geographies, languages, levels, and genres.
Curtailing Dropout Rates and Ensuring Universal Access to Education at
All Levels
There are two overall initiatives that will be undertaken to bring children who
have dropped out back to school and to prevent further children from dropping
out. The first is to provide effective and sufficient infrastructure so that all
students have access to safe and engaging school education at all levels from
pre-primary school to Grade 12. Besides providing regular trained teachers at
each stage, special care shall be taken to ensure that no school remains deficient
on infrastructure support. The credibility of Government schools shall be re-
established and this will be attained by upgrading and enlarging the schools that
already exist, building additional quality schools in areas where they do not
exist, and providing safe and practical conveyances and/or hostels, especially
for the girl children, so that all children have the opportunity to attend a quality
school and learn at the appropriate level. Alternative and innovative education
centres will be put in place in cooperation with civil society to ensure that
children of migrant labourers, and other children who are dropping out of
school due to various circumstances are brought back into mainstream
education.
The second is to achieve universal participation in school by carefully tracking
students, as well as their learning levels, in order to ensure that they (a) are
enrolled in and attending school, and (b) have suitable opportunities to catch up
and re-enter school in case they have fallen behind or dropped out. For
providing equitable and quality education from the Foundational Stage through
Grade 12 to all children up to the age of 18, suitable facilitating systems shall be
put in place. Counsellors or well trained social workers connected to
schools/school complexes and teachers will continuously work with students
and their parents and will travel through and engage with communities to ensure
that all school-age children are attending and learning in school. Trained and
qualified social workers from civil society organizations/departments of Social
Justice and Empowerment and government functionaries dealing with
empowerment of Persons with Disabilities at the State and district level, could
be connected to schools, through various innovative mechanisms adopted by
State/UT Governments, to help in carrying out this important work.
Once infrastructure and participation are in place, ensuring quality will be the
key in retention of students, so that they (particularly, girls and students from
other socio-economically disadvantaged groups) do not lose interest in
attending school. This will require a system of incentives for deploying teachers
with knowledge of the local language to areas with high dropout rates, as well
as overhauling the curriculum to make it more engaging and useful.
To facilitate learning for all students, with special emphasis on Socio-
Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs), the scope of school education
will be broadened to facilitate multiple pathways to learning involving both
formal and non-formal education modes. Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Programmes offered by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and
State Open Schools will be expanded and strengthened for meeting the learning
needs of young people in India who are not able to attend a physical school.
NIOS and State Open Schools will offer the following programmes in addition
to the present programmes: A, B and C levels that are equivalent to Grades 3, 5,
and 8 of the formal school system; secondary education programmes that are
equivalent to Grades 10 and 12; vocational education courses/programmes; and
adult literacy and life-enrichment programmes. States will be encouraged to
develop these offerings in regional languages by establishing new/strengthening
existing State Institutes of Open Schooling (SIOS).
Empower students through flexibility in course choices
Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study,
particularly in secondary school - including subjects in physical education, the
arts and crafts, and vocational skills – so that they can design their own paths of
study and life plans. Holistic development and a wide choice of subjects and
courses year to year will be the new distinguishing feature of secondary school
education. There will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extracurricular
’ , or ‘co-curricular’, among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or between
‘vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams. Subjects such as physical education, the arts
and crafts, and vocational skills, in addition to science, humanities, and
mathematics, will be incorporated throughout the school curriculum, with a
consideration for what is interesting and safe at each age.
Multilingualism and the power of language
India has an extremely rich literature in other classical languages, including
classical Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia. In addition to these
classical languages Pali, Persian, and Prakrit; and their works of literature too
must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of
posterity. In addition to Sanskrit, other classical languages and literatures of
India, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and
Prakrit, will also be widely available in schools as options for students, possibly
as online modules, through experiential and innovative approaches, to ensure
that these languages and literature stay alive and vibrant. Similar efforts will be
made for all Indian languages having rich oral and written literatures, cultural
traditions, and knowledge.
For the enrichment of the children, and for the preservation of these rich
languages and their artistic treasures, all students in all schools, public or
private, will have the option of learning at least two years of a classical
language of India and its associated literature, through experiential and
innovative approaches, including the integration of technology, in Grades 6-12,
with the option to continue from the middle stage through the secondary stage
and beyond.
In addition to high quality offerings in Indian languages and English, foreign
languages, such as Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Russian, will also be offered at the secondary level, for students
to learn about the cultures of the world and to enrich their global knowledge and
mobility according to their own interests and aspirations.
Transforming Assessment for Student Development
The current nature of secondary school exams, including Board exams and
entrance exams - and the resulting coaching culture of today - are doing much
harm, especially at the secondary school level, replacing valuable time for true
learning with excessive exam coaching and preparation. These exams also force
students to learn a very narrow band of material in a single stream, rather than
allowing the flexibility and choice that will be so important in the education
system of the future.
While the Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, the existing
system of Board and entrance examinations shall be reformed to eliminate the
need for undertaking coaching classes. To reverse these harmful effects of the
current assessment system, Board exams will be redesigned to encourage
holistic development; students will be able to choose many of the subjects in
which they take Board exams, depending on their individualized interests.
Board exams will also be made ‘easier’, in the sense that they will test primarily
core capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and memorization;
any student who has been going to and making a basic effort in a school class
will be able to pass and do well in the corresponding subject Board Exam
without much additional effort. To further eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of
Board Exams, all students will be allowed to take Board Exams on up to two
occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for
improvement, if desired.
Conclusion
Despite all the efforts to develop the education system in India, access, equity
and quality of education in India continue to haunt the policy makers till this
date. This has mainly been due to the widespread poverty and various
prejudices. The inability to check the drop out rates among the marginalized
sections of the population is another cause of worry. Many aspects of the
current educational setup demand review and change. Until concrete steps are
taken to reformulate our methodology of imparting education, we shall continue
to underutilize, even waste our youth, and this could have serious consequences
in the future. However, in order to attain the goal of education of National
Education Policy 2020 with excellence and the corresponding multitude of
benefits to this Nation and its economy, this Policy unequivocally endorses and
envisions a substantial increase in public investment in education by both the
Central government and all State Governments. The Centre and the States will
work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6%
of GDP at the earliest. This is considered extremely critical for achieving the
high-quality and equitable public education system that is truly needed for
India's future economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and technological progress
and growth.

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