The government of India along with the Ministry of Educationon Wednesday announced a NEP (New Education Policy) that aims at improving thequality of education in the Indian Sub Continent and is moreover an initiativeby the Indian govt. to transform the country into an “education superpower”.
However, there is still a lot of confusion amongst studentsand professionals from the Education Industry.
Through this article, True Scoop News aims at explaining theNEP 2020 in a manner through which it would be easier for its viewers/ readersto grasp.
After every few decades, most nations look to renew theireducation policies with the sole purpose of improving the quality of education moreover,to ensure that it is at par with the ever-changing times. With this in mind,the govt. of India more or less had the same plans when it introduced the NEP 2020which witnessed a change in its education policy after a span of nearly 34years.
The sole purpose of the NEP is to create an education modelthat is at par with that of some of the best education models of the largestand most developed nations of on the globe.
The NEP wants to inculcate a more “practical based educationmodel” where the students will be imparted with practical knowledge besidestheoretical knowledge which will assist them to integrate in a much seamlessmanner into their professional careers and will more or less be a very flexiblemodel. A system that this nation has probably never heard or seen before.
The NEP Mission:
It aims at 100% “Gross Enrollment Ratio” (GER) in schools by2030 and up to 50% GER in higher education by the year 2025
The NEP2020 Changes:
1. The previous schooling model of 10+2 will bereplaced by a 5+3+3+4 model which will incorporate students in an age group of3-8 years in the first model (Foundation Stage), 8-11 years in the second model(Preparatory stage), 11-14in the third (Middle stage), and 14-18 in the final model (Secondary Stage).
2. It will consist of a “three language model”wherein the students will be imparted knowledge in their native language tillthe 5th grade; to ensure that the students will not only stayconnected to their “native roots” through their native language but to also graspconcepts in a much better and efficient manner.
3. Instead of exams every year, students will nowappear for exams in grades 3, 5 and 8. The board exams will be remodelled to amore subjective+ objective based examination model.
4. Students will be provided with an option tolearn vocational subjects throughout their education. Grades 6-8 will have theopportunity to intern with local experts such as artists, potters, carpenters, andgardeners etc. to learn “real-life skills” simultaneously.
5. Fromgrades 8-11, students will have the option to choose their own subjects. Therewill be no rigid boundaries between arts and sciences.
6. All graduation courses will have a “Major” and a“Minor” (Example - science students can have Physics as a Major and Music as aMinor.) moreover, under the new policy UG degree will be of 3-4 years with theoption of multiple entries and exit from any course. After the 1styear will be given a certificate, 2nd a diploma, and 3rdor 4th a Degree. A Credit system will also be introduced for studentseach year where they will receive credits which could be utilized if they takebreaks in their course and come back later to complete their course.
7. It is also reported that universities fromamong the “Top 100 Universities of the world” will be provided with an opportunityto set up campuses in the country ensuring international collaborations, andstudent and faculty mobility.
8. All higher education will be governed by asingle authority.
9. The same level of Accreditation will be granted toall educational institutions based on a “rating system”. Based on its ratings, institutions willreportedly receive autonomous rights and funds.
10. UGC AICTE will be merged.
11. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification forteaching will be 4 years integrated B.Ed Degree
12. NIOS toreportedly develop high-quality modules for the “Indian Sign Language”
It is estimated that the previous education policycontributed 1.7% to the nations GDP whereas the trajectory for this policycould be somewhere around 6% to the nations GDP.
The plan is for the NEP to be introduced not in an “overly hurriedmanner” rather, a much more seamless manner where both students andprofessionals from the education industry will be able to adapt to it in a muchbetter way. The government has plans for it to be completely integrated intothe “system” by the next 5-10 years with its inception commencing fromSeptember or October 2020.