In India, one can get educated either in government run institutions or private.
On the basis of age of the child, education in India is classified into following stages:
- Primary education: Standard 1 to 5
- Higher Primary education: Standard 6 to 8
- Secondary education: Standard 9 to 10
- Higher Secondary education: Standard 11 to 12
- College or higher education : Standard 12 onwards
- Apart from this if one wishes, he can also stop schooling after class 8 and join ITI to gain expertise in some technical field of his choice.
The educational sector can.be studied in two aspects. They are:
(A) Positive aspect:
- The Constitution of India has made primary education for children between. 6-14 years age group, free and compulsory. It is the responsibility of the state government to see that they follow these guidelines and provide education in their respective states.
- There has been a huge development and expansion right from kindergarten up to the higher education institutes during the various plans. As a result, by 2013-14, there were 1.4 million primary schools in India where 7.7 million teachers taught.
- Gujarat state has made special effort by launching programmes like ‘Gunotsav’ and ‘Praveshotsav’ to encourage more enrollments in schools.
- In 2013-14, 95% children were registered in primary education.
- ‘Education to All’ (Sarva Shikhsan Abhiyan) programme and RTE (Right to Education) have worked considerably to spread awareness for providing education to every child of the country.
(B) Negative aspect: In spite of several effort of the government, education sector is still weak. Poverty and illiteracy to educate the existing and next generation are the chief reasons for underdevelopment of educational sector.
- Even today, the situation of primary education in small villages is a matter of great concern. 29% of the children drop out of school before completing their 5th standard.
- Over and above this India also does not have trained teachers in proper number. In 2013-14, the student-teacher ratio was 46: 1 and that in higher primary education was 34:1.
- In 2013-14, 69% pupils were enrolled in secondary standards and only 25% in higher education.
- The scenario of education in India can be understood from the table below.
Extent of literacy
| Year |
Extent of literacy in India (percent) |
Extent of literacy in Gujarat (percent) |
| 1981 |
43.57 |
44.92 |
| 1991 |
52.21 |
61.29 |
| 2001 |
64.83 |
69.14 |
| 2011 |
74.04 |
79.31 |
Source: Census of India
Conclusion:
Thus, in spite India has made several efforts to educate its masses, a big percentage of population is still illiterate.
