The education system in India
We take a comprehensive look at India’s growing primary, secondary and higher education system, exploring the history of education in India and how it plans to develop.
India has a unique education system designed to uphold its nation’s culture, history, values, and customs.
While traditionally, education in India is largely provided for higher caste children, new education policies have aimed at achieving equity in education and the right to education for all children regardless of social class.
Here we see traditional and modern facts about education in India, looking primarily at the latest policies that aim to create a more inclusive and contemporary education system.
We also explore the ways you can empower your students' thirst for knowledge while meeting new classroom demands and needs, across primary, secondary and higher education.
A brief history of India’s education system
Gurukul is the first Indian education system. It is a system of housing schools that come from around 5000 BC, where Shishya (students) and teachers (teachers) used to live in the teacher's ashram (home) or near. This allows for emotional bonds to be developed before the transmission of knowledge. Communication mode is an ancient Sanskrit language.
The basis of learning wasn’t only to read books and memories information, but the well-rounded, holistic development of a child. This included 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 students' human values such as self-reliance, right behaviours, empathy, creativity, plus strong moral and ethical behaviours. The aim was that knowledge could later be practically implemented to find solutions to real-life problems.
The six aims of education for the students of the Gurukul were:
- The acquisition of supreme knowledge
- Development of character
- All-rounded development
- Social virtues
- Spiritual development
- Cultural education
Facts and statistics about education in India
Under India’s Right to Education Act 2020, free and compulsory education is ensured for every child between the ages of three to 18.
As of 2020, education in India statistics shows that about 26 per cent of the Indian population (1.39 billion) falls into the 0-14 year category, which provides a great opportunity for the primary education sector.
Furthermore, 18 per cent of the population, or approximately 500 million, fall into the 15-24 year category, allowing for opportunities for growth across the secondary and higher education institutions in India.
Additional Indian education statistics reveal how the literacy ratio of India for adults (15+ years) is 69.3 per cent, with male literacy at 78.8 per cent and female literacy at 59.3 per cent.
The Indian state with the highest literacy rate is Kerala, at 96.2 per cent as of 2018.
The most popular Indian higher education institution is the University of Delhi, followed by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
India was ranked 34 among the 100 countries in the 2019 English Proficiency Index, allowing for easy delivery of educational material that meets Universal standards.
How does the Indian education system work in modern times?
It’s an undeniable fact that education in modern India is different from that of the “Gurukul.” The curriculum is mostly taught in English or Hindi, computer technology and skills have been integrated into learning systems, and emphasis is more on the competitive examination and grades rather than moral, ethical and spiritual education.
The modern school system was brought to India, originally by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay, in the 1830s. “Modern” subjects like science and mathematics took precedence, and metaphysics and philosophy were deemed unnecessary.
Up until July 2020, the schooling system in India was based on the 10+2 system, which rewarded Secondary School Certificate (SSC) once completing class 10th and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) by completing class 12th.
As a result of the new National Education Policy (NEP), this has been replaced with the 5+3+3+4 system. The division of stages has been made to fall in line with the cognitive development stages that a child naturally goes through.
India’s four-level compulsory education
At this stage, critical thinking, open minds and flexibility in the thought process are encouraged. To stimulate your student's thinking skills, our courses are volunteering in class: bringing the stem industry to school, will encourage their interest in the field of the stem, which faces a very large skill gap and thus provides high potential work.
Higher education In India
At the undergraduate stage, students can choose to study at this level from age 18 onwards. The majority of students attend a free public college or university, while others choose a private institution for their education. Indian college and university degrees in the field of agriculture, engineering, pharmaceutics and technology usually take four years to complete. Law, medicine and architecture can take up to five years.
Post-graduate study in India
Known as master’s courses or doctorate degrees, they can take from two to three years to complete, respectively. Post-graduate education in India is largely provided by universities, followed by colleges and the majority of students are women. The post-graduate study allows students to specialize in a chosen field and conduct large amounts of research.
Adult education in India
The purpose of adult education is to increase literacy and place people over the age of 21 who are further illiterate on the knowledge path. In India, the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) is responsible for funding and promoting adult education programs.
If you are an adult education provider or consider becoming one, our course teaches online: creating courses for adult students has everything you need to teach adults online.
Distance Education in India
Distance learning in India was first introduced by Delhi University in 1962 through schools of correspondence courses and sustainable education. The aim is to enable those who have a tendency and talent to obtain further knowledge and improve their professional competence.
When technology develops, significant progress is carried out and continues to be carried out in online education in India. Higher education institutions in India focused on creating online programs due to increasing demand from consumers and the influence of pandemics. In India, the online education market is expected to reach US $ 11.6 billion in 2026.
Homeschooling and Blended Learning in India
While homeschooling is not widespread in India, and nothing is widely accepted, with a pandemic impact, distance learning becomes a new norm. Thus, many children will learn from home and attend classes, known as Blended Learning.
For a comprehensive introduction to integrating learning for teachers and coaches, our courses combine learning for education and vocational training is a perfect starting point.
What is the new education policy in India?
In July 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the new National Education Policy (NEP) to be fully implemented in 2040. They also changed the name of the Minister of Human Resources Development (HRD) to the Ministry of Education, to act as a single regulator for all schools and higher education institutions in All India.
The NEP, whose purpose is to form the framework and guide the development of education in India, was first drafted in 1964 under a 17-member Education Committee and passed by Parliament in 1968. Since then, it’s been revised three times, the latest being most recently under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi.
The 2020 NEP’s five major changes in school and higher education
The school will begin at age three: The Right to Education Act (RTE) will now cover free and compulsory schooling from age three up to 18 years, instead of six to 14 years. This brings early childhood education for ages three to five, 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: The policy proposes that all universities and colleges aim to become multidisciplinary by 2040. This will allow students to make their subject combinations based on their skillset and interest areas.
Bachelor's degrees will have several outgoing options: Under new policies, colleges and universities in India are authorized to provide certificates after completing one year of study in the field or a diploma after two years of study. Bachelor's degree continues to be given after a minimum of the three-year program.
Final thoughts
Due to the proactive nature of the NEP, India’s education system is in line with the changes felt by the education system worldwide as a result of Covid-19. As blended learning seems to be the future of education in India, we have many teaching resources available to help you make a greater impact on your students’ lives and your teaching ability.
We hope you have obtained a lot of insight into the facts that make up the Indian education system, whether it is only to increase your knowledge base or take advantage of the Indian Education market that continues to grow.
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