IEDU131- ESE : Philosophical Underpinnings of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Education system of India.

 

Philosophical Underpinnings of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Education system of India.

2138102 Brian Jeevan Fernandes

ABSTRACT

Effective education is a pressing need, and education is an integral part of everyone's life. In this regard, educational philosophies play a significant role in transmitting values and knowledge to the receiver. I've attempted to articulate the philosophical foundations of India's primary, secondary, and tertiary education systems. A brief discussion of the role of the constitution in education and the educational system is provided. The nature and scope of educational policy, as well as the essence of the New Educational Policy (NEP), have been clarified.

Keywords: Education, Philosophy, New Educational Policy

INTRODUCTION

The word 'Education,' according to some scholars, is derived from the Latin term 'Educatum,' which means the act of teaching or training. Many educators believe it is derived from the Latin word "educare," which means "to bring up" or "to raise." Others claim that the word 'education' comes from the Latin term 'Educate,' which means 'to lead forth' or 'to come out.' All of these meanings suggest that education aims to nurture man's good qualities and bring out the best in each individual(Samuel, 2011). Education is the systematic acquisition of knowledge, experience, skill, and a positive attitude by a child or an adult. It elevates a person's status to civilised, refined, cultured, and educated. Education is the only means for a civilised and socialised society to achieve its goal of making each individual perfect. Education is valued in every society because it is a cure-all for all ills. It is the key to resolving all of life's problems.

Man is always intrigued about his origins, goals, relationship with God, and destiny, among other things, and this continual exertion of man to comprehend reality is known as philosophy. It's an attempt to unravel and make sense of life's mysteries. As a result, it is known as the mother of All Arts as well as the Science of All Sciences (Pieper, 2009). The study of education and how it can be improved is the subject of philosophy of education. It seeks out the most effective means of imparting knowledge. It attempts to comprehend and explain the nature and importance of education, as well as the methods by which it can be accomplished and the ideals that should guide it. In terms of study, the philosophy of education overlaps with the various branches of philosophy and education. This has long been a source of debate and interest among philosophers around the world, and it continues to do so. Indian schools of philosophy contribute to the humanization of their educational system through a lifelong education process that combines philosophy and education(del Carmen Salazar, 2013). The purpose of this article is to explain the philosophical foundations of India's primary, secondary, and tertiary education systems.

THE ROLE OF CONSTITUTION IN EDUCATION

Education was given a prominent role in the development of modern India by the Constitution. To begin with, it was expected that educational systems would incorporate the values enshrined in the Constitution into the curriculum. Second, the Constitution mandated that the state make special measures to encourage the educational preferences of the educationally and socially disadvantaged. In public schools supported by state funds, Article 28 separates religion from education. At the same time, it guarantees religious freedom. Article 29 assures that "any section of the inhabitants in the territory of India or any part of it and having a different dialect, scriptor culture of its own,shall have the right to conserve the same," and that "no citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds, on the grounds of religion, race, caste, language, or any of them(Dhavan, 1987)."

INDIA'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

A country's education system is the bedrock of its economic growth and sustainable development. Some of the factors that affect the formation of a nation's educational systems are heavily influenced by the type of economy, such as agriculture, industrial, service, education and research. The educational objectives are determined by the types of careers and job markets available(Abideen et al., 2013). Diversity, societal structure, cultural differences, teaching skills and experience, and other factors all play a role in determining the foundation of an educational system and curriculum. India has an educational system that is rich, ancient, evolved, and complex. Its philosophical foundations are influenced by educational goals. 

Education in India is divided into three levels. The infographic of the different levels of education in India is shown in Figure. 1.

1. Primary Education

1. Secondary Education

1. Tertiary Education

Figure 1. Different levels of education in India

In India, Primary Education are both compulsory and free. Primary school education begins at the age of six and ends at the age of fourteen. State-run and private schools both provide education; however, private schools frequently have better buildings and services than government schools. In many primary schools, the regional language is the medium of instruction, and English as a second language is usually introduced in third grade.

Secondary Education begins in grade 9 and continues through grade 12. The secondary stage is divided into two two-year cycles known as General/Lower Secondary School (Standard X) and Upper/Senior Secondary School (Senior Secondary School) (Standard XII). Education remains free in government schools, though private education is more common in secondary schools. 

Post Independence, India's higher education (Tertiary Education) system has been highly centralised and has undergone significant changes. Educational policy, which is largely based on the British educational system, is constantly evolving. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is in charge of overseeing university education in India, as well as developing higher education, allocating funds, and recognising institutions. The All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) was also formed to oversee technical education quality authority and to regulate the formation of new private professional colleges. All recognised universities are members of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which is responsible for information propagation and serves as an advisor to the government, the University Grants Commission, and the universities themselves.The UGC introduced the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in 2015 in an attempt to encourage a more interdisciplinary approach to education and provide students with more flexibility and choice.

EDUCATIONAL POLICY: 

There are numerous ways in which educational policies have been elucidated. Nevertheless, we can summarize the nature and scope of the education policy and it can be defined as (Sharma et al., 2017): 

• A process at which society and interactions come forefront, which levers educational issues.  It also includes cultural and traditional believes and follows a steady design of events. 
• Collective inputs from society and observation are gathered.  Those are then interpreted by the authority (government) and made available as programs and activities in the area of education. 
• Precise and implicit decisions are made by the group of people leading to the blueprint of the curriculum. Therefore, policy is a sequence of measures taken before getting into action. 

NEW EDUCATIONAL POLICY (NEP) 

India is a developing country with a large population. Since Independence, the literacy rate of our country has been increased from 12% to 74% but what is more significant is the quality of  education to all. Pritha (Chaturvedi, 2020) in her article entitled “The Significant Shift in the Education Policy of India” has emphasized recent educational policy (NEP 2020) in comparison  with  earlier  educational  policies  such  as  NEP  1968  and  NEP  1986. 

The  author  suggests that educational policies need revision periodically as our young progressive  generation  move  towards  improvement  and  evolve  their  capabilities  internationally.  Hencechange  remains  constant.  Concentrating  on  NEP(2020),  it  aims  at  holistic  multidisciplinary  education  for  everyone.  Following  changes  are  made  on  the  NEP  (2020).  Following  are  the  main changes that NEP(2020) would like to bring to in curriculum. 

• For  school  education,  the  policy  emphasizes reforming of the curriculum, “stress-free”.In  the  Board  exams,  a  decrease  in  the  syllabus  is  to  be  required  to  retain .“Fundamentals” and drive on “experiential culture and critical thinking” is encouraged. 
• No firm separation between curricular, optional, co-curricular, amongst arts, humanities, and sciences, or between professional and academic streams. 
• The  policy  also  suggests  phasing  out  of  all  institutions  proposing  single  streams  and that all universities and colleges must seek to become multidisciplinary by 2040.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusions, the importance of education and the origins of philosophy have been thoroughly discussed. The constitution's role in ensuring that everyone has access to education was recognised. The various levels of education in India have been discussed in order to gain a better understanding of the Indian educational system. The philosophical considerations in education are illuminated by the nature and scope of educational policies. Finally, the essence of NEP was discussed in order to look forward to a brighter future for education in India.

REFERENCES

Abideen, A., Adewale, A., & Adeola, E. (2013). Analysis of rural literacy as a panacea for socio-economy development of Nigeria. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 5(9), 381–390.

 Chaturvedi, P. (2020). The Significant Shift in the Education Policy of India The Significant

Shift in the Education Policy of India.

del Carmen Salazar, M. (2013). A humanizing pedagogy: Reinventing the principles and practice of education as a journey toward liberation. Review of Research in Education, 37(1), 121–148.

Dhavan, R. (1987). Religious freedom in India. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 35(1), 209–254.

Pieper, J. (2009). Leisure: The basis of culture. Ignatius Press.

Samuel, R. S. (2011). A comprehensive study of education. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

Sharma, C. B., Pathak, A., & Sinha, A. (2017). Unit-6 Education Policy, Decision Making and

Political Perspectives of Education. IGNOU. http://egyankosh.ac.in//handle/123456789/8309