The 8th AISSE (All India Survey on Secondary Education) survey has revealed that the number of recognized secondary schools in India are 1,17,25.Among them 70.33% are in rural areas and 29.67% are in urban areas. The enrolment percentages in rural and urban areas are 71.48 and 28.52 respectively. This study finds out that a huge number of first generation learners have enrolled in the secondary schools especially the rural schools and they come from all types of socio-economic statuses. The present study also finds that there is statistically significant difference between the learning outcomes of the Non –first generation learners and first generation learners after ten years of schooling. Group A (Non FGLs, Mean=315.73,SD=87)Group B(FGLs, Mean=107.07, SD=91.19). t(98)=14.5762, p≥ .05,CI.95 -180.39 to-239.6.This study explores the in-school challenges faced by the rural first generation learners which excludes the FGLs’ and impedes their access to ‘meaningful learning experiences’ at schools.   
 
KEYWORDS: First Generation Learners, Learning Outcomes, Exclusion, Learning Experiences.

Introduction The development of India’s education since post- independence era has received much attention and it presents one striking feature: quantitative growth. But the over emphasis on the quantitative growth has missed the quality aspect of education in the whole of India and education has yet not provided opportunities to all to reach their potential. Moreover, the policies, legislations and schemes targeted at improving ‘access’ and ‘retention’ has brought a huge number of first generation learners in the realm of secondary education in rural schools.

            This situation warrants the need to discover ways of imparting meaningful learning experiences’ to all learners in schools and include all the disadvantaged learners to ensure effective participation in the process of development. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the schools to customize its role and provide a protective, moral and therapeutic environment to its students “so that recognized and measurable outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.’’ (The Dakar Framework for Action, 2000). 

           There has been a consequent number of researches about the first generation learners in higher education but a very limited number of research on the first generation learners in secondary education. A developing country like India cannot afford to overlook the presence of first generation learners in the realm of secondary education, particularly in rural areas when the 8th AISSE (All India Survey on Secondary Education) has revealed that 85% of the identified secondary and higher secondary schools are located in the rural areas. There is scarcity of research on the first generation learners whose struggles continue even within the realm of education( Deb, 2015) owing to their generational status.