Abstract: Secondary education serves as a link between the elementary and higher education, and plays a very important role in this respect. A child's future can depend a lot on the type of education she/he receives at the secondary level. Apart from grounding the roots of education of a child, secondary education can be instrumental in shaping and directing the child to a bright future. This stage of education serves to move on higher secondary stage as well as to provide generic competencies that cut across various domains of knowledge as well as skills. The recent significant development of society, impact of globalisation and rapid growth of new technologies have led to reassessment of India’s preparedness to generate required technical manpower, develop new knowledge and skills, and remain competitive at global level.
Since free and compulsory education to all children up to the age fourteen is the Constitutional commitment in India, all efforts in the past were focused on achieving the goal of universal elementary education. It is upper primary and secondary level of education that is now in the focus. Over time, secondary schooling facilities improved to a significant level but still there are a few areas of concern like Schooling facilities to a large number of habitations were not available. Government schools had lower percentage of buildings than the schools under the private managements. So far as the investment on education is considered, secondary education has never been the priority area of investment. In order to meet the challenge of Universalisation of Secondary Education, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the conceptual design of secondary education. The guiding principles in this regard are; Universal Access, Equality and Social Justice, Relevance and Development and Curricular and Structural Aspects. Universalisation of Secondary Education gives opportunity, to move towards equity. The concept of ‘common school’ will be encouraged. If these values are to be established in the system, all types of schools, including unaided private schools will also contribute towards Universalisation of Secondary Education by ensuring adequate enrolments for the children from under privileged society and the children Below Poverty Line families.
Keywords: Secondary education, Constitutional commitment in India, ensuring adequate enrolments.
Title: Secondary Education in India: Issues and Concerns
Author: Dr. Priti Chaudhari
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Research Publish Journals
