Unit-2

Dr. Kanu Raheja

History of India’s education
system
 Gurukul was India’s first system of education. It was a residential
schooling system dating back to around 5000 BC, where shishya
(student) and guru (teacher) used to reside in the guru’s ashram (home)
or in close proximity. This allowed for an emotional bond to be
developed prior to the transmission of knowledge. The mode of
communication was the ancient Sanskrit language.
 The basis of learning wasn’t only to read books and memorise
information, but also incorporated the holistic development of a child.
This includes their mental, cognitive, physical and spiritual wellness.
Subjects taught were religion, holy scriptures, medicine, philosophy,
warfare, statecraft, astrology and more.
 The emphasis was on developing student’s human values such as self-
reliance, empathy, creativity, plus strong moral and ethical behaviours.
The aim was that this knowledge could later be practically implemented
to find solutions to real-life problems
 The six aims of education for
students of the Gurukul were:
• The acquisition of supreme knowledge: The ultimate purpose of the
Gurukul education system was to understand Brahma (God) and the
world beyond sensorial pleasures to attain immortality.
• Development of character: Through study of the Vedas (ancient texts),
the student developed will-power, a requirement for a good character,
which subsequently allowed them to create a more favourable attitude
and positive outlook towards life.
• All-rounded development: Learning to withdraw the senses inwards and
practice introversion was considered as the ideal method for complete
living. This allowed students to become aware of the inner workings of
the mind and their responses and reactions while performing various
duties in the Gurukul.
 Social virtues: By training body, mind and heart, the student was inspired
to only speak truth and refrain from deceit. This was considered to be the
highest human virtue. They were also encouraged to believe in giving to
charities which made them socially efficient.
 Spiritual development: The ancient texts suggest introversion as the best
method for spiritual development, including Yagyas (rituals). Therefore,
the student spent time in reflection and isolation from the external world
to look entirely within himself to attain self-knowledge and self-realisation.
 Cultural education: One day a year, students offered food to a passerby or
a guest. This act was considered a sacrifice equivalent to one’s social and
religious duty to another.
Education System of India

 In India, the literacy rate for people aged seven

and above is 74.04%. The male literacy rate is
82.14% while the female literacy rate is 65.46%.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher
education in India is 26.30%. The GER is the
percentage of people aged 18-23 who are
enrolled in higher education institutions. In India,
there are more than 700 universities and 37000
colleges.
 The education system of India as a whole is not up to the mark. There
are many problems in the education system. The quality of education
is not good. There is a lot of corruption in the education system. The
government is not doing enough to improve the education system.
 There are many private schools in India which are providing good
quality education. But the fees of these schools are very high. So, only
rich people can afford to send their children to these schools. Many
public schools in India are not provided with good quality education.
The government is not doing anything to improve the condition of
these schools.
 The dropout rate is very high in India. Many students dropout of
school before completing their education.
 Governing Bodies
 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
 The AICTE is responsible for regulating technical education in
India. It was established in 1945 as an advisory body to the
Government of India and became a statutory body in 1987. The
AICTE accredited and approved institutions for technical and
management education in India. As of 2019, there are more than
3000 AICTE-approved institutions in India.

 University Grants Commission (UGC)

 The University Grants Commission is a statutory body that
provides recognition to universities in India. It also provides
financial assistance to eligible universities and colleges. The UGC
was established in 1956 and currently has fifty-six members.
 National Council of Educational Research and
Training (NCERT)
 The National Council of Educational Research and Training
is an autonomous organisation that advises the
Government of India on education policy. It was established
in 1961 and its headquarters are located in New Delhi. The
NCERT develops textbooks, teacher training materials, and
research journals
Types of Education in India
 Formal Education:
 Formal education is imparted in schools, colleges, and
universities that follow a set curriculum. In India, the formal
education system consists of five years of primary schooling,
followed by three years of middle school and two years of high
school. After the completion of high school, students can
pursue higher education at a university or college.
 Informal Education:
 Informal education is provided outside the formal education
system and does not follow any set curriculum. It includes
training programs, workshops, and internships. Informal
education can be beneficial for students who want to learn
specific skills or knowledge that are not covered in the formal
education system. It can also be helpful for students who want
to gain work experience before entering the workforce
UNICEF
 UNICEF is committed to ensuring all children in India have
access to inclusive and equitable quality education.
 These achievements have been bolstered by key laws,
policies and programmes such as the Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act (2009), the
National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy
(2013).
 An estimated 6.1 million children out of school in 2014
reduced from 13.46 million in 2006. Out of 100 students, 29
per cent of girls and boys drop out of school before
completing the full cycle of elementary education, and often
they are the most marginalised children.
 Around 50 per cent of adolescents do not complete secondary
education, while approximately 20 million children not attending
pre-school.
 Half of primary school-going children – which constitutes nearly
50 million children – not achieving grade appropriate learning
levels
 Furthermore, children’s school readiness at age 5 has been far
below expected levels. Over the first half of the Country
Programme, there have been various changes in the operating
environment that have impacted upon how the UNICEF India
Education Programme will operate moving forward.
 Facts and statistics about education in India

 Under India’s Right to Education Act 2020, free and compulsory education is
ensured to every child between the ages of three to 18.

 Statistics on education in India show that about 26% of the Indian population
(1.39 billion) falls into the 0-14 year category, which provides a great
opportunity for the primary education sector.

 Recent reports show that the literacy rate of India is 77.7%, with Kerala being
the state with the highest literacy rate. In terms of English speaking, India was
ranked 52nd among the countries in an English Proficiency Index.
Aims for the future of education
in India
 By 2030, it’s estimated that India’s higher education system will have
more than 20 universities among the global top 200 universities. It’s
also thought that it will be among the top five countries in the world in
terms of research output, with an annual research and development
(R&D) spend of US$140 billion.
 India’s four-level compulsory
education
 Foundation stage (ages 3 to 8)
 The five-year foundational stage of education, as per the NEP, comprises three
years of preschool followed by two years of primary classes. This stage will
involve age-appropriate play or activity-based methods and the development of
language skills.

 2. Preparatory stage (ages 8 to 11)

The focus in this three-year stage is language development but will also include
numeracy skills. Classroom interactions will also continue to be activity-based, with
a focus on the element of discovery.
 3. Middle stage (ages 11 to 14)
 For classes six to eight, the three-year focus shifts to critical learning
objectives, such as experiential learning in the sciences, mathematics,
arts, social sciences and humanities.

 4. Secondary stage (ages 14 to 18)

 Covering classes 9, 10, 11 and 12, students have access to a variety of
subject combinations to choose from and study, as per their skills and
interests.
 At this stage, critical thinking, an open mind, and flexibility in the
thought process are encouraged.
Education policies in India

 In July 2020, the Union Cabinet approved a new National Education

Policy (NEP) to be fully implemented by 2040. They also renamed the
Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) as the Education
Ministry, to act as the single regulator for all schools and higher
education institutions across India.

 The NEP, whose purpose is to form the framework and guide the
development of education in India, was first drafted in 1964 under an
Education Committee and passed by Parliament in 1968. Since then, it
has been revised three times.
The 2020 NEP’s five major changes in school
and higher education

 School will begin at age 3: The Right to Education Act (RTE) will now
cover free and compulsory schooling from age 3 up to 18 years, instead
of 6 to 14 years. This brings early childhood education of ages 3 to 5, for
the first time, under the scope of formal schooling.
 Students will be taught in their mother tongue: Although not
compulsory, the NEP suggests students until class five should be taught
in their mother tongue or regional language as a way to help children
learn and grasp non-trivial concepts quicker.
 One umbrella body for the entire higher education system: Under the Higher
Education Commission of India (HECI), public and private higher education
institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation,
accreditation and academic standards.
 Higher education becomes multidisciplinary: This policy proposes that all
universities and colleges aim to become multidisciplinary by 2040. This will
allow students to make their own subject combinations based on their
skill set and interest areas.
 Undergraduate degrees will have multiple exit options. Under the new
policy, colleges and universities in India are authorised to award a
certificate after completing one year of study in a field or a diploma
after two years of study. A Bachelor’s degree continues to be awarded
after a minimum three-year programme.
 Illiteracy

 Illiteracy is basically defined as the inability of a person to read and

write. People with this inability and with lack of knowledge in a
particular field or subject are called illiterates
 When India got independence from the British rule, the country was left with an
overwhelming population of people who could not read or write.
 Just about 2 in 10 Indians were literate back in 1950. In 2022, the figures have nearly
reversed.
 From a literacy rate of mere 18.3% in 1951 to 74.4% in 2018, India has come a long
way in establishing a well-educated nation
 According to figures till 2018, India's male literacy rate stood at 82.4% and female
literacy rate stood at 65.8%
Though both male and female literacy have risen steadily over the years the wide
gender gap still prevails
 India has largest number of illiterate people i.e. 25% of the population is still
uneducated
 The Constitution of India recognizes the importance of education for all. Therefore,
it lays down several provisions to ensure proper and effective implementation of
educational rights in the country. These provisions include:
 Education of Minorities: Article 30 of the Indian Constitution gives all minorities
the right to establish and administer institutions of their own choice.
 • Free and Compulsory Education: The Constitution of India (u/a 41, 45 and 46
of the Directive Principles of State Policy) instructs the state to ensure that all
citizens receive free education.
 • Equality of Opportunity in Educational Institutions: The fundamental right of
equality clearly signifies that in the eyes of law no one can be discriminated on the
basis of status, caste, sex, class or creed. Equal opportunities should be provided
to everyone in the country including those related to education.
 Article 21 (A) of the Constitution of India was amended to provide free and
compulsory education as a fundamental right to all children aged between 6-14
years.
 Education of Weaker Sections: Article 15, 17, and 46 of the Indian Constitution
safeguard the educational interests of weaker sections of the society.These
comprise socially, economically, and educationally backward families including
those belonging to scheduled castes (SCs), and scheduled tribes (STs).
Steps taken by the government to improve literacy
standards in India

 The government conducts various scholarship examinations and provides school uniform,
textbooks and stationery in order to encourage students and adults to take up studying.

• The Mid Day Meal Scheme was launched by the government in 1995 to provide students free
food grain so as to improve enrolment, attendance, and retention in government schools.

• Samagra Shiksha Programme was launched by the government with the broader goal of
improving school effectiveness. This will be measured in terms of equal opportunities for
schooling and equitable learning outcomes.
 Awareness campaigns were launched in rural areas to create awareness among people
about the importance of education. They were encouraged to attend or send their children
to schools.
Ways to boost literacy development at a personal level

 Indulge in knowledge sharing sessions with peers

 Expose yourself to different kinds of reading material like newspapers,
novels, comics, magazines, websites, etc.
 Multi-dimensional writing using different mediums
 Indulge in debates, conversations, and discussions with friends and
family on important political issues
 Explore more on things that interest and fascinate you. This can include
researching on films, music, art, history, etc.
Reasons for Illiteracy in India:

 Less-educated parents: Wherever parents are not so educated, this also leads to
a lack of knowledge of the importance of education in life. This results in them not
educating their children as well.
 Lack of Infrastructure: The educational infrastructure is still not developed in the
way it should have been after so many years of Independence. Due to this, there
are still a lot of people in our country who are not able to access some education.
The government must reach out to the most vulnerable sections of society.
 Poverty: This is both a cause and effect of Illiteracy. There are still millions of
people in India who do not have access to proper food, home, and clothes. They
can not afford to even send their children to schools and are therefore forced to put
them to work in farming activities or any other form of work they have been in.
 Population: The rapid increase in population is also a huge factor that also plays a role in
the increasing rate of Illiteracy in our country. The resources are fewer and the users
consuming them are in great numbers. The poor people think that if they will have more
children then they can send their children to work and that way they will earn more wages
and so instead of educating them they force them to work.
 Corruption: Red-tapism and corruption have played a huge role in leading us to this
condition. The funds that are provided for the betterment of education are often misled or
misused and are used for filling the pockets of their own officials.
 Brain Drain: The educated youth in India often take a decision to leave India and settle
abroad or find a job in pursuit of a better lifestyle there also because they do not get a
favourable job in India as the competition to get even basic decent job is very ruthless here.
They feel their talent will be utilized better in foreign socio-economic climates and they will
get better opportunities there than in India thus they move abroad leading to a brain drain
situation in our country as the great minds are leaving India.
 Backward thinking: Gender biases are still a very serious issue that exists in our
society. They believe that the education of girls is not so important as they will not
serve them after getting married and so they only send their boys to school and
provide them education instead of girls further leading to an imbalance in the
education ratio between girls and boys.
Solutions to the Illiteracy Issue

• Free education: The provision of free education in schools and universities by the
government can go a long way in helping to reduce illiteracy in India. Many people
fail to acquire education due to a lack of money and not everybody is capable of
taking loans.
• Awareness: Spreading awareness about the importance of education is needed
as many people do not realize this and how it can change their life to a large
extent. All kinds of government and private organizations should try to create this
awareness among the people and thus reduce the number of people who cannot
read and write.
 Grants: Offering scholarships and zero-interest loans to students
studying in schools and colleges will help them in focusing on their
studies rather than thinking about paying fees all the time and will also
encourage the parents to provide their children with education.
 Digitization: Today we all live in the age of technology and information,
the internet is available to everyone today. Institutions and educational
organizations should try to create more digital platforms to teach
children of all classes and especially try to reach those who live in rural
areas and cannot afford to come to a city to acquire an education.
India Literacy Rate State Wise

1. Kerala
2. Delhi
3. Chandigarh
4. Himanchal Pradesh
5. Maharashtra
6. Tamil Nadu
7. Uttarakhand
8. Gujrat
9. West Bengal
10.Punjab