The Difference Between Primary Education and Secondary Education
- Updated on 09 Sep 2022
- CBSE Board
- Urja Zaveri
- 2 mins read

Table of contents
- Introduction
- Primary Education in India
- Secondary Education in India
- Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Introduction
Before we analyze the difference between primary and secondary education, let’s understand their basics.
Access to primary education is the fundamental right of every child. Building your child’s critical foundational literacy and numeracy skills is required.
In simple terms, primary education can be defined as the first stage of formal education, which comes after kindergarten. It focuses on learning and educational activities that are tailored to improve skills like reading, writing, and mathematics at the early stages of education.
Primary education may commence at the age of 5-7 and may end around 11–13 years. Although there are many differences in the age range and number of years for it among diverse countries, the curriculum comprises similar content. It aims at the fundamentals of skills and constructs a foundation for learning.
Secondary education is your most reliable friend in the 21st century. In simple terms, it can be defined as the second stage of traditional education that comes after primary education. The age range for the commencement of secondary education is 11-13 and it ends around 15-18. These age limits can vary from one country to the other.
In the majority of countries, secondary education is marked mandatory. It encourages life skills and aims at areas such as Social Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Scientific and Industrial Technology.
Primary Education in India

- Primary education in India is going through notable changes and is managing the hurdles.
- It lasts 8 years. Kids aged 6 to 14 years complete the following stages: primary stage, grade 1st to 5th upper primary stage, grade 6th to 8th.
- A few states that follow the 1st to 5th class of primary education are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, etc. A few of the states/union territories that follow the 1st to 4th classes of primary education are Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Daman, and Diu, etc.
Secondary Education in India

- Secondary education is an integral part of the Indian education system.
- Secondary education is significant because it encourages rational development in your child through which they obtain practical skills. It also strives to increase the practical efficiency of your kid. It is significant to note that the aims and objectives of primary, secondary, and higher education differ.
- To anyone questioning what is secondary education in India? Simply put, it is the stage in your child’s life where they decide on what professional career they want to pursue and which stream will make it a reality.
- It is the stage where they gain a greater understanding of streams like arts, commerce, and science and the differences in the specific professions.
Difference Between Primary Education & Secondary Education

Summary: Primary Education vs Secondary Education
The significant difference between the early stages of formal education and secondary education [final phase of formal education] is that primary education aims at the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics, whereas secondary education aims at subjects such as physical sciences, earth sciences, and biological sciences.
Another difference is that primary education prepares your child for secondary education, while secondary education prepares your child for higher universities. Educators have a relatively simple and precise syllabus for primary education and a vast and comprehensive syllabus for secondary education.
We hope this blog helped you to get an overview of Primary and Secondary Education. More than 5 lakh parents across India trust Orchids International School to provide high-quality education to their children.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What Do You Understand by Primary Education?
Solution: Primary education (elementary education) is for kindergarten through sixth-grade kids. Primary education imparts learning and educational activities typically designed to impart pupils with fundamental skills in mathematics, reading, and writing.
2. What is the Scope of Primary Education?
Solution: Primary Education lays the foundation for preparing children for the future.
3. Why is Secondary Education Important In India?
Solution: Secondary education improves the knowledge your child earned during the primary education stage. Thus it aids them in becoming successful in the academic world.