'Mark-sheets-CGPA-high scores' is now a thing of the
past. We may get rid of these limiting criteria of judgement sooner than we
thought.
In foretime, professionals were judged on the basis of
their colossal grades, inflated percentages, irrespective of the practical
experience in a specific field. Not anymore!
The revised National Education Policy - 2020 suggests
prepping the future generations, right from the level of ‘Early Childhood’ care
with the provision of vocational and experiential learning at the middle stage.
In the present context of ultra- modern and high-tech era, we need to carve out
holistically developed personalities to meet the impending challenges and
requirements to stand neck and neck with one another.
The New Education Policy (NEP) hits the bull’s eye, having
proposed various ways and methods to work in this direction to develop the ‘Human
Resource’ from a more application and result-oriented approach. It is the dire
need of the hour to equip the youth with right knowledge, robust attitudes, everlasting
values as well as apposite employable skills that would enable them to
contribute in India’s social, economic and political transition.
The NEP-2020 draft envisions an unprecedented
transformation of the nation drifting sustainably towards an equitable, inclusive,
vibrant and a well-informed society by providing a basic level of education,
alongside empowering them with tools to pursue their core interests.
The lacunae of qualified and trained
teachers, substandard pedagogy are proposed to be revamped into a set and
standardized course, based on its application for the overall development of
the learners, and the society as a whole.
Pertinently, the Right to Education Act-2009
(RTE) recommends free and compulsory education to all the children from the age
of 6 to 14 years. However, the NEP-2020 draft suggests implementing it right
from the age of 3 to 18 years. It further suggests, ‘No Detention’ of children until
class Eighth, whereby, schools need to ensure that the pupils achieve
age-appropriate learning levels.
NEP-2020 proposes a curriculum framework which
consists of a 5+3+3+4 design, incorporating 5 years of foundational stage (3
years of pre-primary+ classes 1 & 2); three years of preparatory stage
(classes 3 to 5); three years of middle stage (classes 6 to 8); and 4 years of
secondary stage (classes 9 to 12). This new structure divides the existing
structure as per the cognitive developmental stages of a child. These are early
childhood, school years, and secondary stage. It should also be noted that this
change in structure does not change the years that a child spends in formal
education. They remain the same as before.
It also recommends restructuring of board examinations
to test only core concepts, skills and higher order capacities. Establishing a
higher number of primary schools to encourage learning in the most far-flung
and underprivileged areas is also a quite significant recommendation of NEP-2020.
This policy recommends the three-language formula to
be vigorously implemented, which includes the regional language, in particular.
Therefore, the medium of instruction has been emphasised upon to be the most
preferably in regional languages. The introduction of this policy is also in
line with the NEP’s aim of increasing the ‘Gross Enrollment Ratio’ in higher
education. It has been found that the inability to cope with languages like
English as the main cause of dropping out.
The NEP aims to reduce the curriculum content to its
core essentials, mainly focussing on the key concepts and ideas in mandate that
children are able to practice more critical thinking and among other things,
more analysis-based learning.
It also states
that there will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extra-curricular’,
or ‘co-curricular’ areas, among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or
between ‘vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams. The policy also highlights 10, bag-less
lessons for the students. All through grades 6-8, students will be required to
take a course which will provide hands-on experience of a number of important
vocational crafts as well.
In fact, children will also be given increased
flexibility in the choices of subjects they wish to study, especially in the
secondary stage. Once the NEP is enacted, the compartmentalisation of students,
post 10th into Arts, Science and Commerce will be blurred. Now students will be
allowed to take up courses from varied streams depending on their interests.
For instance, a student interested in physics will be
able to do so by also taking up subjects like Economics and Political science.
This is one of the most acclaimed moves of the NEP. Furthermore, Bachelor’s
programs too will be multidisciplinary in nature with no rigid separation
between arts and sciences.
NEP-2020 recommends a National Assessment Centre
(PARAKH) to conduct numerous examinations. The National Assessment Centre for
Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic
Development — PARAKH — has been set up to conduct exams for classes III, V and
VIII in addition to classes X and XII board exams. Eventually, it will ensure
better learning outcomes.
Furthermore, the policy recommends the Ministry of
Human Resources and Development (MHRD) be termed as the Ministry of Education
in order to bring back the focus on education.
There's hope, enthusiasm and acceptance in this new
policy. And, we are in no doubt that it will change the face of the Indian
education, fine-tuning of the pupils to the universal formats in practice. The complete policy, however, is meant to
transform the education system by 2030.
Final judgement on the extent of its success can only
be made on its fair-minded execution. Hopefully, it doesn’t take till 2030.
In my opinion, this revolutionary change can only be
brought about with our sincere and combined efforts as a team.
Let’s join our hands to bring about the positive
changes and the most awaited development in the field of education…!
Sumesh Chandra Mishra
Coordinator of Academics
The Mann School
