Levels and Stages of Education in India – Statistics, Facts and More

The Indian education system has witnessed some spectacular phases of transformation from ancient times to modern-day reforms and policies. From an impeccable Gurukul system to the modern-day era of the 21st century, India has been both steady and dynamic in its approach toward educational reforms.

With the recent educational policy (National Education Policy 2020), our policymakers have once again modified the schooling stages from 10+ 2 to 5+3+3+4 structure (to be implemented).

This information will take you through the stages of education in the Indian educational landscape. Get ready to delve into the depths of the Indian academic realm with us!

What are the Stages of Education in India?

Pre-Primary Education:

Level – Preschool, Play Group, Anganwadi, or Pre Primary
Minimum Age Requirement – 3 years
Total Duration of Level – 2 to 3 years
Under RTE (Yes/No) – No
Curricula- Montessori, Playway, and diverse curricula developed by schools

Broad Educational Goals – Pre Primary Education

The first of all schooling stages in India is the pre primary stage. It consists of the classes that are commonly known as playgroup/pre-nursery, lower kindergarten, upper kindergarten. At this formative stage, pre schools prepare students for the upcoming formal schooling stages.

For young students, this is their first exposure to the outside world. They learn about social behavior, explore their surroundings, and start with an educational voyage in a happy learning environment.

This level aims at building and enhancing:

Foundational literacy and numeracy
Cognitive and social development
Fine and gross motor skills through play and activities

Details and Notable Statistics:

Our policymakers call this level the ‘Early Childhood Care and Education: The Foundation of Learning’. Pre primary education is a key focus area under the new education policy, NPE 2020. The new schooling structure new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure covers this stage under the 1^st part of the new structure along with classes 1 and 2 (Covering age groups till 8 years).

85% of a child’s cumulative brain development happens before 6 years of age. (Source- Point 1.1 under the section 1, NPE 2020)
3% of the 5 year old children in India were enrolled in Anganwadis (government-run preschool centers).
In the Indian pre primary education industry, Kidzee occupies the first position among the private players with 1700 schools across the country (34%).

Primary Education:

Level – Elementary or Primary education
Minimum Age Requirement – 6 years
Total Duration of Level – 5 years
Under RTE (Yes/No) – Yes
Curricula – CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge, IB, and State Board Curriculums

Broad Educational Goals- Primary Education

Primary schooling means the first step towards entering a formal school. In India, primary education is imparted in government, government-aided, and private schools. This stage covers all classes from 1 to 5. It falls under the compulsory schooling stages of education, as all Indian children between the ages of 6 and 14 years are covered under the Right to Education (RTE 2009).

At this stage, students study core subjects like English, regional language or Hindi, Math, Social Science, Environmental Science, Computer, Art and Craft, etc. One major difference between pre primary and primary education is that most schools follow the same/similar subjects at the primary level.

At this crucial level of education aims at:

Holistic development (physical, social, cognitive, and language)
Nurturing a love for learning
Preparing students for the middle school stage
Inculcating values and character-building
Developing digital literacy

Details and Notable Statistics:

As per the recent statistics released by the Government of India (UDISE+ Report 2021-22):

The gross enrollment rates at the primary education level reached 104.82% for girls and 102.12% for boys.
India had a network of 11.96 lakh elementary schools with 13860 exclusively for girls, 6834 for boys, and 1175571 co-ed elementary schools.
The share of government schools at the primary schooling stages was 68.7%, private 22.6%, aided 5.5%, and others 3.3%.
Enrollment levels and primary schooling means entering a formal school but this does not guarantee learning levels.
33% of class 3, 36% of class 5, and 44% of class 8 students were below basic levels in language and math learning.

$percentage of students below basic levels of language and math primary education$

Upper Primary/Middle School

Level – Upper Primary, Middle or Junior High School
Minimum Age Requirement – 10 years
Total Duration of Level – 3 years
Under RTE (Yes/No) – Yes
Curricula – CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge, IB, and State Board Curriculums

Broad Educational Goals

Between primary education and secondary education, students attend middle school (classes 6,7, and 8). It is one of the stages of education that prepares students for the most crucial of all schooling stages i.e. secondary education (followed by the senior secondary stage). The educational goals at the middle school level are created to help students delve deeper into subject details, giving them an insight into the aspects of these subjects at an advanced level.

At this time, students and stakeholders also gauge interest levels to make an informed choice of academic disciplines at the higher secondary stage. Top online schools and traditional schools also widen choices for subjects and electives (including foreign languages) at this stage for the same purpose.

Details and Notable Statistics:

India struggles with the net enrollment ratio at the upper primary level (Only 71.30% by 2022).
Adolescence is a critical age with physical changes, psychological distress, and academic stress (5% of the students reported academic stress).
Two-thirds (6%) of the students experienced parental pressure.

(Years) 2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
72.02%	70.71%	71.14%	68.99%	71.14%	74.10%	71.30%

Secondary Education

Level – Secondary Stage (available only in secondary schools)
Minimum Age Requirement – 14 years
Total Duration of Level – 2 years
Under RTE (Yes/No) – No
Curricula – CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge, IB, and State Board Curriculums

Broad Educational Goals

In the Indian context, secondary education refers to classes 9 and 10. For students, this is a crucial juncture in their academic journey. Because this level marks the beginning of their formal academic record with the first every public exam (board/public exam) in class X.

This level also gives students a clear idea of what the higher secondary education means for them in terms of career choice and interests. Unlike all other schooling stages, this is one wherein students decide on their upcoming streams/subject choices/areas of study. Before entering the last years of school, secondary classes also promote specialization and advanced-level in-depth knowledge acquisition. With the right handholding, this is the perfect time to give students a hang of the suitable vocational education courses as well.

Details and Notable Statistics:

At the secondary schooling stages, India battles with the worst challenges. The dropout rate rose up to 6% of students in 2020-21.
The gross enrollment ratio is another not-so-happy scenario at the secondary education stage. It was only 79.5% in 2021-22.
In 2021-22, the transition rate from the upper primary to the secondary level was 88.81%.

Details	2020-21	2021-22
Gross Enrollment Ratio	79.80%	79.50%
Dropout Rates	14.60%	12.61%
Transition Rates Upper Primary to Secondary	91.30%	88.81%

Higher Secondary Education

Level – High School, Senior Secondary, Higher Secondary
Minimum Age Requirement – 16 years
Total Duration of Level – 2 years
Under RTE (Yes/No) – No
Curricula – CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge, IB, and State Board Curriculums

Broad Educational Goals

Higher secondary education means the final or specialized stage of education. The last 2 years of schooling are based on a student’s interests. They choose their subjects as per their aptitude. And in many cases, these are aligned with the commonly known streams like ‘Science’ ‘Commerce’, ‘Humanities’, etc. These subjects build a foundation for undergraduate programs.

And they end their school journey with another public examination at the end of class 12. The subjects chosen by students at this level also determine the acceptance of students in colleges. The entrance exams conducted by colleges are based on the collated performance of class 12 board exams along with the subject knowledge of the applied course/discipline gauged through entrance or admission tests.

From pre primary education to secondary education, followed by higher secondary, Indian students cross all these levels through schooling choices like traditional and online schools.

Details and Notable Statistics

Secondary education and senior secondary stages are critical for one’s career, 93% of our Indian students are aware of only 7 career options.

Career	Considered by Students
Engineering	23.53%
Accounts and Finance	11.81%
IT	9.56%
Management	6.71%
Medicine	8.08%
Law	4.38%
Designing	6.06%
Others	29.87%

By the year 2030, 50% of the (12^th passed) Indians will lack the skills required to get jobs.
Vocational education is offered by only 9% government, 41.1% private aided, and 8.0% private unaided schools at the higher secondary level.

We hope we explained these levels from pre primary, to primary education, middle school, secondary, and higher secondary schooling stages well. These stages of education further lead to a new dimension of undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Like the schooling stages, these specialization opportunities are also subject to the successful completion of the previous levels. And there is always a need to support young students to help them craft a future as per their dreams!

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should a child start their schooling?
Parents enroll their children in preprimary schools from the age of 3 years (Upper and lower kindergarten meaning should be clear to parents before choosing a pre school). However, the minimum age to start with class 1 is defined as 6 years.
When do admissions in schools start?
The academic year starts from the 1^st of April to the 31^st of March. And school admissions start some time before this duration depending on the individual shortlisting process of the schools.
How to choose the right school?
Ensure that the school is recognized/accredited. Check all aspects like curriculum, distance, safety, teacher quality, etc.
How are regular schools different from online school classes
Online schools conduct all schooling processes like teaching, exams, etc. virtually. Regular schools have a dedicated school building and conduct in-person classes along with exams.
What are the steps of school education?
The steps of school education are:
1. Pre primary and primary education
2. Middle school
3. Secondary
4. Senior Secondary

What are the Stages of Education in India?

Pre-Primary Education:

Broad Educational Goals – Pre Primary Education

Details and Notable Statistics:

Primary Education:

Broad Educational Goals- Primary Education

Details and Notable Statistics:

Upper Primary/Middle School

Broad Educational Goals

Details and Notable Statistics:

Secondary Education

Broad Educational Goals

Details and Notable Statistics:

Higher Secondary Education

Broad Educational Goals

Details and Notable Statistics

Frequently Asked Questions

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