Education structure in India

There are broadly four stages of school education in India:

• Primary
• Upper primary
• Secondary
• Higher secondary

Overall, schooling lasts 12 years, following the "10+2 pattern". However, there are considerable differences between the various states in terms of the organizational patterns within these first 10 years of schooling.

The government is committed to ensuring universal elementary education (primary and upper primary) education for all children aged 6-14 years of age. Primary school includes children of ages 6-11, organized into classes one through five. Upper Primary and Secondary school pupils aged 11-15 are organized into classes six through ten, and higher secondary school students ages 16-17 are enrolled in classes eleven through twelve.

In some places there is a concept called Middle/Upper Primary schools for classes between six to eight. In such cases classes nine to twelve are classified under high school category.

Higher Education in India provides an opportunity to specialize in a field and includes technical schools (such as the Indian Institutes of Technology), colleges, and universities.