The Education System in India

With admission season around the corner, most parents are busy trying to get their child an admit to the No 1 school in India. But in the midst of this rigorous and intensive process, have you ever stopped to think about the journey of education in India and how the education landscape has evolved over the years?

The first form of formal education in India was through the Gurukul system, wherein a teacher (Guru) accepted a student (Shishya) to learn under him. The student went to live in the teacher’s house and hence, not only got to learn about topics like Sanskrit, the holy scriptures, Mathematics and Science, but also gained much by first-hand exposure to the Guru’s way of life. Once the Shishya had completed his learning, he went on to make his own destiny, and the Guru would take on new students.

The top schools in India today follow the modern education system that was first introduced in India by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay in the 1830s. The first version of this system focused only on subjects like Science and Mathematic and ignored areas like Philosophy. In complete contrast with the Gurukul system where the teacher and student built a bond in the lap of nature, here, the teaching was confined to classrooms.

Over the years, the education sector has evolved considerably. Until a couple of decades ago, the top 10 schools in India were either ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) schools or CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) ones. In addition to these curriculums, each state also offered a state board that focused largely on issues of local relevance and importance. However, if you do some research on the No 1 school in India today, you’ll realise that schools offering these traditional curriculums are now competing with schools offering international curriculums like IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and IB (International Baccalaureate) for the title.

Across these different education boards, the school system in India has four levels:

• Lower Primary for ages 6 to 10
• Upper Primary for ages 11 to 12
• High School for ages 13 to 15
• Higher Secondary School for ages 16 to 18

In the younger classes, students are taught the basics of English, Mathematics and Science. As they grow, they start learning other subjects like History, Geography, and a secondary language. In high school and higher secondary school, most curriculums offered by the top schools in India give their students the option to choose what they want to study in order to let them develop their interests and follow their passions.

The top 10 schools in India as well as others lower down in the list are promoting holistic growth. Gone are the days when students were awarded only for memorizing concepts and writing the same down on paper during exam time. Today, schools are focusing on creating citizens of the world who are not only smart, but also equipped with a wide variety of soft skills like empathy, leadership, collaboration, respect, etc.

As you can see, the education landscape in India has evolved over the years and continues to see positive changes. Experts believe that technology will be the next game-changer in this field, and the widespread use of technology in educational institutes through devices, apps and user interfaces are testament to this.

Podar international schools are the best schools in the country. Our success lies in our team and the use of latest technology in teaching