School Level Science Education System and Status in India

In India, the entire schooling span is divided into multiple stages beginning with nursery or pre-schooling (at home, kindergarten or crèches, age group 3 to 5), followed by primary (class I to IV, age 6 to 10) and secondary level formal education (class V to X, age 11 to 16) and finally ending at the higher secondary stage (class XI-XII, age 17 to 18). Science education covering natural sciences commences on at the secondary level (class V) though counting numbers and arithmetic is a part of the primary level training itself. While curriculum is common without specialized subjects until class X, students select specific streams (science, humanities, commerce or vocational courses like pharmacy) only at the higher secondary level (class XI-XII). Promotion to the next class is usually administered through an annual examination conducted by the school itself, the public examinations at class X and class XII provide exit/completion options and are conducted by the respective Boards of the state or central government level.