Problems of secondary education in India & possible remedies
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Education is the backbone of every country. A country
will not be able to survive in the competitive world, if its education system
is not capable of contributing for its development. Indian education system is
widely criticized in multi-dimensions for its failure to create required
employability in its students according to the industry requirements and its
inability to contribute to inclusive growth in the nation as a whole.
Secondary education
is the bridge between elementary education and higher education. Even secondary
education is not complete by itself. It is a stepping-stone for admissions in
colleges and universities. Secondary education is thus regarded as a passport
for higher education.
Problems of secondary
education
1.
Lack of physical infrastructure
The present secondary education in India
facing the problems of physical infrastructure, many secondary schools have not
minimum physical infrastructure. The secondary schools are facing the following
problems.
·
Lack of proper no. of classroom
·
No Drinking water facility
·
No Library facility / No functioning of library
( its only on paper )
·
No separate toilet for girls and boys
·
No common room
·
No laboratory / library having only on the
paper, not proper functioning of laboratory
·
No computer or ICT lab
2.
Determination aims of education
Different committees and commissions before and after
independence have mentioned various aims of secondary education. But secondary
educational institutions in practice do not try to materialise those aims.
According to secondary education commission the aims of secondary education
are;
·
Development of democratic citizenship
·
Development of /Improvement of Vocational
Efficiency
·
Development of Personality
·
Education for Leadership.
The scientific knowledge is advancing so rapidly that
the present curriculum may not be relevant to the present needs of the
students.
Secondary curriculum is theoretical, bookish,
narrowly conceived and unpractical. It creates social misfits and does not
fulfill the needs of life. It is not life-centred. Secondary education curriculum
is defective. It mostly covers scholastic area. It faces lack of co-scholastic
aspects. All the committees and commissions talk about child centered, activity
centred and problem centred curriculum but practically it does not exist in the
secondary schools. School teacher are not adapting child centred and activity centred
approach of curriculum.
Only making a
good curriculum is not important, implementation of the curriculum in the same
way is also equally important by the teachers and principals.
Political
inferences are the big issues of secondary education. Somehow every aspects of
secondary education influenced by the political parties, every political party
try to impose their ideology through curriculum, textbook, administration and
management.
5.
Lack of Standard & Quality of Education
Quality concern is big issue of
secondary education; everyone is not getting equal and quality education. There
is a big difference in the rural- urban area and government – private schools.
There are many reasons for the low quality of education;
·
Untrained teachers
·
Less no. of teachers
·
Lack of competence
·
Lack
of professional training
·
Lack
of accountability
·
Lack
of quality teachers
·
Inappropriate
methods & techniques of teaching ( mostly used teacher centred methods)
·
Irregular
or fake attendance
·
Irresponsible
behavior of teachers-Teachers are not performing their duty , they are not
taking class regularly with interest
There is paucity of funds for secondary education.
Secondary schools have no other sources of finance than state and central
government. Many secondary schools suffer from inadequate finance. Total
physical infrastructure depends on finance.
7.
Lack of community participation
Lack of
community participation is also a problem; community participation can increase
the quality of education.
Stagnation &
dropout are the wastage of education system, educational resources, time &
efforts. Stagnation-Failure of
students in the course or class is called stagnation. Stagnation rare varies
from board to board and year wise.
Dropout- leaving the school without
completing the course is called dropout. Dropout is big issues for secondary
education.
|
Class |
Primary |
Upper primary |
Secondary |
Higher secondary |
|
Dropout rate |
4% |
7% |
25% |
30% |
Source: MHRD
Dropout rate at
secondary and senior secondary are 25 % & 30%, it is big challenges of
secondary education. This dropout rate varies state wise Tamilnadu has minimum 11% and 13% dropout rate but Jharkhand has maximum 47% and & 70%
dropout rate.
9.
Mismatch between Government school & private school
There is big
mismatch or difference between government & private schools especially in
terms of facilities provided by the private schools is higher than government
school.
10. Defective
Examination & evaluation system
Examination and
evaluation system is also outdated or defective. The entire system of education
is vitiated by examination. The educational achievements of students are
measured by the single measuring rod known as examination. The Hartog Committee, the Mudaliar Commission
and the Kothari Commission all have made important recommendations and
observations in respect to examination reform. Many of these have been put into
operation and still many are under consideration. External examination alone
should not be accepted as a tool for measuring the academic achievements of
students. 70% to 80% evaluation done by external examination only 20% to 30%
given to internal assessment. Evaluation only consist cognitive domain,
affective and psychomotor domains are neglected.
11. Problems
related to Educational planning, management & administration
Educational
planning, management & and administration are defective. It should be on diversified
level. Present education planning at micro & macro level does not cater the
need of society as well as individual. It less focusing on grass root level
& and more focusing on administrative level.
India is a multi-lingual & multi-cultural country, so we
cannot follows uniformity in medium of instruction. As suggested by various
commissions medium instruction should be mother tongue.
1.
Modification in the aims of secondary education
2.
Making the secondary education free &
compulsory like Elementary education, this is the need of present time.
3.
Improvement in curriculum & effective
implementation
4.
Multipurpose curriculum
5.
Establishment of multipurpose schools
6.
Improvement in physical infrastructure
Ø
Physical infrastructure should be improve likes
No. of classroom, drinking water facilities, separate toilet, library, science
math & language laboratory etc.
7.
Allocation of proper funds for secondary
education
8.
Availability of secondary school within the 7 km
of distance
9.
Social evils have to be checked.
10.
Establishment of separate girls’ secondary
schools where it needed.
11.
Provision of Enrollment drive for weaker
sections, SCs, STs, Women & Minorities.
12.
Proper checking of enrolment in the schools
13.
Compulsory attendance & and register
maintenance
14.
Innovative school program for the qualitative
improvement of secondary education
15.
Multiple entry system- entry of any period of
time during the session
16.
Promotion/ use
of new trends/ methods/technique of teaching learning
Ø
Programed learning
Ø
Flipped classroom
Ø
Computer assisted instruction
Ø
Simulation techniques
Ø
Google classroom
Ø
Online learning / mobile learning
17.
Improvement in examination & evaluation
system
Ø
Weightage should be given to scholastic as well
as co-scholastic aspects
Ø
Use of multiple tools for the assessment of
learning outcomes
Ø
More use of objective and short type test items
Ø
Uniformity in grading system
Ø
Use of diagnostic assessment
18.
Continuous in-service teacher education program-
for the continuous growth of in service teachers.
19.
Regular investigation & inspection by the
government servants as well as local authority
20.
Conducting research studies in secondary education.
The present
secondary education in our country is not congenial to effective, democratic
and productive citizenship which is the need of the hour. We need able, dutiful
and self-dedicated citizens for making our infant democracy a success, who are
imbued with the spirit of intelligent patriotism contributing to the rapid
prosperity of the country. There are many challenges of secondary education
like paucity of funds, lack of infrastructure, standard & quality of
education, defective curriculum, lack of professional training, political
inferences etc. There is need to improvement in those things. New
& innovative trends of teaching learning should be promoted.