Deemed as the first education policy of the 21st century, National Education Policy 2020 has created quite a stir amongst citizens of the country. There is a sense of aspiration, hope, excitement, curiosity and eagerness regarding the inclusivity and progressiveness of this plan, first published on the 30th of July, by The Ministry of Education, Government of India. Proposing revolutionary changes through a unique, bottom-up approach, the policy is already garnering support and opposition across several avenues.
According to NEP 2020, students will be the primary stakeholders in the all-important mission to propel India into an equitable and lively knowledge society. This implies that students will be treated as active participants in the policies that relate to the development of this nation. India, owing to its under-educated and overpopulated demographic, is home to a large body of manual unskilled/semi-skilled labour. In addition to this, children in rural areas continue to be starved of quality education due to a lack of infrastructure, facilities, trained staff, familial support, and more. Hopefully, NEP 2020 will be capable of tackling these challenges with determination and vigor.
The policy lays the groundwork for a corrective course of action that offers all citizens, right from their impressionable young years, the resources to learn, think and grow critically and creatively. It conceives for India, an education system that is on global par, and regardless of social and economic backgrounds, access to high-quality education to all. While this is an ambitious goal, one that requires a rejig of the entire education environment and its governance, the following provisions have made headway in terms of the direction of thinking.
Here is a summary of what the policy seeks to accomplish.
School Education
The first transformational endeavor of NEP 2020 is to universalize education from pre-school to secondary level, with 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2030. This all-embracing measure seeks to narrow the literacy gap within the country and increase opportunities for the socially disadvantaged youth, with special emphasis on the girl child. This strong dedication towards an equitable and inclusive education is perhaps one of the most inspiring aspects of the national policy and is reflected in each provision. The Early Childhood Care provision mandates that adequate school facilities be provided to all children between the age group of 3 to 6 by 2025, thereby bringing back almost 2 crore out-of-school children into the mainstream. The idea is to replace the traditional 10+2 approach with an innovative 5+3+3+4 approach, whereby students’ skills are enhanced in a pedagogical environment. Further, the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy requires schools to focus on early language and mathematical skills from grades 1 to 3 by 2025. It is imperative to set a solid foundation for academic growth. Additionally, vocational education is to begin as early as grade 6, accompanied by internship roles. With a strong commitment to safeguarding Indian culture, the Multilingualism provision states that instruction should be in the home language till grade 5, preferably grade 8. Assessment reforms with 360-degree holistic progress cards will track student performance and map it to learning outcomes. In addition, a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education will ensure that faculty be onboarded with a minimum degree qualification i.e., 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree.
Higher Education
With regards to Higher Education, NEP 2020 mandates that GER be 50% by 2035, with an additional 3.5 crore seats added. The policy envisions broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic education with flexible curricula, creative combination of subjects, integration of vocational education, utilisation of technology, and development of multiple entries and exit points. In fact, universities such as the IITs and IIMs will be utilized as benchmark models. A complete restructuring of undergraduate and postgraduate programs will ensure that certifications be awarded each year, and credits are transferable. Yes, flexibility is embedded into the very ethos of the new policy. To set the tone, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will act as an umbrella organization for higher education, whilst National Research Foundation (NSF) will take on the role of an apex body to foster a research-oriented mindset and build research capacities across the landscape. It is important to note that private and public institutions will be governed by the same set of principles for academic standards, accreditation and regulation. Ultimately, the policy envisages that every college develops into an autonomous degree-granting college or constituent college of a university. Some noteworthy provisions to pay heed to include – financial aid to students, expansion of open and distant learning, faculty training and motivation, and promotion of Indian languages.
General
NEP 2020 stresses the need to set up a Gender Inclusion Fund, so as to build the nation’s capacity of providing equitable quality education to all students, be it a girl or transgender student. Add to this, Special Education Zones for socio-economically disadvantaged groups, and you’ve got concerted efforts by the government to change the landscape of rural, remote areas. Given the need of the hour, an autonomous body hailed as the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) will be set up for the free exchange of ideas on the investment and use of technology. The aim is to enhance and alleviate learning, assessment, planning and administration. In summation, the center and state cabinets will work together to increase public investment in the education sector, thus reach 6% of Gross Domestic Product at the earliest. Having gone through the highlights of NEP 2020, what do you foresee for the future? Is this policy a boon or a bane? Is it the right step forward? Will it come to fruition as planned? We believe that the measure of its success will much depend upon its implementation, acceptance and interpretation by institutions. That being said, the nation must fully commit itself to see the aforementioned reforms through.
