Yesterday NDA govt led by PM Narendra Modi, announced a new NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (NEP) 2020. In sweeping “toddler to college” reforms, seen as the most ambitious since the introduction of 10+2+3 system. This policy restructures school education by setting out age 3 to 6 as pre school, de emphasises high stakes boards, introduces university entrance test and offers the 4 year bachelor degree at the undergraduate level.
The changes in board structure, which seek to make exams, as test of core competence, will be implemented from the year 2020 academic session. The new university entrance test will be implemented from 2022 academic session. NEP aims to provide students with increased flexibility and subjects and there will be rigid separation between arts and sciences curricular and extra curricular activities. The vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internship. NEP also emphasise learning in regional language or mother tongue. Starting from the foundation stage, children will be exposed to different languages, with a particular emphasis on mother tongue.
The reforms are going to alter the college education system and replace the University Grants Commission with a new regulator-the Higher Education Commission of India with verticals for regulation, standard setting, grants and accreditation.
Now let us see the basic changes:
For Schools
- From 10+2 to 5+3+3+4. Current 10+2 structure, which covers schooling from class 1 to 10 (age 6 to 16) and then class 11-12 (age 16 t0 18), gives way to to 5 years as foundational education, 3 years of preparatory, 3 of middle and 4 years of secondary schooling.
- Multi stream- Flexibility to choose subject across streams, all subjects to offered at two level of proficiency.
- Diluted Board-Board exams to test only core competencies, could become modular (objective and subjective) and will be offered twice a year.
- Multilingual- 3 language policy to continue with preference for local language medium of instruction till class 6.
- Bag less days- school students to gave 10 bag less days in a year during which they are exposed to a vocation of choice.
For Colleges
- SAT Like College Test-National Testing agency to conduct common college entrance exam twice a year.
- 4 year Bachelor Degree- 4 year multi disciplinary bachelor’s programme, mid term drop outs to be given credit with option to complete after a break.
- No Affiliation- over next 15 years colleges will be graded autonomy to give degrees, affiliations with universities to end, so would deemed university status.
- Fee Cap- proposal to cap fee charged to by private institutions for higher learning.
- Going Glocal- Top rated global universities to be facilitated to come to India, top Indian institutions to be encouraged to go global.
In course of time, colleges will not seek affiliations but award degree themselves. After the Masters degree, there will be no MPhil prior to a PhD.
In schools with 5+3+3+4 system, there will be school exams in grades, 3, 5 & 8, which will be conducted by appropriate authority. Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be redesigned and a new National Assessment Centre, Parakh (Performance, Assessment Reviews, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard setting body.
In NEP, early childhood care and education (ECCE) from age 3 years is also included, and attaining foundational literacy and numeracy by class 3 has been prioritised with universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary schools by 2025, is a mission.
NEP proposes that Sanskrit be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an important, enriching options for students, including as an option in three 3 language formula.
In my opinion, this New Education Police, is quite a revolutionary one, and it is going to totally change the present education system. It is to be seen how the leftist and Congress parties are going to react, and their common comments are going to be, Govt is giving saffron colour to education system.
On the face of it, NEP is likely to give more emphasis on the practical aspect of the education rather than the theoretical one, which is the current education system is professing.
FRIENDS, TODAY’S BLOG IS MY 700th ONE.
Waiting for your comments/views/feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
30th July 2020.