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International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) - Shelby ...

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Elementary Education<br />

Elementary education for children aged 6-14 is free and compulsory.<br />

In all the states and<br />

union<br />

territories, elementary education consists of two cycles: primary school (also called<br />

lower primary school) and upper primary school (also called middle school, especially in<br />

rural areas). It lasts 8 years in most states and union territories, consisting of 5 years of<br />

primary school plus 3 years of upper primary school (5+3), though several states adopt<br />

the 4+4 pattern. In a few states, elementary education is seven years in length, with 4+3<br />

as the dominant pattern. Elementary school teachers generally complete a two-year<br />

program beyond Class 12. Some teachers hold a one-year Bachelor of Education degree<br />

(with entry based on completion of a first bachelor degree) or a four-year Bachelor of<br />

Elementary Education degree.<br />

The elementary school curriculum covers basic subjects like languages, math, science,<br />

and<br />

environmental studies. Instruction is in Hindi or a regional language, with a second<br />

language such as English or Hindi introduced in the upper primary stage. The following<br />

tables show the subjects and time allocations for elementary education recommended in<br />

1977 by the Ishwarbhai Patel Committee, which was appointed by the Ministry of<br />

Education and Social Welfare to review the NCERT national curriculum. 10<br />

Table 8. Elementary (Classes 1-4/5) Subjects, 1977<br />

Subject Time Allocation<br />

One language 20%<br />

Math 20%<br />

Environmental studies (social studies, nature study and health education) 20%<br />

Socially useful productive work (SUPW) 20%<br />

Games and creative activities such as music, dancing and painting 20%<br />

Table 9. Elementary (Classes 5/6-7/8) Subjects, 1977<br />

Subject<br />

Hours<br />

(per week)<br />

Languages 7<br />

Math 4<br />

History, civics, and geography 4<br />

General science 4<br />

The arts (music, dancing, and painting) 3<br />

Socially useful productive work (SUPW) and 6<br />

community service<br />

Games, physical education, and supervised study 4<br />

Total 32<br />

The following table lists the subjects for elementary education as prescribed in the<br />

National<br />

Curriculum Framework of 2000:<br />

cts, National Curriculum Framework, 2000 11<br />

Table 10. Elementary (Classes 1-8) Subje<br />

Stage Subject<br />

Primary<br />

One language – mother tongue/regional language<br />

Classes<br />

1-2 Math<br />

Art of living and productive living<br />

Page 31 of 123

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