In a significant move to synchronise with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and tackle dropout rates, the Maharashtra Government has greenlighted the transformation of 60,000 elementary schools into secondary schools. The government has expanded Upper-Primary and Secondary Education to over 41,000 schools, allowing 17,788 schools to extend up to Grade 10.
Local governing bodies have been tasked with implementing this expansion, prioritising schools with minimum enrollments. The move aims to standardise the state’s education system, which currently faces challenges in aligning with NEP’s envisioned structure.
This overhaul also aims to standardise Maharashtra’s extensive educational network, comprising approximately 1.1 lakh schools, and address the NEP’s call for a unified schooling structure from pre-primary to class 12. However, transitioning from the current 5+3+2 model to the NEP’s 5+3+3+4 framework presents logistical challenges.
Notably, the integration of secondary sections seeks to address the alarming trend of dropouts after elementary education, which sees approximately 65,000 students discontinuing education post-eighth grade. However, the state refrains from creating additional teaching positions due to financial constraints, urging the utilisation of existing resources to facilitate this transition.
