பக்கம்:புதிய கல்வி முறை-10-2-3.pdf/59

39. appropriate to the university stage. This necessarily simplies a total duration of at least 12 years for the school stage (including elementary and secondary education), because the age of admission to the school system is generally six years. At present, when the total duration of the school stage is sometimes only 10 or 11 years, and the age of admission to the school system is five years or even less, very young students aged 14–17, often enter the university system. They are really children who deserve to remain at school and continue to be taught by methods appropriate to the school stage rather than young persons who are mature enough to profit by a course of higher education. This is bad for the schools that lose in their stature by a cut in their total duration. It is bad for the universities because it adversely affects their standards. What is even more important, it is not good for the students themselves. If this situation is to be improved, it follows that the total duration of the school stage (including elementary and secondary education) should be not less than twelve years. This was the recommendation of the Education Commission and I am sure it will find. general support in this gathering. The next question to be discussed refers to the duration of the secondary education course. The duration of elementary education is eight years in some States such as Uttar Pradesh, and seven years in others such as Maharashtra. If the total duration of school stage is to be twelve years, it follows that the duration of the secondary course would be four years in some States and five years in others. The Education Commission had an open mind on this issue and did not insist on a uniform pattern of seven or eight years for elementary education. It was, however, very emphatic on one points secondary education should not form an integrated continuous course, but should preferably be