I am supposed to give advice on the 10+2 Education System in India. I think before I do that, I should give a historical account of the school education system in India, drawn mainly from my own experience. I passed my Matriculation Examination in 1946 after eleven years of schooling - 3 years in primary school, four years in Middle School, and four years in High School. Actually our batch had it for ten and a half years, because we had a short session to adjust to the changed school schedule from January to July. My ninth class was for six months only - from January to June. In July I was in Class 10. All
these are the adjustments made by the educational administrators in the educational system. In the 10th Class one could take Mathematics Honours or Sanskrit Honours. If you pass with Mathematics Honours, you could study Science in I.Sc.
Now to 10+2. Before the entire country switched over to 10+2, there was provision to study one year of pre-university and another year of pre-professional to go to the University and professional course like MB, & BS respectively.
10+2 is now the standard pattern adopted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian School Certificate Examination (ICAE), and the different School Boards of the States. In simple terms, it means 10 years of schooling, followed by another two years of additional schooling, In other words, the 10 years of schooling is called the secondary stage and the additional two years of schooling is called the higher secondary stage. THe CBSE curriculum is very comprehensive indeed. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development oversees the school education in the country with particular reference to curriculum planning and curriculum development. Presently the NCERT is busy in the Curriculum Framework for the Schools. As I gather from newspapers and magazines, the Framework has within it all subjects under the earth from A to Z. The 10+2 System has the blessings of the Kothari Committee. I would conclude by saying that no further meddling with the 10+2, because it is the best we have got after so many years of trial and error. I do not know, whether what I have written reads like advice, but, anyone dealing with education, and having experience in it will be able to draw those elements which have something important to offer. Thank you.