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Overview
r The pressure on secondary education is already
being perceived. It will not be wise to wait till 2010
when the pressure may become unbearable.
Besides the Committee on Universalisation of
Secondary Education, another Committee of the
Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) was also
constituted in September 2004 to examine the following
issues:
r Girls’ Education
the Common School System; renewal of curricula with
emphasis on vocationalisation and employmentoriented
courses; expansion and diversification of the
Open Learning System; reorganisation of teacher
training and greater use of ICT. The Tenth Plan
objectives for secondary education are in consonance
with the broad parameters and strategy of the National
Policy on Education (NPE) of 1986 and the Programme
of Action of 1992. These include:
r Common School System
r Inclusive Education including Education for
Children with Disabilities/Special Needs
The report of the Committee was received in June 2005.
The Committee has inter-alia recommended that “there
is no alternative acceptable to regular schooling of good
quality to all the girls”. The Committee also felt that
“incentives offered for promotion of girls education need
to be revisited and measures taken need to be of such
nature, force and magnitude that they are able to
overcome the obstacles posed by factors such as poverty,
domestic/sibling responsibilities, girl child labour, low
preference to girl’s education, preference to marriage
over the education of girl child, etc.”
The Committee, inter alia, recommended the following:
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Extending access in un-served areas and
educationally backward areas with concentration
of SC/ST population.
A uniform educational structure of 10+2+3, with
the first 10 years envisaged as a stage of general
education with undifferentiated courses providing
basic knowledge in languages, science (including
social and natural science) and mathematics.
The higher secondary stage to provide for
diversified courses with emphasis on
vocationalisation.
Vocational education is to become a distinct
stream, intended to prepare students for identified
occupations spanning several areas of activity, at
the +2 stage.
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Making good quality education available to all
students in all schools at affordable fees is a primary
commitment of the Common School System
State should invest in public schools system with
standards, norms, building, etc., of the same
standards as that of Kendriya Vidyalayas.
The Government recognises the need to make
secondary education of good quality available, accessible
and affordable to all young persons and is working
towards achieving this objective.
Tenth Plan-2002-07 (Targets, Priorities and
Outlays)
The key issues relating to secondary education
highlighted in the Tenth Plan are: greater focus on
improving access; reducing disparities by emphasising
The social, gender based and regional disparities need
to be addressed. Educationally backward districts should
receive greater support for school infrastructure. Besides
providing new schools need-based up-gradation of
upper primary schools will have to be given greater
priority. The quality of education needs to be improved
with investments in teacher education, training
laboratories, libraries and encouraging parents to invest
in their children’s education. The State Boards of
Secondary Education needs to be strengthened.
The approved outlay for secondary education (including
vocational education) in the Central Sector in the
Tenth Plan is Rs.4,325.00 crore. The actual expenditure
in 2003-04 was Rs.639.08 crore, which increased to
Rs.653.60 crore in 2004-05. The approved outlay for
2005-06 is Rs. 875.00 crore.
Annual Report 2005-06
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