The education system in India mainly comprises of primary education (K- 5th Standard), secondary education (6th to 10th Standard), senior secondary education (11th & 12th Standard) and higher education (Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate). Elementary education consists of eight years of education. Each of secondary and senior secondary education consists of two years of education. Higher education in India starts after completing the higher secondary education or the 12th Grade. Depending on the stream, pursuing graduation in India can take three to five years. Post graduate courses are generally of two to three years of duration. After completing post graduation, scope for doing research in various educational institutes also remains open.
- Indian students typically seek MBA, engineering, IT, medicine, law and architecture programs
- Southern India particularly Kerala is Nursing hub.
- There is also interest in the pure sciences and humanities programs like sociology, economics, etc.
- Interest in MBA and MS/M Eng remains the highest.
India Vis-a-Vis Canada
Demographics |
India |
Canada |
Population |
1,205,073,612 |
34,300,083 |
Median Age |
26.5 |
41.2 |
Fertility Rate |
2.5 per woman |
1.59 per woman |
Life Expectancy |
67.14 years |
81.48 years |
Education Expenditure |
3.2% of GDP |
5.8% of GDP |
Local education associations (Links to be given to all the sites mentioned)
- Central Board of Secondary Education -www.cbse.nic.in
- National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) -www.ncert.nic.in
- National Institute of Open Schooling – www.nos.org
- University Grants Commission – www.ugc.ac.in
- Association of Indian Universities – www.aiuweb.org
- All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) – www.aicte.ernet.in
- Ministry of Education (Government of India) – www.education.nic.in
- International Baccalaureate – www.ibo.org/country/IN/
If you are planning your visit to a school, be aware of the school breaks
- May 1 – July 1: Summer Vacation
- August 16-22: Onam Holidays in Kerala
- October 18-15: Dussehra Holidays
- November 6-10: Diwali Holidays
- December 23 – January 2: Christmas and Winter Break (some schools may break until January 8-11)
- It is important to note that residential schools, especially those located in the hill stations of India, have a longer winter break (December to January) and shorter summer breaks (June).
- International schools follow the country of origin’s academic calendar and would open in August or September after a two-month vacation