Challenges of Universalisation of Secondary Education in India
Introduction
While primary education is a basic essential factor for engagement, freedom, leading a decent life, and overcoming basic deprivation, secondary education is the entry point to success, economic progress, and social justice in any country. It opens the country's youth to the world of work and contributes to the socio economic development of the community. Secondary education is an important stage in the educational ranking because it prepares students for higher education as well as the workforce. India's Ministry of Human Resource Development.
When we consider the upcoming challenges in our society, providing secondary education to all, both boys and girls, with a focus on quality education takes on new meaning. For example, rising socioeconomic hopes and democratic awareness, particularly among marginalised groups such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, religious and linguistic minorities, and girls, desire space in the secondary education system for greater access, participation, and quality.
The latest major development, namely the success of Universal Elementary Education (UEE) through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), as well as the impact of globalisation and the rapid growth of new technologies, have given rise to a re - evaluation of India's preparation to generate required technical manpower, develop new knowledge and skills, and stay competitive at the global level. The secondary and higher secondary education systems play an important role in allowing the nation to progress toward these goals.
Challenges of Universalization of Secondary Education in India
(1) Access
(2) Retention
(3) Equality and Social Justice
(4) Relevance and Development
(5) Structural and Curricular Aspects
(6) Failure
(7) Quality
(8) Examination System
(9) Lack of Girls Schools
(10) Absence of Guidance Services in Schools
(1) Access
Access to secondary education is a big problem in achieving secondary education universalization. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2015-16, the (GER) Gross Enrolment Ratio of boys and girls at the secondary education level is 79.16 percent and 80.97 percent, respectively, and the GER of boys and girls at the senior secondary level is 55.95 percent and 56.41 percent, respectively. It is clear that much more needs to be done to improve students' access to secondary education. Physical, social, cultural, and economic access should also be taken into account. Access to all socially disadvantaged sections of society, such as differently abled students, SC & ST students, minorities, and other backward classes, still remains a challenge in India.
(2) Retention
Dropout rates are quite high at the secondary level, which is another important factor preventing our country's goal of universalizing secondary education. According to Ministry of Human Resource Development data, the dropout rate at the secondary level was 17.86 percent in 2014-15.
(3) Equality and Social Justice
Real democracy cannot be noticed until equality and social justice are secured in all fields, including education. This curriculum must be re - designed. Only when the school curriculum properly provides the child to first understand, then question, and finally deal with that inequality and injustice will the child then be able to continue to seek equality and social justice in life after school. As suggested by CABE (2005), six factors of equality and social justice require attention, for which the school system must work upon.
These are:
(a)
gender
(b) economic disparity
(c) social i.e. SCs/STs
(d) cultural (including issues of
religious and linguistic diversity);
(e) disability both physical and mental
(f) rural/urban.
All of these factors must be taken into account sensibly. Children in private unaided schools are deprived of the opportunity to interact with children from various social classes and cultural backgrounds. Such schools may be unable to create a sense of equality and social justice in their students.
(4) Relevance and Development
Relevancy refers to education that develops the child's potential, such as developing democratic citizenship, adapting values to live in a multicultural community, and skill formation in the context of rapidly changing technology, as well as connecting the child's development with socio-cultural dimensions.
(5) Structural and Curricular Aspects
Curricular initiatives are strongly intertwined to structural changes. The 10+2 pattern of school education, as suggested by the Education Commission (1964-66), is now widely accepted throughout the country. The Education Commission also proposed for a minimum of ten years of common curriculum for developing citizenship in a democracy and connecting the 'world of knowledge' with the 'world of work.' Diverse courses will be introduced only at the +2 stage in this concept. Only because the Central Government allowed a nationwide application of these curriculum advice could all States/UTs apply them.
(6) Failure
Another difficulty in completing secondary education is mass failure at the IXth and Xth standard levels due to many reasons. In 2019, the CBSE board results for the 10th and 12th grades were 91.1 percent and 83 percent, respectively. The UP board results for the 10th and 12th grades show a negative picture, with 75.16 percent and 70.06 percent, respectively.
(7) Quality
Poor secondary education quality is a highly serious subject, and as a result, even graduates do not receive their proper place in higher education or vocational courses. The non-detention policy implemented in elementary schools has lowered the standard of secondary education as well as higher education. Poor quality education leads to failure, and students' chances of dropping out are increased.
(8) Examination System
Our examination system has largely failed to provide a true assessment of total learning outcomes. Traditionally, the education system, particularly school education, is guided and controlled by worries for exam results, inspite of whether the quality of learning is weak or productive.
(9) Lack of Girls Schools
Due to a lack of secondary schools, there is a low percentage of girls enrolled in secondary school, especially in rural areas. Many sociocultural and economic factors affect girls' education, resulting in relatively low participation of girls in secondary school.
(10) Absence of Guidance Services in Schools
Adolescence is a period of increased emotion, and students are more likely to become involved in a variety of problems that are quite unique, and students face difficulty in solving problems in the absence of any help available in school settings. It has a negative impact on students' mental health and educational achievement. It may also result in failure and dropout issues.