Indiais a large country Facts located in Asia. Its heritage and history are unique, and its capital city is New Delhi, which has a bit more than 250,000 inhabitants (but 26,454,000 if you count the metropolitan area!).
An interesting part of the country that I wanted to tackle is its education. In light of that, I have listed my 40 best facts about the school system in India, and I hope you will love them:
1. India has the second-largest school system in the world
Because India is the second most populated country in the world, it is a good thing that it also has the second-largest school system on the planet.
Indeed, it would have been a disaster if nearly 1.4 billion Indians were facing severe school shortages.
2. There is a lack of participation in Indian schools
Even though the education system in India is the second-largest one in the world, and millions of students are enrolled, there is still a gap in participation rates.
This is particularly true for marginalized populations, like lower castes, minorities, and most importantly rural regions.
3. Education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 14 in India
When it comes to education, children in India have no choice but to go to school from age 6 to 14. This was introduced through the “Right to Education Act”, voted by the Indian Parliament in August 2009.
Since then, education has been steadily improving.
4. Many metrics drastically improved since the Right to Education Act
This act is very important for the whole population of India.
As a matter of fact, ever since it was introduced, everything has improved in education. For instance, literacy rates have increased in the past few years, and the number of students grew by 5 percent in only 5 years.
5. Thanks to the improvement of its education, India’s economy has grown a lot
Everyone should know this: education is the pillar for the future of any country.
From 2011 to 2015, India has increased its spending on education by 80 percent. Also, the English language has been used more and more, giving more opportunities to foreign students as well as Indians.
6. despite improvements, the situation is sometimes critical in Indian schools
While it is true that the Indian education system has only been getting better and better, it is still lackluster in many places like rural areas.
In fact, 1 in 40 primary schools take place in either tents or open spaces, with under qualified teachers.
7. Funds dedicated to Indian schools in rural areas are still insufficient
As I said earlier, the Indian government increased its spending on education by 80 percent… but rural areas still suffer.
Because funds are insufficient, children have little to no common resources such as pens and paper. And yes, some of them learn in open spaces.
8. Teachers in rural Indian schools are unqualified because of the qualification requirements
The main issue with teachers being under qualified or even unqualified in Indian rural areas is the qualification requirements. These are too low, and often overlooked.
This problem hugely impacts India as a whole, and it absolutely needs to be solved quickly.
9. Many out-of-school children in India are girls
The majority of out-of-school children in India are girls.
Most of them have to help their poor families on the farms. This is why it is quite easy to see children working in rural areas, so they simply cannot go to school.
10. Parents themselves force their girls out of school
Another reason why so many girls are out of school in India is because their own parents often force them to drop out.
They need them at home to help them out, and some of them even resist sending their girls to school.
11. The Right to Education Act helped Indian girls a lot
Indian girls can be thankful for the Right to Education Act. Because of it, a lot of progress has been made in keeping them in school.
From 2006 to 2018, the percentage of out-of-school girls dropped from 10.3 percent to 4.1 percent.
12. Indian girls were facing poor conditions in school
Maybe another reason for Indian girls to skip school is their own comfort and safety.
Thanks to the Act though, the number of girls’ toilets has doubled, and many school grounds were walled (this was a major safety concern for girls’ attendance).
13. Preschool is widely underfunded in India
Preschool is generally ignored in India, whether it is by Indians, or by the Indian government.
Not many children attend preschool, and it is not mandatory. The government itself does not prioritize preschool at all, and preschool, for children aged under 6, is largely underfunded.
14. Because there are so many poor Indian people, many children drop out of school
More than a fifth of India’s population lives under the official poverty line.
And while that does not seem related at all, it is a huge reason for children to drop out of school. With a very poor family, they are primarily concerned with helping them survive.
15. Many poor Indian people are convinced education is a luxury
Mindsets in rural areas are yet another reason for children to not attend school.
Indeed, most impoverished Indians will tell you that education is a luxury that they just cannot afford: not only in terms of money but also in terms of time!
16. Rural mindsets could be changed by the Indian government
This is a long and tedious work, but the Indian government could technically help the rural areas of the country.
If it decided to allocate more money to impoverished areas of the countries, children could attend school, and maybe even help their parents on top of that, if need be.