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Unit 20: Secondary Education: Concept and Need

to have their own choice in the graduation schools and make their path of life special by their Notes
own dedication.
20.1.1 Historical Background
Secondary education became important when in the 20th century businesses started to thrive.
More and more people are required to perform jobs due to a high demand from consumers. In
order to get a good paying job certain requirements were set and one of them is for an individual
to have attained secondary education. Further training and knowledge is provided in secondary
education hence employers are confident the individual has enough skills to perform the task.
20.1.2 Secondary Education and Adolescence
During the years of secondary education while children go through adolescence, there are more
problems encountered. While struggling so hard to belong, they also have to contend with the
demands to excel plus the added pressure of having to live-up to the expectations of their
parents to behave morally. With this perspective secondary education definition takes on a
different meaning. It now stands to symbolize a right of passage to adulthood.
We are all aware that society sets a very high standard on what is acceptable or not. Keeping up
is never easy, much so for children, but with secondary education they are trained to prepare
for such demands. They learn the importance of owning up to responsibilities. Through
secondary education children discover their strengths and weaknesses through different activities
and assimilation. The training in secondary education will also help shape their dreams and
build their character to become a responsible citizen of our society.
The period of adolescence is very confusing; the adolescent is very emotional and high-strung
which often leads to rebellion against figures of authority. Teachers and parents must work
hand in hand to guide these children to the right path. While secondary education definition
may not be more than just a ladder that children has to climb in order to reach the top, a
personality development program should also be recognized as another added bonus. Recently
due to the failing economy more and more children are deprived of higher education. And if
this is the case, then secondary education should be able to provide enough opportunities to
these children to be enable them to support themselves, their families and at the same time
contribute to community to which they belongs.

20.2 Need for Secondary Education in India
Since Independence India has invested huge resources into the expansion and improvement of
education in the country, in an effort to extend access from the elites to the masses. The first
priority for the country has been the struggle to achieve Education For All at the elementary
level, and rightly so; great strides have been made in this area over the past twenty years (and
particularly over the last five years). The second priority has been to develop an elite higher
education system, part of which is competitive at the global level, although much remains to be
done at this level to improve access and quality. High-caliber graduates from the Indian Institutes
of Technology (IITs) and Management (IIMs) have succeeded in generating jobs, economic growth
and new knowledge, and enabled India’s integration into the global knowledge economy.
Studies in other countries have repeatedly showed that expansion of secondary education is
critical for sustained inclusive growth and poverty reduction. This first chapter provides the
institutional context which affects access to, and quality of, secondary education, and establishes
the rationale for public funding and, under certain conditions, public provision, of secondary
education.

There is attention needs to shift to secondary education, to respond to rapidly increasing
household and labor market demand for graduates with higher levels of knowledge
and skills after universalisation of lementary education.

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