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Background
Secondary Education is a crucial stage in the
educational hierarchy as it prepares the students for higher
education and also for the world of work. With the
liberalization and globalization of the Indian economy, the
rapid changes witnessed in scientific and technological world
and the general need to improve the quality of life and to
reduce poverty, it is essential that school leavers acquire a
higher level of knowledge and skills than what they are provided
in the 8 years of elementary education, particularly when the
average earning of a secondary school certificate holder is
significantly higher than that of a person who has studied only
up to class VIII. It is also necessary that besides general
education up to secondary level, opportunities for improvement
of vocational knowledge and skill should be provided at the
higher secondary level to enable some students to be employable.
Universalizing access to
secondary education
Following the
Constitutional mandate to universalize elementary education, and
success of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, it has become absolutely
essential to push this vision forward to move towards
universalisation of secondary education, which has already been
achieved in a large number of developed countries and several
developing countries. It is well recognized that eight years of
education are insufficient to equip a child for the world of
work as also to be a competent adult and citizen.
The Mid-Term Appraisal of the 10th Five Year Plan
(June 2005) of the Planning Commission has suggested a new
mission for secondary education on the lines of SSA (Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan) pursuant to the success of SSA. The report of
the Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE)
on ‘Universalisation of Secondary Education’ (June 2005), which
is the highest deliberative and advisory forum on Education in
the country with Union Minister of Human Resource Development as
Chairman and Education Ministers of all States and eminent
educationists as its Members, had suggested urgent taking up of
a programme in this behalf with certain norms. The CABE
Committee on “Girls’ Education & Common School System” in its
report of June, 2005 had also, inter alia, recommended (i)
making good quality education available to all students in all
schools at affordable fees, (ii) investment in public schools
system with standards, norms of Kendriya Vidyalayas.
While education is a concurrent subject, and
secondary education primarily remains the responsibility of the
State Governments, the Ministry of HRD has set its vision on
making secondary education of good quality available, accessible
& affordable to all young persons in the age group 15-16 years.
New initiatives launched
in 2008-09
2008-09 has been a momentous year
for secondary education and several major initiatives, including
a new centrally sponsored scheme to universalize access to and
improve quality of education at secondary stage, have been
launched during the year. The impact of these schemes will begin
to be felt during the current year.
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