{"id":5226,"date":"2026-01-05T17:17:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=5226"},"modified":"2026-01-08T17:05:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T11:35:45","slug":"primary-and-secondary-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/primary-and-secondary-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Primary and Secondary Education in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

How is the primary and secondary school education system in India organized?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

In India, the central and state boards of school education follow the \u201c10+2\u201d education system pattern. This \u201c10+2\u201d system consists of\u00a0Primary, Secondary, and Senior Secondary Education<\/strong>. This education system in India is based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission (1964-66).<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Division\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\nCharacteristics\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Pre-primary education<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n
    \r\n\t
  • Includes Playgroup, Nursery, and Kindergarten.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Primary education\u00a0<\/strong>(or elementary education)<\/td>\r\n\r\n
    \r\n\t
  • Lower primary (class I-IV)<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Upper primary (class V-VIII)<\/li>\r\n\t
  • 6-14 years.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Secondary education<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n
    \r\n\t
  • Consists of Class VIII to Class XII.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • 14-18 years.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • The final two years of secondary school are called higher secondary or senior secondary.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    What is the status of primary and secondary education in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Total Enrolment-\u00a0primary to higher secondary education\u00a0<\/strong>(UDISE+ Report)<\/td>\r\n\r\n

    26.52 crores ( 2021-22)<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    • 13.28 crore boys<\/li>\r\n\t
    • 12.28 crore girls.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Dropout rate-\u00a0primary education<\/strong>\u00a0(UDISE+)<\/td>\r\n1.45% ( 2021-22)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Dropout rate-\u00a0upper primary education<\/strong>\u00a0(UDISE+)<\/td>\r\n3.02% ( 2021-22)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Teacher Pupil Ratio-\u00a0primary education<\/strong>\u00a0(Ministry of Education)<\/td>\r\n26.3 (2020-21)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Teacher Pupil Ratio-\u00a0upper primary education<\/strong>\u00a0(Ministry of Education)<\/td>\r\n18.9 ( 2020-21)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Children age 5 years who attended\u00a0pre-primary school<\/strong>\u00a0during the school year 2019-20 ( NFHS-5)<\/td>\r\n13.6% ( 2019-21)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    What is the institutional framework for primary and secondary school education in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Regulatory Body<\/td>\r\nFunctions<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE)<\/td>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • It is the\u00a0highest advisory body<\/strong>\u00a0to advise the Central and State Governments in the field of education.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Some key objectives are\r\n\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Providing\u00a0recommendations<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0ideas<\/strong>\u00a0to all the\u00a0educational<\/strong>\u00a0bodies of India for designing the syllabus.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Providing a\u00a0platform for the governments<\/strong>\u00a0to express their opinions and ideas for enhancing the quality of education in India.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Guiding in resolving any query or issue related to education.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)<\/td>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • An autonomous organization set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for\u00a0qualitative improvement in school education.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
    • The major objectives of NCERT and its constituent units are\r\n\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Research<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Teacher training<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
      • Textbooks<\/strong>\u00a0and supplementary material.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Develop<\/strong>\u00a0and disseminate\u00a0innovative educational techniques<\/strong>\u00a0and practices.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Nodal agency<\/strong>\u00a0for achieving the goals of\u00a0Universalisation<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0Elementary<\/strong>Education<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)<\/td>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • Educational research<\/strong>\u00a0and teacher training in the\u00a0states<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Nodal agency<\/strong>\u00a0for implementation of the\u00a0National Policy on Education\u00a0<\/strong>in the states.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)<\/td>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • A national-level board of education in India responsible for\u00a0conducting public exams<\/strong>\u00a0and maintaining a\u00a0standardized curriculum\u00a0<\/strong>for schools affiliated with it.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Other objectives:\r\n\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Defining<\/strong>\u00a0appropriate approaches to academic activities.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Analyzing and monitoring\u00a0<\/strong>the quality of academic activities.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Developing<\/strong>\u00a0norms for the implementation of various academic activities.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    National Council for Teacher Education<\/td>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • It is an advisory body for the Central and State Governments on all matters pertaining to\u00a0teacher education.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
    • The main objective of the NCTE is to achieve\r\n\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Planned and coordinated development of the teacher education system<\/strong>\u00a0throughout the country.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • The regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in the teacher education system.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

        What are the various government initiatives for primary and secondary education in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
          \r\n\t
        • Samagra Shiksha<\/strong>\r\n
            \r\n\t
          • Overarching programme for the school education sector which subsumes the three schemes of\r\n\r\n
              \r\n\t
            • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
            • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
            • Teacher Education (TE)\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
            • Objective: To support states and UTs in implementing the recommendations of the\u00a0National Education Policy 2020\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
            • PM-POSHAN (Previously known as Mid-day Meals Scheme)<\/strong>\r\n
                \r\n\t
              • Centrally Sponsored Scheme\u00a0\u2018Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman\u2019\u00a0<\/strong>(PM POSHAN) is for providing one hot cooked meal in\u00a0Government and Government-aided Schools<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
              • Beneficiaries<\/strong>: Children of\u00a0pre-schools<\/strong>\u00a0and the children of\u00a0classes I to VIII.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
              • Mahila Samakhya programme<\/strong>\r\n
                  \r\n\t
                • To empower rural women from socially and economically marginalized groups through education.<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Major beneficiaries: SC\/ST women, women belonging to landless and marginalized families, who are engaged in wage labor.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM)\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n
                    \r\n\t
                  • It seeks to bring about qualitative improvement in Madrasas to enable Muslim children to attain standards of the National education system in formal education subjects.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • NIPUN Bharat (under Samagra Shiksha)<\/strong>\r\n
                      \r\n\t
                    • National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy\u00a0<\/strong>(NIPUN Bharat) is launched to ensure that every child in the country. necessarily attains\u00a0foundational literacy and numeracy<\/strong>\u00a0(FLN) by the end of\u00a0class 3<\/strong>\u00a0by 2026-27.<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • It will focus on providing access to and retaining children in foundational years of schooling and teacher capacity building.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • NISHTHA (under Samagra Shiksha)<\/strong>\r\n
                        \r\n\t
                      • A capacity-building programme for \"Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training\".\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                      • Aim: To build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the\u00a0elementary<\/strong>\u00a0stage through\u00a0massive training programmes\u00a0<\/strong>to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                      • PM e-VIDYA<\/strong>\r\n
                          \r\n\t
                        • The scheme unifies all efforts related to digital\/online\/on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education. The components are\r\n\r\n
                            \r\n\t
                          • DIKSHA platform\u00a0<\/strong>- \u2018one nation-one digital education\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Swayam Prabha TV\u00a0<\/strong>channels<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Swayam -\u00a0<\/strong>MOOCs platform for free E-Learning.<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Radio and community radio.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • STARS Program<\/strong>\r\n
                              \r\n\t
                            • The Government of India and the\u00a0World Bank<\/strong>\u00a0signed a $500 million Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS) to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states -\u00a0Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                            • To be implemented as a new\u00a0Centrally Sponsored Scheme\u00a0<\/strong>under the\u00a0Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL)<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
                            • Envisions to improve the overall\u00a0monitoring and measurement\u00a0<\/strong>activities in the Indian school education system through interventions in selected states.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                            • Schools under the Central Government<\/strong>\r\n
                                \r\n\t
                              • There are 1,740 schools (Kendriya Vidyalayas<\/strong>\u00a01,092,\u00a0Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas<\/strong>\u00a0586, and\u00a0Central Tibetan Schools<\/strong>\u00a062) with an enrollment of about\u00a013 lakh students<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                What are the challenges and issues of the primary and secondary education system in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
                                  \r\n\t
                                • Issues with access:\u00a0<\/strong>Despite the Right to Education act, there are still approximately\u00a08.1<\/strong>\u00a0million children between the ages of\u00a06-13<\/strong>\u00a0years who are out of school, according to a report by\u00a0UNESCO<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                • Regional disparities:\u00a0<\/strong>There is a significant rural-urban divide in access to school education.\r\n\r\n
                                    \r\n\t
                                  • A study by NSO revealed that the percentage of children attending pre-primary schools was only\u00a011.4%<\/strong>\u00a0in rural areas, compared to\u00a027.6%<\/strong>\u00a0in urban areas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                  • Social and cultural barriers<\/strong>: Children from marginalized communities often face discrimination and prejudice, making it difficult for them to access quality education.\r\n\r\n
                                      \r\n\t
                                    • According to a 2018 report by Oxfam India, almost 40% of Indian children from marginalized communities are out of school.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    • Gender Inequality:<\/strong>\u00a0Despite various government initiatives to promote girls' education, gender disparities persist in schools.\r\n\r\n
                                        \r\n\t
                                      • According to UNESCO's 2020 Education for All Global Monitoring Report, the female literacy rate in India is 70.3%, while the male literacy rate is 84.7%.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                      • Inadequate funding:\u00a0<\/strong>The most pressing problem is the unavailability of money or inadequate funding of school education in India.\r\n\r\n
                                          \r\n\t
                                        • The\u00a0Samagra Shiksha scheme<\/strong>, which is expected to be the major driver behind reversing learning losses, has registered a\u00a0mere hike of 0.18%<\/strong>, with the allocation of Rs 37,453 crore in\u00a02023-24<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        • Issues with the quality of education:\u00a0<\/strong>The quality of education remains a major challenge in India.\r\n\r\n
                                            \r\n\t
                                          • A 2018 report by the\u00a0Annual Status of Education Report (ASER<\/strong>) found that only 50.3% of class 5 students in government schools could read class 2 level texts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                          • Lack of trained and dedicated teachers:\u00a0<\/strong>There is a substantial shortage of teachers in the system. Also, the quality of teaching has declined due to corruption and lack of proper training.\r\n\r\n
                                              \r\n\t
                                            • According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2020, around 20% of rural schools in India have only one teacher for all grades, leading to inadequate attention and instruction to students.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Lack of adequate infrastructure<\/strong>: Many schools, especially government schools, lack proper infrastructure, including classrooms, furniture, labs, libraries, playgrounds, urinals, and safe drinking water.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Low emphasis on practical training:\u00a0<\/strong>Many schools lack practical training, lacking proper labs, instruments, and staff, resulting in students lacking practical knowledge and being unable to find suitable employment.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Lack of participation by all stakeholders in education:<\/strong>\u00a0Lack of cooperation between students, teachers, parents, and government is leading to poor performance in government schools, and this is causing students to shift to private schools.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                              What measures could help towards a better primary and secondary education ecosystem in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
                                                \r\n\t
                                              • Better training of Teachers:\u00a0<\/strong>Training teachers effectively can lead to a better quality of education in schools by equipping them with updated knowledge, skills, and pedagogical strategies, which can enhance their teaching practices and ultimately benefit students' learning outcomes.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                              • Introduction of technology:<\/strong>\u00a0Technology has the potential to enhance the quality of education by providing students with innovative tools and resources that can help them learn more effectively and efficiently.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                              • Decentralization and greater local autonomy:\u00a0<\/strong>Decentralizing school management to local authorities and school boards with parent representation ensures accountability and improves daily functioning.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                              • Planning for school infrastructure:\u00a0<\/strong>Ensuring adequate land for schools is crucial. Urban planning and local development plans must consider the physical needs of schools, including playgrounds and facilities.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                              • Reforms in the curriculum and examination system:\u00a0<\/strong>Curriculum reform is crucial in improving education, making it more relevant and focusing on comprehension, communication, and independent knowledge access instead of rote learning.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                              • Special focus on disadvantaged groups:<\/strong>\u00a0Such as girls, SCs, STs, religious minorities, wards of migrants, working children, and differently-abled, to make sure that quality school education is available, accessible, and affordable to them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                Primary and secondary school education system in India follows the 10+2 structure, covering boards like CBSE, NCERT role, enrolment data, schemes, and key challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[319,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-5226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-quest-level-3","8":"tag-primary-and-secondary-education-in-india","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5226"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22932,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226\/revisions\/22932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}