write a short note on new education policy

Essay On New Education Policy

Table of Contents

Short Essay On New Education Policy

The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a comprehensive policy framework for the Indian education sector that aims to transform the country’s education system and make it more inclusive, equitable, and accessible. This policy was approved by the Indian government in July 2020 and replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education of 1986.

The NEP 2020 focuses on a number of key areas, including access to education, quality of education, teacher training and development, and the integration of technology in the education sector. The policy aims to increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio in higher education to 50% and provide universal access to school education.

One of the key features of the NEP 2020 is the integration of vocational education and training into the school curriculum, aimed at preparing students for the changing demands of the job market. The policy also emphasizes the importance of mother-tongue education and promotes multilingualism, with the aim of creating a more inclusive and diverse education system.

The NEP 2020 also aims to improve the quality of teacher education and training, with a focus on developing their skills and competencies in areas such as technology integration and pedagogy. Additionally, the policy promotes research and innovation in the education sector, and encourages greater collaboration between universities, colleges, and industry.

Another important aspect of the NEP 2020 is the emphasis on student-centric, holistic, and flexible education. The policy encourages the development of a more diverse range of learning experiences, such as online and experiential learning, to meet the needs of different learners.

In conclusion, the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a transformative policy framework that aims to modernize and improve the Indian education system. With a focus on access, quality, teacher training, and technology integration, the NEP 2020 seeks to create a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible education system for all.

Long Essay On New Education Policy

As the world changes, so must our education system. With the implementation of a new education policy, it is important to understand its implications and how it will affect students in their educational journey. In this essay, we will be exploring the policy and its impact on students, teachers, and society as a whole.

Introduction to New Education Policy

Since the early 1990s, India has been following a New Education Policy (NEP) which aims to universalize elementary education, improve adult literacy, and promote vocational and technical training. The NEP 2020 is the third version of this policy and was released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 29th July 2020. It replaces the previous NEP which was formulated in 1986.

The new education policy focuses on providing quality education to all children in the age group of 3-18 years. It also aims at making India a global knowledge superpower by imparting skill-based education and training to our youth. The NEP 2020 envisions an education system that is holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, and caters to the diverse needs of all learners.

Some of the key highlights of the new education policy are:

– Early childhood care and education will be made available for all children below the age of 6 years. – Elementary education will be made compulsory for all children in the age group of 6-14 years. – Secondary education will be broadened to include students up to the age of 18 years. – Vocational and technical education will be made available at all levels of schooling. – Higher education will be made more inclusive, accessible, and job-oriented. – Teacher training will be given more importance under the new policy.

Benefits of the New Education Policy

The new education policy is a much-needed reform of the education system in India. It aims to make quality education accessible to all, regardless of their socio-economic background. The policy also emphasizes on vocational and skill-based training, so that students are better prepared for the workforce. Here are some of the key benefits of the new education policy:

1. Improved access to quality education: One of the main goals of the new education policy is to ensure that every child has access to quality education. This will be achieved through measures such as setting up more schools in rural and underserved areas, and providing financial assistance to families from disadvantaged backgrounds.

2. Emphasis on skills development: The new education policy gives greater emphasis on vocational and skill-based training. This will help students to be better prepared for jobs in the ever-changing workforce.

3. Greater focus on research: The new policy puts a greater emphasis on research and innovation. This will help India become a world leader in cutting-edge technologies and industries.

4. Improved teacher training: The new policy includes several measures to improve teacher training, so that they are better equipped to handle the needs of 21st century students.

5. Enhanced educational infrastructure: A major focus of the new education policy is on improving educational infrastructure across the country. This includes setting up more schools and colleges, as well as investing in state-of-the-art technology and facilities .

Overall, the new education policy is a much-needed reform of the education system in India. It will help to make quality education accessible to all, and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.

Challenges Faced in Implementing the New Education Policy

The new education policy is a welcome change in the Indian educational landscape. However, its successful implementation will pose several challenges.

Firstly, the policy seeks to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 30% by 2030. This is a huge jump from the current GER of about 24%. To achieve this, a massive expansion of infrastructure and human resources will be required. Given the current economic climate, it is unclear where the necessary funding will come from.

Secondly, the policy aims to make higher education accessible to all sections of society. This is a laudable goal but one that will be difficult to achieve in practice. There are vast socio-economic disparities across India and many regions remain backward and neglected. The policy will need to address these issues head-on if it is to be successful.

Thirdly, the policy requires a complete overhaul of the existing curriculum and pedagogy. This will be a Herculean task given the sheer size and diversity of the Indian education system. It will also require buy-in from all stakeholders – teachers, students, parents, administrators etc. – which may prove difficult to obtain.

Fourthly, effective implementation of the new education policy will require close coordination between Central and State governments. Unfortunately, there has been little evidence of such cooperation in recent years and it remains to be seen if this can be overcome.

All these challenges must be addressed if the new education policy is to succeed. Its implementation will require strong political will, effective coordination and adequate resources. Only then can the policy bring about a true transformation in India’s educational landscape.

Impact of New Education Policy on Students and Parents

The new education policy will have a profound impact on students and parents. It is important to understand the implications of the policy before it is implemented. The policy could potentially increase the cost of education, reduce the quality of education, and create a two-tiered system where some students have access to better resources than others.

There is no doubt that the new education policy will have an impact on students and parents. The question is: what kind of impact will it have? On the one hand, the policy could potentially increase the cost of education. On the other hand, it could reduce the quality of education. And finally, it could create a two-tiered system where some students have access to better resources than others.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these potential impacts.

The first potential impact is that the new education policy could increase the cost of education. This is because the policy would likely lead to an increase in class sizes. larger class sizes would mean that schools would need to hire more teachers, which would lead to higher salaries. In addition, larger class sizes would also require more materials and resources, which would also drive up costs.

The second potential impact is that the new education policy could reduce the quality of education. This is because larger class sizes would make it more difficult for teachers to give individualized attention to each student. In addition, if there are not enough resources to go around, then students may not be able to get the same level of instruction as they would in smaller classes.

Finally, the new education policy could create a two-tiered system where some students have access to better resources than others. This is because wealthier families may be able to afford more expensive schools with better resources, while poorer families may not be able to take advantage of these options.

In conclusion, it is important to consider all potential impacts of the new education policy before it is implemented. The policy could potentially increase the cost of education, reduce the quality of education, and create a two-tiered system where some students have access to better resources than others. It is important that policymakers are aware of these impacts when designing and implementing the new policy.

How the New Education Policy will Help in Improving Quality of Education

The new education policy 2020 has been introduced with the aim of improving the quality of education in India. The policy introduces a number of reforms that are aimed at achieving this goal. Some of the key reforms introduced by the policy include:

1. Making school education more holistic and child-centric: The new education policy 2020 lays great emphasis on making school education more holistic and child-centric. This will be achieved through a number of measures such as reducing the curriculum load, increasing play time, etc.

2. Introducing vocational and skill-based education: The new education policy 2020 gives due importance to vocational and skill-based education. It aims to make such courses an integral part of the school curriculum so that students can acquire skills that are relevant to the industry.

3. Encouraging research and innovation: The new education policy 2020 encourages research and innovation in educational institutions. It also aims to set up an efficient mechanism for commercialization of research findings so that they can be used for the benefit of society at large.

4. Improving teacher quality: The new education policy 2020 emphasizes on improving teacher quality in order to improve the quality of instruction imparted in schools. A number of measures have been proposed for this purpose such as mandatory teacher training, performance-based incentives, etc.

5. Promoting digital literacy: The new education policy 2020 gives special focus on promoting digital literacy among all sections of society. It envisages a major push towards making technology an integral part of the education system.

These are some of the key reforms that have been proposed in the new education policy 2020, which will help improve the quality of education in India.

What can be Done to Improve the Implementation of the Policy

There are many things that can be done to improve the implementation of the new education policy. One way is to increase communication and collaboration between different stakeholders, including government officials, educators, parents, and students. Another way is to provide more resources and support for those who are implementing the policy. Additionally, it is important to monitor and evaluate the progress of the policy implementation and make necessary adjustments along the way.

The new education policy has been designed to ensure that students receive quality education and the necessary skills they need to succeed in life. This policy will create more opportunities for students, allow them access to better resources, and improve the quality of their learning environment. It is an ambitious plan that needs support from all stakeholders involved, including teachers, parents, administrators and government officials. With this strong partnership, we can make sure every student in India gets a chance at success through improved educational outcomes.

Manisha Dubey Jha is a skilled educational content writer with 5 years of experience. Specializing in essays and paragraphs, she’s dedicated to crafting engaging and informative content that enriches learning experiences.

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Essay on New Education Policy 2020

500+ words essay on new education policy 2020.

Education is a fundamental need and right of everyone now. In order to achieve our goals and help develop a just society, we need education. Similarly, education plays a great role in the national development of a nation. As we are facing a major change in terms of knowledge globally, the Government of India approved the National Education Policy 2020. This essay on new education policy 2020 will help you learn how this new policy has replaced the National Education Policy 1986 that is 34 years old.

Aim of the New Education Policy 2020

This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

This essay on new education policy 2020 will highlight the changes brought in by this new policy. Firstly, the policy proposes to open Indian higher education in foreign universities.

It aims to introduce a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate program with various exit options. Thus, this new policy will strive to make the country of India a global knowledge superpower.

Similarly, it also aims to make all universities and colleges multi-disciplinary by the year 2040. Finally, the policy aims to grow employment in India and also bring fundamental changes to the present educational system.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Advantages and Disadvantages of New Education Policy 2020

The policy gives an advantage to students of classes 10 and 12 by making the board exams easier. In other words, it plans to test the core competencies instead of mere memorization of facts.

It will allow all the students to take the exam twice. Further, it proposes that an independent authority will be responsible for regulating both public and private schools . Similarly, the policy aims to diminish any severe separation between the educational streams and vocational streams in the schools.

There will also be no rigid division between extra-curriculum. Vocational education will begin at class sixth with an internship. Now, the essay on new education policy 2020 will tell you about the disadvantages of the policy.

Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

If we look at the present elementary education, we notice that there is a lack of skilled teachers. Thus, keeping this in mind, the National Education Policy 2020 can give rise to practical problems in implementing the system that is for elementary education.

Finally, there is also the drawback of the exodus of teachers. In other words, admission to foreign universities will ultimately result in our skilled teachers migrating to those universities.

To conclude the essay on New Education Policy 2020, we can say that this policy is an essential initiative to help in the all-around development of our society and country as a whole. However, the implementation of this policy will greatly determine its success. Nonetheless, with a youth dominant population, India can truly achieve a better state with the proper implementation of this education policy.

FAQ of Essay on New Education Policy 2020

Question 1: What does the New Education Policy 2020 aim to achieve by 2030?

Answer 1: This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

Question 2: Give two challenges the New Education Policy 2020 may face?

Answer 2: Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

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National Education Policy (NEP 2020)

The Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy (NEP) in July 2020. This policy will usher in sweeping changes to the education policy of the country, including a renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Education Ministry.  This article on education in India is aligned with the UPSC Syllabus and is relevant for prelims and mains examination.

National Education Policy 2020 UPSC Notes Download PDF Here

Education and topics related to education in India are relevant for the IAS Exam and are often seen in the news and hence are important for the UPSC Mains. Aspirants can find notes for UPSC Mains General Studies topics from the links given at the end of the article.

Candidates must read about NIPUN Bharat Programme that has been launched as a part of New Education Policy 2020, in June 2021.

The Union Cabinet has approved the new National Education Policy 2020 with an aim to introduce several changes in the Indian education system – from the school to the college level.

• Its aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”.
• The Cabinet has also approved the renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Education.
• The New Education Policy cleared by the Cabinet is only the third major revamp of the framework of education in India since independence.
• The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.

Aspirants should read about New Education Policy along with other education-related topics to holistically cover this article. Such similar articles are linked below:

In this article, you will get the following facts about the new National Education Policy 2020 for the UPSC exam:

What is the new National Education Policy 2020?

National Education Policy of India – Background:

The Ministry of Human Resource Development formed a Committee chaired by Dr K. Kasturirangan for preparing the National Education Policy. The Committee was constituted in June 2017.  The Committee submitted its report on May 31, 2019.

The National  Policy on Education covers elementary and university education in urban as well as rural India. 

• The very first policy for education was promulgated in 1968 with the second one following in 1986. 
• The first NPE was based on the recommendations of the Education Commission (1964-66). This policy sought to have a ‘radical restructuring’ of India’s educational system and equalizing opportunities for education for all, to accomplish national integration and better economic and cultural development. 
• The NPE also called for realizing compulsory education for every child until the age of fourteen, as mentioned in the Indian Constitution. 
• It also aimed at providing enhanced training and improving teachers’ qualifications.

Compare NEP 2020 with NEP 1991 in the linked article.

Some relevant points from the official NEP 2020 PDF that can be useful for the UPSC Mains Exam:

• NEP 2020 is the 21st Century’s first education policy in India.
• The development of the creative potential of each student is emphasized in the National Education Policy 2020.
• The NEP 2020 mentioned the ancient scholars like Charaka and Susruta, Aryabhata, Bhaskaracharya, Chanakya, Madhava, Patanjali, Panini and Thiruvalluvar.
• Flexibility
• No hard separations between subjects, curricular and extra-curricular activities
• Multi-disciplinary education
• Conceptual understanding
• Critical thinking
• Ethical Values
• Teachers as the heart of the learning process
• The strong public education system

Also, read State of School Education in India . 

Features of National Education Policy 2020

The National Education Policy as submitted by the Kasturirangan Committee submitted an education policy that seeks to address the following challenges facing the existing education system:

• Affordability
• Accountability 
• The policy provides for reforms at all levels of education from school to higher education. 
• NEP aims to increase the focus on strengthening teacher training, reforming the existing exam system, early childhood care and restructuring the regulatory framework of education. 
• Increasing public investment in education,
• Setting up NEC (National Education Commission),
• Increasing focus on vocational and adult education,
• Strengthening the use of technology, etc.

Compare the features of the New Education Policy with National Agricultural Education Policy .

Key Recommendations of National Education Policy 2020

The National Education Policy 2020 has recommendations and reforms with respect to the following items:

You can read the complete set of recommendations of the NEP 2020 in CNA dated July 30, 2020 .

The above-mentioned recommendations are explained below.

Early Childhood Care and Education

The NEP recommended that early childhood care & education be developed in a two-part curriculum consisting of: 

• Guidelines for Parents & Teachers of students up to 3 years of age
• An educational framework for students between the ages of 3-8 years

The NEP talks about the implementation of these recommendations by expanding and improving the quality of the Anganwadi system and co-locating them with primary schools. 

Right to Education Act, 2009

The NEP recommended extending the range of the  Right to Education Act ,2009 to include the following education levels:

• Early Childhood &
• Secondary School

This will allow coverage of RTE to all children between the ages of 3-18 years. In addition, it suggested the elimination of detention of children until class eight. 

Curriculum Framework

Reforms in the framework of the current curriculum of school education are based on the development needs of the students. The NEP recommends the 5-3-3-4 pattern explained in the table below:

School Exam Reforms

Reforms in the school exam recommended by the NEP include tracking the progress of the students throughout their school experience. 

• It includes State Census Exams in class 3, 5 and 8. 
• Another important recommendation was the restructuring of the 10th board exam that would mainly focus and test only the skills, core concepts and higher-order thinking & capacities. 

Regulatory Structure and Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions

In terms of Accreditation and Regulatory structure, the NEP recommended the following changes:

• Setting up NHERA (National Higher Education Regulatory Authority),
• Separating NAAC from UGC into an autonomous and independent body.

Read more on the UGC in the linked article.

National Research Foundation

In order to improve the quality of research in India, the NEP recommended:

• It would be an autonomous body that would administer the mentoring, funding and capacity building for quality research in India.

Education Governance

The NEP recommended establishing an apex body for education headed by the Prime Minister under the name Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or National Education Commission .

• It also suggested changing the name of the Ministry of Human Resources & Development to the Ministry of Education.

Financing Education

Doubling the public investment for education was one of the important recommendations of the NEP 2020.

• NEP 2020 insisted on the expenditure of 6% of the GDP on education.
• Doubling the current 10% of total public expenditure to 20% in the next decade was recommended. 

National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology

The NEP suggested setting up an autonomous body that would facilitate decision making on the deployment, induction and use of technology. NEP said that this would be achieved by implementing the following measures:

• The recommended autonomous body would be administered under this mission. 
• It will also include virtual laboratories in various disciplines providing remote access. 

Vocational Courses 

Recommendations of NEP 2020 with respect to Vocational courses can be listed as follows:

• Students in classes 9 to 12 must receive vocational education on at least one vocation,
• Schools should build expert curriculum delivery methods that are aligned with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) competency levels,
• Higher Education Institutes must also provide vocational courses that are integrated into undergraduate education programmes.

Three Language Formula

The Policy recommended that the three-language formula be continued and flexibility in the implementation of the formula should be provided. The three-language formula states that state governments should adopt and implement the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking states, and of Hindi along with the regional language and English in the non-Hindi speaking states. 

National Education Policy 2020 Concerns

Some of the concerns expressed about the NEP 2020 are as follow:

• The report fails to address and incorporate ideas based on contemporary global thinking like the emphasis on creativity and critical thinking and the need for learning in a non-competitive and non-hierarchical ecosystem and discovering one’s true passion without any sense of fear.
• Delivering the changes proposed related to Anganwadis may be difficult despite the focus given to early childhood care and schooling.
• The propositions of volunteer teachers, peer tutoring, rationalisation of the system of schools and sharing of resources do not seem like long-term solutions.
• Lack of clarity in government strategies regarding the Public Sector like municipal schools, state-run institutions, Kendra Vidyalaya, etc. 
• The creation of a National Testing Agency (NTA) has generated scepticism. The NTA, though envisaged to serve as a premier, expert, autonomous testing organisation to conduct entrance examinations for admissions and fellowships in higher educational institutions may, in reality, lead to loss of autonomy among the universities and departments over admissions.

For a critical analysis of the National Education Policy 2020, check CNA dated July 31, 2020 editorials .

Merits of New Education Policy 2020

• Comprehensive : NEP seeks to address the entire gamut of education from preschool to doctoral studies, and from professional degrees to vocational training.
• Early Childhood Education : In adopting a 5+3+3+4 model for school education starting at age 3, the New education Policy recognizes the primacy of the formative years from ages 3 to 8 in shaping the child’s future
• Easy on Regulations:  NEP 2020 makes a bold prescription to free our schools, colleges and universities from periodic “inspections” and place them on the path of self-assessment and voluntary declaration
• Holistic : The policy, inter alia, aims to eliminate problems of pedagogy, structural inequities, access asymmetries and rampant commercialization.
• Promote Inclusion:  The Policy proposes the creation of ‘inclusion funds’ to help socially and educationally disadvantaged children pursue education

To complement the GS 1 preparation, candidates can check the following links:

UPSC Questions related to National Education Policy 2020

Who is the chairman of the national education policy 2020.

K. Kasturirangan is the chairman of the National Education Policy 2020.

When was the National Policy on Education formulated?

There were National Education Policies in 1968, 1986, 1992 and the latest in 2020. The gist of New Education Policy discussion on RSTV-Big Picture episode can be checked at the linked article.

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National Education Policy 2020: Key Highlights

Last updated on July 9, 2024 by Alex Andrews George

The National Education Policy 2020 aims to bring transformational reforms in school and higher education and thus shape India into a global knowledge superpower.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020 on July 29, 2020. This policy replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), in 1986.

Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, this policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The National Education Policy (NEP) aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary, suited to 21st-century needs, and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.

Table of Contents

Important Highlights of National Education Policy 2020

• New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from preschool to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030.
• NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out-of-school children back into the mainstream.
• New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of Anganwadi/ Pre-schooling.
• Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, and vocational streams in schools; Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships.
• Teaching up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/ regional language.
• Assessment reforms with a 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes.
• GER in higher education to be raised to 50 % by 2035; 3.5 crore seats to be added in higher education.
• Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects.
• Multiple Entries / Exit to be allowed with appropriate certification.
• Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate the Transfer of Credits.
• National Research Foundation to be established to foster a strong research culture.
• Light but Tight Regulation of Higher Education, single regulator with four separate verticals for different functions.
• Affiliation System to be phased out in 15 years with graded autonomy to colleges.
• NEP 2020 advocates increased use of technology with equity; National Educational Technology Forum to be created.
• NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
• New Policy promotes Multilingualism in both schools and HEs; the National Institute for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to be set up.

National Education Policy 2020: School Education

With respect to school education, universal access is the key vision. Also, major reforms are brought in curriculum and pedagogy.

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Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of school education

NEP 2020 emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels- preschool to secondary.

Infrastructure support, innovative education centers to bring back dropouts into the mainstream, tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes, an association of counselors or well-trained social workers with schools, open learning for classes 3,5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy, and life-enrichment programs are some of the proposed ways for achieving this.

About 2 crore out-of-school children will be brought back into the mainstream under NEP 2020.

Also read: Examination System in India

Early Childhood Care & Education with New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure

With an emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under the school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of the mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre-schooling.

NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8. ECCE will be delivered through a significantly expanded and strengthened system of institutions including Anganwadis and pre-schools that will have teachers and Anganwadi workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. The planning and implementation of ECCE will be carried out jointly by the Ministries of HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal Affairs.

Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

Recognizing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy as an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP 2020 calls for the setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by MHRD.

States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3 by 2025. A National Book Promotion Policy is to be formulated.

Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy

The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for the holistic development of learners by equipping them with key 21st-century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking, and a greater focus on experiential learning.

Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams.

Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internships.

A new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be developed by the NCERT.

Multilingualism and the power of language

The policy has emphasized mother tongue /local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula. Other classical languages and literature of India also to be available as options. No language will be imposed on any student.

Students to participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8, such as, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level. Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized across the country, and National and State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment.

Assessment Reforms

NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular and formative assessment, which is more competency-based, promotes learning and development, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority.

Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body.

Equitable and Inclusive Education

NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. Special emphasis will be given to Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SDGs), including gender, sociocultural, and geographical identities and disabilities. This includes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

Children with disabilities will be enabled to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the foundational stage to higher education, with the support of educators with cross-disability training, resource centers, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate technology-based tools, and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their needs.

Every state/district will be encouraged to establish “Bal Bhavans” as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. Free school infrastructure can be used as Samajik Chetna Kendras

Also read: Education in India – A Detailed Analysis

Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path

Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes. Promotions will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic performance appraisals and available progression paths to becoming educational administrators or teacher educators. A common National Professional Standard for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT , SCERTs, teachers, and expert organizations from across levels and regions.

School Governance

Schools can be organized into complexes or clusters which will be the basic unit of governance and ensure the availability of all resources including infrastructure, academic libraries, and a strong professional teacher community.

Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education

NEP 2020 envisages clear, separate systems for policymaking, regulation, operations, and academic matters. States/UTs will set up an independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA). Transparent public self-disclosure of all the basic regulatory information, as laid down by the SSSA, will be used extensively for public oversight and accountability. The SCERT will develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through consultations with all stakeholders.

National Education Policy: Higher Education

The New Education Policy has a great vision for the Higher Education sector as well.

Increase GER to 50 % by 2035

NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. 3.5 Crore new seats will be added to Higher education institutions.

Holistic Multidisciplinary Education

The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Undergraduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education, and multiple entries and exit points with appropriate certification. UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example, a Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, a Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years, and a Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years.

An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards the final degree made.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, and IIMs, to be set up as models of the best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

The Higher Education Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education . HECI to have four independent verticals – the National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, the General Education Council (GEC ) for standard-setting, the Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and the National Accreditation Council( NAC) for accreditation.

HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have powers to penalize HEIs not conforming to norms and standards. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards.

Rationalized Institutional Architecture

Higher education institutions will be transformed into large, well-resourced, vibrant multidisciplinary institutions providing high-quality teaching, research, and community engagement. The definition of the university will allow a spectrum of institutions that range from research-intensive Universities to Teaching-intensive Universities and Autonomous degree-granting Colleges.

Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. Over a period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an Autonomous degree-granting College or a constituent college of a university.

Motivated, Energized, and Capable Faculty

NEP makes recommendations for motivating, energizing, and building the capacity of faculty through clearly defined, independent, transparent recruitment, freedom to design curricula/pedagogy, incentivizing excellence, and movement into institutional leadership. Faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held accountable

Teacher Education

A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

Mentoring Mission

A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty – including those with the ability to teach in Indian languages – who would be willing to provide short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.

Financial support for students

Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

Open and Distance Learning

This will be expanded to play a significant role in increasing GER. Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality in-class programs.

Online Education and Digital Education:

A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible has been covered.

A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of digital infrastructure, digital content, and capacity building will be created in the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.

Technology in education

An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, and administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes, support teacher professional development, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups, and streamline educational planning, administration, and management

Promotion of Indian languages

To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, strengthening Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programs.

Internationalization of education will be facilitated through both institutional collaborations and student and faculty mobility allowing entry of top world-ranked Universities to open campuses in our country.

Professional Education

All professional education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, etc. will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

Adult Education

The policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.

Financing Education

The Centre and the States will work together to increase public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

Also read: PM-USHA

NEP: Consultation Process

NEP 2020 has been formulated after an unprecedented process of consultation that involved nearly over 2 lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, 6600 Blocks, 6000 ULBs, and 676 Districts.

The MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive, and highly participatory consultation process in January 2015. In May 2016, ‘The Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the Chairmanship of Late Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, submitted its report.

Based on this, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’. In June 2017 a ‘Committee for the Draft National Education Policy’ was constituted under the Chairmanship of eminent Scientist Padma Vibhushan, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which submitted the Draft National Education Policy, 2019 to the Hon’ble Human Resource Development Minister on 31st May 2019.

The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was uploaded on MHRD’s website and at the ‘MyGov Innovate’ portal eliciting views/suggestions/comments from stakeholders, including the public.

In conclusion, the National Education Policy (NEP) is a crucial document that outlines the roadmap for the development of education in India. It is a significant step towards building a knowledge-based society that is equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The NEP aims to transform the education system by providing equitable access to quality education, promoting innovation, and fostering holistic development.

The policy emphasizes the need for a learner-centered approach that focuses on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. It also seeks to promote interdisciplinary learning, multilingualism, and the integration of vocational education into the mainstream curriculum.

The NEP’s vision of a flexible and inclusive education system that enables lifelong learning is laudable. However, the success of the policy will depend on its effective implementation, which will require adequate funding, infrastructure, and skilled educators.

Overall, the NEP has the potential to revolutionize the education sector in India and make it more relevant and responsive to the needs of the changing world. It is a bold and visionary document that seeks to transform education from being a means of social mobility to a tool for building a better and more just society.

Also Read: Institutions of Eminence Scheme;   Education in state list: Should it be restored?

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New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Analysis

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

The Union Cabinet approved a new national education policy recently after a big gap of 34 years . After long deliberations and two committees since 2014, the union cabinet has finalized a comprehensive policy that strives to direct the education system in India in the 21 st century. With an aim to make India a knowledge superpower, the policy proposes some fundamental changes within the education system.

This topic of “New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Analysis” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination , which falls under General Studies Portion.

What is the importance of education in Indian traditions and the legal-constitutional framework?

• Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential , developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development.
• The pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragya), and truth (Satya) was always considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal.
• World-class institutions of ancient India such as Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Vallabhi , set the highest standards of multidisciplinary teaching and research and hosted scholars and students from across backgrounds and countries.
• The leaders of the freedom struggle also thought of education as an important aspect of nation-building . Especially Mahatma Gandhi  thought of education as a process of realization of the best in man- body, soul, and spirit. He put forth the idea of “ Buniyaadi Shiksha”.
• Post-independence modern India also focused on education through various commissions such as the Radhakrishnan Commission, Kothari Commission , etc.
• Part IV of the Indian constitution, article 45 and 39(f) have provision for state-funded education with equitable and accessible character.
• The 42nd amendment to the constitution moved education from state list to concurrent list-making way for overall standardization on the national level.
• The 86th amendment made the right to education an enforceable fundamental right (Article 21A).
• Subsequently, the Right to Education Act, 2009 provides for universal education to all children between ages 6 and 14.
• Education has been one of the foundational sectors in the national developmental planning.

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What is the need for a new education policy?

• More than three decades have passed since the last education policy was released. The new education policy, 1986, and its modifications in 1992 were suited to its times and serves as a guiding light to the current policy.
• But after these policies and especially since 1992, monumental changes have taken place in society, economy, country, and world . In this context, our education system needs to gear itself for the 21st century.
• Since the last education policy, India has liberalized its economy , population has witnessed a massive growth of 65%, there is a sizable aspirational middle class .
• There is a paradigm shift in every sector globally, largely taken over by massive developments in technology . Experts feel that most of the education given in schools and colleges and skills acquired worldwide today will not be useful in the next 30 odd years. That is the scale and speed of evolution we are going through.
• While this is what the future looks like, our education system remains plagued by age-old problems of lack of reach, quality, and professionalism.
• Though we have increased literacy rates significantly, the “Buniyaadi Shiksha” of Gandhi ’s dreams is far from a reality.
• The successive reports of ASER pictures a sorry state of affairs in the education system. The poor learning outcomes , gaps between textbook teaching and real-life vocations, huge imbalance in rural-urban, private-public educational sectors.
• The issues in pedagogy have been highlighted time and again which focuses on rote learning , excessive, and sometimes lethal, competition of marks and ranks.
• The marketization of the education sector is one of the phenomena after liberalization. The illogical growth of educational institutional creating imbalances in the number of graduates and requirement in respective fields have created a category of “educated unemployed” in our country. This can be seen through the examples of the growth of engineering and management colleges and the condition of the majority of graduates from these colleges.
• There is also an issue of implementation of educational schemes like universal education as the school dropout rates continue to remain high.
• This can be attributed to the perception of the non-utility of formal education and the inability to connect and utilize it to real-life existential problems.
• The curricula in various education act isolated silos of particular disciplines creating one-dimensional literates. The lack of interdisciplinary approach as adopted in some of the developed countries is a major cause of concern for experts.
• On the backdrop of such issues comes the New Education Policy-2020. We analyze here the salient features of the new policy in the wake of the above issues.

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What are the salient features of New Education Policy-2020?

• The final policy is based on the draft report submitted by Dr. K. Kasturirangan committee which was constituted by the Ministry of HRD in 2017.
• Apart from accepting the report, the cabinet also approved a change in name of Ministry of HRD to Education Ministry.
• The New Education Policy deals with School education and higher education comprehensively and provides key targets and fundamental overhaul of the education system. The important points of the policy are as follows:

School Education

• Recognizing that over 85% of a child’s cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of 6 , to ensure healthy brain development and growth, the current form of 10+2 structure will be transformed to new 5+3+3+4 structure , with a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3.

• A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE ) will be developed by NCERT in two parts (0-3 and 3-8)
• various reports indicate that a large proportion of students currently in elementary school have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy (the ability to read and comprehend basic text and basic calculation).
• So, the Priority of the education system will be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary school by 2025.
• To achieve this goal, there is a proposal to set up a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on priority.
• Accordingly, all State/UT governments will immediately prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy by 2025
• The policy aims that a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1 will be ensured at the level of each school ( 25:1 for socio-economically backward areas ).
• Recognizing that morning hours after a nutritious breakfast can be particularly productive for the study of cognitively more demanding subjects, a simple but energizing breakfast in addition to midday meals will be provided.
• Where the Gross Enrolment ratio (GER) for Grades 6-8 is 90.9%, for Grades 9-10 and 11-12 it is only 79.3% and 56.5%, respectively – indicating a significant amount of drop out after Grade 5 and even more after Grade 8.
• The policy prioritizes bringing these children back into the educational fold, intending to achieve 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio in preschool to secondary level by 2030 .
• Curriculum will be reduced to its core essentials for each subject for encouraging critical thinking and inquiry-based, discovery-based, and analysis-based learning.
• There is a provision for vocational training along with internships during school .
• Holistic development and a wide choice of subjects and with no hard separation among different subjects and disciplines will be the hallmark of the new system of curriculum.
• Wherever possible, until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, the medium of instruction will be mother tongue (local language/regional language ).
• The policy accepts three-language formula , however, there will be a greater flexibility in the three-language formula, and no language will be imposed on any State.
• The formulation of a new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be undertaken by the NCERT .
• The progress card for school-based assessment will be completely redesigned to make it a holistic, 360-degree, multidimensional report that reflects the uniqueness of each learner.
• While continuing board exams for grades 10 and 12, the policy suggests that the need for undertaking coaching classes should be eliminated.
• Board exams will be reformed so that they test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than memorization capacity .
• The policy proposes to set up PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), a national assessment center, as a standard-setting body under MHRD for all recognized school boards of India .

Higher Education

• Higher education plays an extremely important role in promoting human as well as societal wellbeing and in developing India as envisioned in its Constitution . It contributes towards sustainable livelihoods and economic As India moves towards becoming a knowledge economy and society, more and more young Indians are likely to aspire for higher education.
• Given the 21st century requirements, quality higher education must aim to develop good, thoughtful, well-rounded, and creative individuals.
• Policy highlights some of the major problems of higher education such as:
• a severely fragmented higher educational ecosystem;
• a rigid separation of disciplines , with early specialization and streaming of students into narrow areas of study;
• limited teacher and institutional autonomy ;
• inadequate mechanisms for merit-based career management and progression of faculty and institutional leaders
• suboptimal governance and leadership of HEIs
• low standards of undergraduate education due to large affiliating universities.

for higher education sector policy envisages following actions

• The main thrust of this policy regarding higher education is to end the fragmentation of higher education by transforming higher education institutions into large multidisciplinary universities , colleges, and HEI clusters/Knowledge Hubs, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more students
• Policy suggests that by 2040, all higher education institutions shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions .
• Colleges will be encouraged , mentored, supported, and incentivized to gradually attain the minimum benchmarks required for each level of accreditation . It is envisaged that every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university over a period of time.
• The undergraduate degree will be of 3 or 4-year duration , with multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications.
• An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC ) shall be established to digitally store the academic credits earned from various recognized HEIs so that the degrees from an HEI can be awarded taking into account credits earned
• HEIs will have the flexibility to offer different designs of Master’s programs
• Undertaking a Ph.D. shall require either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research. The Phil. program shall be discontinued .
• Entry into quality higher education can open a vast array of possibilities that can lift both individuals as well as communities out of the cycles of disadvantage. For this reason, making quality higher education opportunities available to all individuals must be among the highest priorities
• For this purpose, additional actions that are specific to higher education shall be adopted by all Governments and HEIs:
• Earmarking appropriate funds for the education of socio-economically disadvantaged group (SEDGs)
• Enhance gender balance in admissions to HEIs (including transgenders )
• Enhance access by establishing high-quality HEIs in aspirational districts and Special Education Zones.
• According to the Justice J. S. Verma Commission (2012), a majority of Teacher training institutes are not even attempting serious teacher To do away this, the Regulatory System shall be empowered to take stringent action against substandard and dysfunctional teacher education institutions.
• The 4-year integrated B.Ed. offered by such multidisciplinary HEIs will, by 2030, become the minimal degree qualification for school teachers.
• The policy targets Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to be increased to 50% (current 26.3%) by 2035.
• The National Research Foundation  will be created for fostering research culture and building research capacity in higher education.
• The policy reiterates the government’s move to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a  single umbrella body  for the entire higher education ( excluding medical and legal education).
• HECI will be having four independent parts :
• National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC),
• General Education Council (GEC),
• Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC),
• National Accreditation Council (NAC).
• Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards
• Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years with an aim to develop them into either an autonomous or a constituent college of a university.

Other changes

• Policy proposes a  National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas  on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.
• an outstanding adult education curriculum framework will be developed by a new and well-supported constituent body of the NCERT along with necessary infrastructure that enables lifelong learning.
• A fee cap will be provided for private education institutions of higher learning.
• It also paves the way for  foreign universities to set up campuses in India, and also top Indian educational institutions will be encouraged to go global.
• Centre to set up a ‘ Gender ­Inclusion Fund’ to build the country’s capacity to provide equitable quality education to all girls and transgender students.
• Special education zones will be set up for socio-economically disadvantaged groups which are broadly categorized on gender identities (transgender included), socio-economic identities (SC, ST, OBC, minorities), and geographical identities.
• It also reiterates aim to increase  the public investment in the Education sector to reach  6% of GDP  at the earliest (from current levels of 4.6%)

What is the significance of the new education policy?

• The educational policy has recognized the importance of formative years along with necessary learning conditions like nutrition and expert teachers.
• A very important and potentially game-changing policy initiative is the inclusion of vocational courses in the school curriculum . This will help in encouraging disadvantaged sections who see no value in education to send their kids to school.
• It has expanded the ambit of universal education from 6-14 years to 3-18 years which is a welcome step.
• One of the major points of conflict on the medium of instruction has been dealt with and there is a categorical support for three-language formula and suggestion of teaching in mother tongue/local language for at least 5th class.
• This is a significant policy suggestion when the Indian education system is moving away from excessive English-medium orientation. There is an increasing neglect of local languages and mother tongue and illogical and unscientific hysteria towards English medium schools.
• The higher education regulatory system is set to change for good by eliminating the concentration of functions in UGC.
• The higher education sector through this policy gets an encouragement for multi-disciplinary nature through suggestions to do away with silos mentality when it comes to disciplines. This will create an all-around and enriched personality by interacting with a variety of subjects.
• There is a good amount of discussion in the policy on Socio-economically backward areas and people. The transgender community’s needs have been recognized in the policy.
• The policy proposes opening up to more foreign universities and likewise encourages more top-class Indian universities to go global. This is a welcome step as it will create healthy competition in the Indian higher education system , save important forex reserves as a huge number of students opt to go abroad for higher education.
• So, in all, this policy tries to achieve a rare balance of quantity and quality in the educational sector while trying to propel it to a higher level of excellence It strives to prepare the Indian education system for the challenges of 21st-century building on past experiences and policies.

What are the issues with the new education policy?

• Some of the proposals face legal challenges . Like the draft bill for Higher Education Commission of India has been pending with the Ministry and unlikely to be published for feedback soon.
• Though the policy aims to break the coaching class culture and ensuing monopoly of English medium schools, in reality, to implement this will require sufficient political will . Experts feel this to be a difficult task.
• The same is the case with teachers training institutions where a Education. The low-quality institutions are run largely for-profit motives without sufficient care for the needs of teachers training
• One of the most important neglected points is the policy of no exams till the 7th or 8th standard . This policy has been heavily criticized for impacting learning outcomes in the absence of exams at the school level.
• The free breakfast scheme proposed though a sound move, will increase the fiscal burden and add on to already inefficient mid-day meal scheme that has seen irregularities and corruption over the years.
• The suggestion to spend 6% of the GDP on education is there since the Kothari Commission but consecutive governments have failed to achieve the target that was set long ago.
• Given the low tax-GDP ratio and current slowdown condition, the implementation expenditure of 6% GDP in the education sector seems difficult. Especially when in the coming years, healthcare and defense sectors are set to demand more expenditure.
• As discussed earlier, there is a mismatch in the skill imparted in educational institutions and jobs available. This important issue has been largely ignored in the policy . Especially, there is insufficient discussion on new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, cyber security , etc when these fields are set to dominate world knowledge and job space.
• The majority of experts feel that though policy speaks of encouraging reason and critical thinking, campus activities, the real actions on the ground differ as can be seen from attacks on campuses and critical thinkers in the last few years.

Way Forward

• The Policy looks strong ad forward-looking on paper. The officials have said that the policy has been finalized after long and extensive deliberations across the stakeholder sectors. This is a welcome step.
• What needs to be done now according to experts from various fields that there is a need for a comprehensive roadmap of implementation as previous policies also promised things that were not fulfilled.
• The school-level reforms touch most of the aspects. Care should be taken that in the quest of making exams easier, we don’t create a numerical surge in passed students without any real term knowledge base . The current system of giving high marks in 10 and 10+2 level exams have been criticized by many educational experts.
• The policy of a multi-disciplinary approach in higher education is welcome but a foolproof framework needs to be created so that the core interests and preferred knowledge streams are not neglected.
• As Education is in the concurrent list, there remains a huge task of consensus-building among states. The cooperative federalism approach is most conducive to critical fields like education.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that there is a need to build huge digital capacities to digitize the education sec The lack of online teaching facilities is hampering the education and there is a fear of washing away of this academic year.
• The BharatNet scheme may be extended to include digital infrastructure for public and private schools throughout the nation .
• The vocational training program for school children needs synergy between the ministries of HRD, skill development, and labor.

The New Education Policy-2020 represents aspirations to become a knowledge powerhouse of the world inculcating the best of the global educational experiments. The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , adopted by India in 2015 – seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. The Education policy is a step in the right direction given it is implemented throughout the long period it targets.

Practice Question for Mains

Critically analyze the New Education Policy-2020 in the light of challenges to the education system in India. (250 words)

https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English.pdf

https://www.thehindu.com/education/the-hindu-explains-what-has-the-national-education-policy-2020-proposed/article32249788.ece

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/reading-new-education-policy-india-schools-colleges-6531603/

https://www.livemint.com/education/news/new-education-policy-five-big-changes-in-school-higher-education-explained-11596098141333.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/national-education-policy-2020-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/77239854.cms

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New Education Policy

Topics Covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

New Education Policy:

First new education policy in 34 years has been brought out. The union Cabinet gave its nod to the new policy recently.

• The aim of the N ational E ducation P olicy 2020 is to create an education system which is deeply rooted in Indian ethos and can rebuild India as a global knowledge superpower, by providing high-quality education to all.

Background :

• A panel headed by former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan submitted a draft in December 2018, which was made public and opened for feedback after the Lok Sabha election in May 2019.

Highlights of the policy:

• Public spending on education by states, Centre to be raised to 6% of the GDP.
• Ministry of H uman R esource D evelopment to be renamed M inister of E ducation.

  Digital Education- related:

• An autonomous body, the national educational technology forum, will be created for the exchange of ideas on use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning and administration.
• Separate technology unit to develop digital education resources. The new unit will coordinate digital infrastructure, content and capacity building.

  Teacher Education- related:

• By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a four year integrated B . Ed.
• Teachers will also be given training in online educational methods relevant to the Indian situation in order to help bridge the digital divide.

  School Education- related:

• Universalise the pre-primary education (age range of 3-6 years) by 2025.
• Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030.
• A new school curriculum with coding and vocational studies from class 6 will be introduced.
• A child’s mother tongue will be used as the medium of instruction till class 5 .
• A new curricular framework is to be introduced, including the preschool and Anganwadi years.
• A N ational Mission on F oundational L iteracy and Numeracy will ensure basic skills at the class 3 level by 2025.
• Board exams to be easier, redesigned. Exams will test core competencies rather than memorising facts, with all students allowed to take the exam twice .
• School governance is set to change, with a new accreditation framework and an independent authority to regulate both public and private schools.

Higher Education- related:

• Four year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry and exit options will be introduced.
• The Phil degree will be abolished.
• New umbrella regulator for all higher education except medical, legal courses.
• An Academic B ank of C redit will be set up to make it easier to transfer between institutions.
• College affiliation system to be phased out in 15 years, so that every college develops into either an autonomous degree-granting institution, or a constituent college of a university.
• It also aims to double the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational education, from 26.3% in 2018 to 50% by 2035, with an additional 3.5 crore new seats.

  Traditional knowledge- related:

• Indian knowledge systems, including tribal and indigenous knowledge, will be incorporated into the curriculum in an accurate and scientific manner.

Special focus:

• Regions such as aspirational districts, which have large number of students facing economic, social or caste barriers will be designated as ‘S pecial E ducational Z ones’.
• The Centre will also set up a G ender I nclusion F und to build the country’s capacity to provide equitable quality education to all girls and transgender students.

Financial support:

Meritorious students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and other socially and economically disadvantaged groups will be given incentives.

New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure:

The NEP proposes changing the existing 10+2 Curricular and Pedagogical Structure with 5+3+3+4 design covering the children in the age group 3-18 years. Under this —

• Five years of the Foundational Stage: 3 years of pre-primary school and Grades 1, 2;
• Three years of the Preparatory (or Latter Primary) Stage: Grades 3, 4, 5;
• Three years of the Middle (or Upper Primary) Stage: Grades 6, 7, 8;
• Four years of the High (or Secondary) Stage: Grades 9, 10, 11, 12.

Challenges ahead:

Since education is a concurrent subject most states have their own school boards. Therefore, state governments would have to be brought on board for actual implementation of this decision.

InstaLinks :

Prelims Link:

• Overview of new Pedagogical Structure with 5+3+3+4 design.
• What are Special Educational Zones as per the new policy?
• Who will set up the Gender Education Fund as per the policy?
• Role of the proposed Academic Bank of Credit.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio target in higher education?
• About the proposed national educational technology forum.

Mains Link:

Discuss the significance of recently announced New Education Policy 2020.

Sources: the Hindu.

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National Education Policy 2020

• What is National Education Policy 2020
• How is NEP 2020 different from the earlier policies
• What are the targets set under NEP 2020
• What are the provisions of NEP 2020
• What are the various initiatives to implement NEP 2020
• What are the criticisms of NEP 2020
• What are the challenges in the implementation of NEP 2020

Prelims:   Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

Mains:  Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What is National Education Policy 2020?

The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century in India, which replaces the previous National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986.

• The Ministry of Education formed a committee under Dr. K Kasturirangan, which outlined this new policy. 
• The National Education Policy 2020 proposes various reforms in school and higher education, including technical education, that are suited to 21st-century needs. 
• 5 foundational pillars of NEP 2020: Access , Equity , Quality , Affordability, and Accountability .
• This policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .
• It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic , flexible , and multidisciplinary and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.

How is NEP 2020 different from the earlier policies?

The National Policy on Education (NPE) was first formulated in 1968 , based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission. The NPE 1986 focussed on providing education to all sections of society, promoting primary education, and establishing open universities. Later, the Plan of Action (POA) 1992 had special emphasis on early childhood care and education and the universalization of elementary education. 

The NEP 2020 stands apart and marks a departure from the earlier policies on the following grounds.

• Focus on holistic development : By emphasizing on critical thinking, discussion, and analytical learning to enrich India's talent and human resource pool.
• Integration of vocational education: The policy recognizes the importance of vocational education and aims to integrate it with mainstream education.
• Emphasis on technology-enabled learning: The new education policy recognizes the importance of technology in education and encourages the use of digital tools and platforms to enhance the learning experience.
• Promotion of multilingualism along with the right to choose: The new policy emphasizes the importance of multilingualism and encourages the teaching of regional languages alongside English and Hindi with the much-needed flexibility.
• Flexible and multidisciplinary curriculum: NEP 2020 offers subject selection, software training in schools, transfer of credits, multiple entries, and exit system to allow for more internal autonomy to institutions.

What are the targets set under NEP 2020?

• Universalization of education from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to Secondary Education by 2030, aligning with SDG 4.
• Attaining Foundational Learning & Numeracy Skills through National Mission by 2025.
• 100% GER in Pre-School to Secondary Level by 2030.
• 50% GER in Higher Education by 2035.
• Bring back 2 Crore children to the mainstream through the open schooling system.
• Teachers to be prepared for assessment reforms by 2023
• Inclusive & Equitable Education System by 2030.

What are the provisions of NEP 2020?

School education .

• NEP 2020 emphasizes ensuring universal access to school education at all levels, from preschool to secondary. 
• With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula will be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure.
• This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under the school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of the mental faculties of a child.

• As an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP 2020 calls for setting up of a  National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
• Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. 
• There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams.
• Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and include internships.
• The existing B.Ed. programme for teacher training will be replaced by a four-year integrated programme with high-quality content, pedagogy, and practical training.
• A national curriculum framework for teacher education will be formulated by the National Council for Teacher Education(NCTE) in consultation with NCERT.
• The policy has emphasized the mother tongue as the medium of instruction until Grade 5 , but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. 
• Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.
• A new National Assessment Centre- Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) will be set up as a standard-setting body.

Higher Education

• The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary , holistic undergraduate  education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education , and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.
• An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different  HEIs.
• The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
• Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be an overarching umbrella body for higher education, excluding medical and legal education.
• An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) , will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, and administration.
• NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs.
• High-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries.  
• Similarly, selected top global universities will be permitted to operate in India. 

Other Recommendations

• The NEP reaffirmed the commitment of spending 6% of GDP as public investment in education.
• The Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.
• Foundational literacy and numeracy
• Critical life skills (such as financial and digital literacy)
• Vocational skills development
• Basic education (equivalent of middle and secondary education)
• Continuing education (through engaging courses in arts, technology, sports, and culture)

What are the various initiatives to implement NEP 2020?

• The UGC has issued regulations for the establishment and operation of the Academic Bank of Credits in higher education.
• It will be a national-level digital facility for promoting academic mobility through a formal system of credit accumulation, credit transfer, and credit redemption.
• A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN Mission) launched by the Government.  
• Guidelines for Three-month Play-based School Preparation Module for Grade 1 Children have been developed.
• AICTE made provisions for technical education in regional languages.
• Union Budget 2021-22 announced the setting up of a National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR) with a major emphasis on strengthening the country's digital infrastructure for education.
• SAFAL to be introduced in CBSE Schools for Grades 3, 5, and 8 from 2021-22.
• It focuses on testing for core concepts, application-based questions, and higher-order thinking skills.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2021 allowed universities to offer online degree courses and expand further in the education sector.
• Institutes and colleges, including IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Kharagpur, are gradually expanding to include non-engineering courses to offer students an extended opportunity to learn new disciplinaries.

What are the criticisms of NEP 2020?

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has received mixed reactions and criticisms from various stakeholders. Some of the major criticisms of NEP 2020 are

• Emphasis on privatization : Critics argue that NEP 2020 promotes privatization of education by encouraging public-private partnerships, which may lead to the exclusion of marginalized communities from quality education.
• Centralization of power: NEP 2020 has been criticized for centralizing power in the hands of the central government, as it gives the central government the authority to set up a National Educational Technology Forum and a National Research Foundation.
• Lack of clarity on implementation: NEP 2020 lacks clarity on the implementation of various reforms, and it does not provide a roadmap for the effective implementation of the policy.
• Lack of consultation: Some critics have argued that NEP 2020 was developed without adequate consultation with all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and students.
• Lack of coordination : NEP 2020 has faced criticism for legal complexities arising from the coexistence of two policies, the Right to Education Act 2009 and the new policy.

What are the challenges in the implementation of NEP 2020?

• Enormity and diversity: The sheer size and diversity of India’s education sector make implementation an uphill task. 
• Capacity limitation: The internal capacities within the education ministries (centre and states) and other regulatory bodies are inadequate to steer the magnitude of transformations envisaged in the NEP.
• Teaching in the mother tongue may pose difficulties: Due to the diverse linguistic landscape in India, with 22 official languages and numerous dialects, adapting curriculum materials to be taught in the mother tongue can be challenging. 
• Digital divide: The NEP 2020's emphasis on digitization and e-learning may not take into account the digital divide in India, as only around 30% of the population can afford smartphones, and even fewer have access to computers.
• Limited resources: The NEP 2020 calls for a significant expansion of educational resources and facilities (6% of GDP), which may be difficult to achieve in light of competing demands for government funding and limited resources.

Previous Year Questions

Q) National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient the education system in India. Critically examine the statement.(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) what is the three-language formula.

The National Education Policy 2020 recommends the implementation of the three-language formula to promote multilingualism and national unity. The policy states that students should learn at least two native or regional languages and one foreign language, with the choice of languages left to the states, regions, and students themselves.

Q) What are foundational Literacy and Numeracy?

Foundational literacy refers to the skills and strategies involved in reading, speaking, writing, and interpreting thoughts. Foundational Numeracy is the ability to reason and apply simple numerical concepts. Basic numeracy skills consist of comprehending fundamental arithmetical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

© 2024 Vajiram & Ravi. All rights reserved

Review of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• August 31, 2020
• Career Guidance , Parents Must Read

The new National Education Policy (NEP) is the first holistic reform that aims to completely change education of all levels across India – the first of its kind since the Constitution of India was created more than seven decades ago. The NEP can be seen as a continuing of the ideals and principles listed out in the Constitution, as the NEP itself claims to ‘‘build an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged’ in the Constitution’. Lofty goals, however, the changes listed in the NEP, if implemented correctly, have the potential to bring Indian education to global levels and completely reform society.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

By Kunal Vasudeva

No child will be left behind

One of the most crucial parts of the NEP is its aim to level the playing field during the formative years. All children will undergo a 3-month long orientation before entering first grade to ensure they are on track with their peers and have a basic level of literacy and numeracy.

A seemingly simple yet crucial step that will give children from disadvantaged backgrounds a fair start to their education. In addition, more focus will be placed on teacher training to help them mentor students, while also allowing community volunteers to participate in teaching – giving students role models and figures they can relate to and learn from.

It shifts from memorization to ‘learning to learn’ – fostering a new generation of thinkers

There’s no secret that parts of Indian education have been about cramming facts and figures – many of which will have no use in adult life. Until now, it’s been about memorizing enough to earn high marks in an increasingly competitive space.

The NEP has set about to change this by promoting a ‘critical thinking’ approach to learning, making students come to their own conclusions after being given facts – and not just providing facts and expecting them to memorize answers.

Earlier many students would first encounter a ‘critical thinking’ approach in their IB board or overseas education – this new ethos will help promote lifelong learning, faster skill adaptation, and a more self-driven and autonomous workforce of professionals.

More focus on Arts subjects and Extra-curricular activities will help create a more diverse society

While just a few years ago there were talks of completely phasing out liberal arts education, the rise in demand for these programs showed that the new generation of learners had different aspirations. Now, the NEP has embraced this demand and is bringing it to all education.

With major changes in higher education, students will now have a ‘major’ and a ‘minor’ – allowing someone with a passion for engineering to still pursue writing and vice versa. This creates a safe and comfortable balance for students to balance their passions with ‘ROI worthy’ education options – with new exit and entry points allowing people to complete, pick up and resume education across their entire life.

With this change, the next few decades will see a rise of more culture and arts-focused professions, and a mindset shift from ‘engineering, law or medicine’ to be able to safely pursue a passion due to their being enough professional paths after graduating to flourish in.

Top foreign universities will now be allowed to operate in India – encouraging international knowledge transfer

While foreign universities have already been offering ‘twinning’ and study abroad programs for years now, they were not allowed to set up their own campuses in India. This meant that it was near impossible for Indian HEIs to attract quality international faculty or students from abroad – instead, it has been a primarily one-way brain drain, and India was losing its best and brightest faculty and students to overseas institutes.

Now, for the first time, foreign institutes will be allowed to operate within the country – as long as they’re in the global top 100. This is fantastic news that will be likely to bring in international faculty and academic experts, allow Indian faculty to work abroad and bring back new expertise with them, as well as encourage a steady foundation of multi-culturalism and global-mindedness within Indian students.

Could the NEP be the key to becoming a global superpower?

Very possibly. The changes laid out in the NEP mirror the educational models of some of the most powerful and developed countries in the world. And now, these processes will be applied to a country that has the largest population in the world. If implemented correctly, it will give children from all parts of society equal footing and a fair start to life. It will encourage students to think, not just repeat. It will offer new educational streams and encourage the pursuit of art and culture.

It is finally opening up India’s doors to the world. If pulled off faithfully, India could be entering its own renaissance in just the next two generations, and build a better India for centuries to come.

Author Bio:

Kunal Vasudeva is the Chief Operating Officer at the Indian School of Hospitality. With over 25 years of work experience, Kunal has been at the forefront of some of India’s leading hospitality and hospitality education ventures.

An immersive specialist, Kunal identified opportunities, implemented plans for accelerated growth, and has led the overarching strategy and execution of business on behalf of premier education brands including the Kingfisher Training Academy, The Chopras, and the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne network of certified schools in India.

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Advantages & Disadvantages of New Education Policy (NEP 2020)

The new education policy, NEP 2020 talks about major transformational reforms in the Indian academic sector which are appreciated by many. Along with appreciation, there is also criticism which focuses on the drawbacks of this new education policy. 

In this blog, we will explore both the advantages and disadvantages of NEP, providing you with a comprehensive overview of its impact.

Benefits Of New Education Policy

For Students:

Holistic Development:

NEP 2020 focuses on the holistic development of students, addressing their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. It promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, preparing students to thrive in the 21st century.

Flexible Learning Pathways:

The policy offers flexible learning pathways, allowing students to choose subjects based on their interests and career aspirations. This promotes personalized learning, enabling students to explore their passions and develop expertise in their chosen fields.

Reduced Curriculum Burden:

NEP aims to reduce the curriculum burden on students by emphasizing core concepts and essential learning outcomes. This allows for a deeper understanding of subjects and encourages a more comprehensive learning experience.

Inclusive Education:

The policy prioritizes inclusive education, ensuring equal opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities and from marginalized communities. It promotes an inclusive and supportive learning environment, fostering empathy and understanding among students.

Skill Development:

NEP 2020 emphasizes skill development, equipping students with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and digital literacy. This enhances their employability and prepares them for future challenges.

For Teachers:

Professional Development Opportunities:

The new education policy recognizes the importance of continuous professional development for teachers. It provides opportunities for training, workshops, and collaborations to enhance their teaching skills, update their knowledge, and stay abreast of evolving pedagogical practices.

Enhanced Teaching Practices:

The policy encourages a shift towards learner-centric teaching practices, promoting interactive and experiential learning methods. This allows teachers to engage students actively in the learning process, fostering deeper understanding and retention of concepts.

Integration of Technology:

NEP emphasizes the integration of technology in education. Teachers can leverage digital tools, online resources, and educational apps to enhance their teaching effectiveness, create interactive learning experiences, and cater to diverse learning styles.

Recognition of Leadership and Mentorship:

It also recognizes the importance of teacher leadership and mentorship. Teachers have the opportunity to take on mentoring roles, supporting their fellow educators, and contributing to policy implementation. This fosters professional growth and collaboration among teachers.

Collaborative Learning Communities:

NEP also promotes collaborative learning communities, encouraging teachers to engage in peer learning, share best practices, and collaborate with colleagues. This creates a supportive environment for professional growth and enhances teaching effectiveness.

Empowerment as Facilitators:

The policy empowers teachers to become facilitators of learning rather than just information providers. They can guide students through their learning journey, foster critical thinking, and nurture students’ interests and talents.

Disadvantages of NEP 2020

Increased pressure and competition for students:.

One of the primary concerns with the policy is the potential increase in pressure and competition among students. NEP emphasizes the importance of standardized examinations and encourages board exams at multiple levels, starting from the early years. This approach may lead to an excessive focus on grades and performance, compromising the overall development and well-being of students.

Narrowing of Subject Choices:

The new policy proposes a shift towards a multidisciplinary approach, which aims to provide students with a broad range of subjects. However, this might inadvertently limit their options. With an increased emphasis on vocational education and skill development, subjects like arts, humanities, and social sciences may receive less attention. This narrow focus could hinder the overall intellectual and creative growth of students.

Insufficient Teacher Training and Support:

The NEP 2020 falls short in adequately addressing the training and support needs of teachers. The lack of clear guidelines for continuous professional development and incentives may impact the quality of education imparted in classrooms.

Imbalance in Digital Infrastructure:

The new education policy places significant emphasis on digital education and e-learning platforms. While this can enhance access to education, it also exposes the digital divide prevalent in our society. Not all students have equal access to digital devices, internet connectivity, or resources required for online learning. This imbalance may further marginalize students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, exacerbating educational inequalities.

Standardization Challenges:

The policy’s aim to standardize education across the country may overlook regional and cultural diversities. The one-size-fits-all approach might not cater to the unique needs and aspirations of students from different states and regions.

Insufficient Implementation Strategy:

A major concern surrounding the policy is the lack of a robust implementation strategy. It proposes ambitious changes without providing a clear roadmap for execution. This ambiguity can lead to confusion among educational institutions, teachers, and students, resulting in uneven implementation across the country. Without a well-defined plan, the potential benefits of the policy may remain unrealized.

Final Thoughts

While the New Education Policy 2020 aims to bring about positive transformations in the Indian education system, it is essential to critically evaluate its pros and cons. By critically examining the advantages and disadvantages, stakeholders can work towards implementing the new education policy effectively, ensuring an education system that fosters holistic development, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all.

Related Posts

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What is New Education Policy (NEP) 2020? Teacher guide 2023

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National Education Policy NEP 2020, Comprehensive Guide

National Education Policy: Education plays a pivotal role in shaping a nation’s future and fostering the growth of its citizens. Recognizing the need for comprehensive reforms to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Government of India unveiled the National Education Policy (NEP) in July 2020. This landmark policy represents a paradigm shift in the Indian education system, with a vision to transform the way knowledge is imparted, promote holistic development, and equip learners with the skills required to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Celebration of the 4th anniversary of National Education Policy 2020!

Ministry of Education is celebrating the 4th anniversary of National Education Policy 2020 with the week-long campaign, “Shiksha Saptah.” The Department of School Education & Literacy hosted a thematic session on the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) during the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam, commemorating the 4th anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This session detailed:

• The development process of the NCF for different educational stages.
• Key discussions included the implementation of NCF for the Foundational Stage and School Education, focusing on play-based and competency-based learning, cultural rootedness, multilingualism, and the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems.
• It also highlighted the presence of NCF in classrooms through improved pedagogy, skills, competencies, and the involvement of parents and the larger community in school governance. The session emphasized the holistic and inclusive educational landscape in India.
• Additionally, the Department of School Education & Literacy introduced guidelines for “10 Bagless Days” during the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam. This initiative aims to make learning a joyful, experiential, and stress-free process through various activities conducted outside the traditional classroom environment.

Key Highlights of the National Education Policy

• Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education: The NEP emphasizes a shift from a rigid, compartmentalized education system to one that promotes holistic learning. The policy advocates the integration of arts, humanities, and sciences, encouraging students to explore diverse subjects and discover their passions.
• Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): The policy focuses on the crucial early years of a child’s development. It aims to provide a strong foundation for learning by integrating Early Childhood Care and Education into the formal education system. This will help enhance children’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills from an early age.
• Reimagining School Education: The NEP aims to transform the current 10+2 schooling system into a more flexible 5+3+3+4 structure. The first five years will focus on foundational learning, followed by three years of preparatory education and four years of multidisciplinary secondary education. This approach aligns with global standards and promotes experiential learning and critical thinking.
• Multilingualism and Language Proficiency: Recognizing India’s linguistic diversity, the NEP encourages the teaching of regional languages along with Hindi and English. This move not only promotes cultural inclusivity but also aims to improve language proficiency and communication skills among students.
• Assessment Reforms: The policy seeks to replace rote memorization with a competency-based approach to assessments. It encourages formative and continuous evaluations to gauge a student’s progress based on their understanding and problem-solving abilities rather than just marks.
• Promoting Digital Learning: With a focus on leveraging technology to improve access and quality of education, the NEP emphasizes the use of digital resources and e-learning platforms. This will help bridge the digital divide and ensure that students from all walks of life have equal access to educational opportunities.
• Higher Education Reforms: The NEP envisions a multidisciplinary and flexible higher education system. It aims to promote research and innovation, foster creativity, and establish robust connections between academia and industry. The policy also paves the way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India, promoting international collaboration.
• Teacher Empowerment: Recognizing the pivotal role of teachers in shaping young minds, the NEP aims to enhance teacher training and professional development. It also encourages a more learner-centric pedagogical approach and a greater emphasis on nurturing teachers’ creative and critical thinking skills.
• Gender and Social Inclusion: The NEP emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, aiming to bridge gender and social gaps in education. It strives to ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, caste, or economic background.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a landmark document that heralds a new era in the Indian education system. Approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, the NEP aims to revolutionize education in India and prepare the country’s youth for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. It seeks to address the shortcomings of the previous education policy and proposes a comprehensive framework to make education more inclusive, flexible, and multidisciplinary.

Key Objectives of NEP 2020

The NEP 2020 outlines several key objectives that serve as the foundation for the proposed reforms:

• Universalization of Education: The policy aims to provide universal access to quality education from early childhood to higher education. It envisions ensuring equitable and inclusive education for all, including children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education: The NEP emphasizes a shift from the traditional compartmentalized approach to education, fostering a multidisciplinary approach that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
• Flexibility and Choice: The policy advocates for flexibility in curriculum design, allowing students to choose subjects of their interest while promoting a well-rounded education.
• Emphasis on Early Childhood Education: The NEP recognizes the crucial importance of early childhood education in a child’s development and focuses on strengthening the early education infrastructure.
• Vocational and Skill Development: The policy emphasizes the integration of vocational education with academic learning to equip students with practical skills and enhance their employability.
• Use of Technology: NEP 2020 aims to leverage technology to improve the quality and reach of education, making learning more accessible and personalized.
• Teacher Training and Professional Development: The policy underscores the need for continuous professional development for teachers, empowering them with modern teaching methodologies and technologies.
• Assessment Reforms: NEP 2020 advocates for a shift from rote learning and high-stakes examinations to a more holistic and continuous assessment system that focuses on understanding and application.

Salient Features of NEP 2020

• 5+3+3+4 School Structure: The policy introduces a new school structure, dividing the pre-school and primary stages into a 5+3+3+4 format. The foundational stage (ages 3 to 8) focuses on play-based and activity-based learning, ensuring a strong base for children.
• Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction: NEP 2020 encourages the use of the mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction until at least grade 5 to promote better understanding and cognitive development.
• National Academic Credit Bank (NACB): The NACB is proposed to facilitate seamless credit transfers among institutions and promote multidisciplinary learning.
• Setting Up of National Research Foundation (NRF): The NRF aims to foster research and innovation in all disciplines, providing grants and promoting a culture of research in educational institutions.
• Multiple Entry and Exit Points in Higher Education: The NEP introduces a flexible approach to higher education, allowing students to enter and exit degree programs as per their preferences and requirements.

Challenges and Implementation of NEP 2020

Implementing such an ambitious and wide-ranging policy poses several challenges. Funding, infrastructure, teacher training, and coordination among various stakeholders are some of the significant obstacles. Moreover, ensuring uniform implementation across diverse states and regions remains a challenge.

Different National Education Policies in India Since Independence

Education has always been a vital aspect of India’s growth and development. Throughout its history, the country has witnessed various changes in its educational policies to adapt to the evolving needs of society and economy. The government of India has consistently strived to improve the quality of education and enhance access to learning opportunities for all citizens. In this article, we will explore the major milestones in India’s education sector by examining the various National Education Policies (NEPs) implemented over the years.

1. Education Policy of 1968 (NEP 1968):

The first comprehensive National Education Policy of independent India was formulated in 1968. This policy aimed to promote a uniform educational structure across the country, focusing on improving access to primary education, adult literacy, and technical education. The NEP 1968 sought to implement a 10+2+3 education system, where schooling would consist of ten years of primary and secondary education, followed by a three-year undergraduate degree.

2. Education Policy of 1986 (NEP 1986):

With the realization that the NEP 1968 did not adequately address the emerging challenges in the education sector, the government introduced the National Policy on Education in 1986. This policy aimed to modernize and internationalize education while giving due importance to India’s rich cultural heritage. Key objectives included the universalization of primary education, promoting science and technology education, and strengthening vocational education. NEP 1986 also emphasized the integration of education for children with special needs and the establishment of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the National Open School (now known as the National Institute of Open Schooling, NIOS).

3. Education Policy of 1992 (Program of Action 1992):

The National Policy on Education 1986 underwent an amendment in 1992, resulting in the Program of Action. This program addressed the challenges in the implementation of the NEP 1986 and provided a roadmap for achieving its objectives. It focused on decentralization of education, enhancing the role of teachers, promoting value-based education, and strengthening vocational education to address unemployment issues.

4. Education Policy of 2020 (NEP 2020):

The National Education Policy 2020 marks a significant reform in India’s education landscape. After a gap of almost three decades, this policy was formulated to meet the needs of the 21st century and address the complexities of an ever-changing world. NEP 2020 envisions transforming the Indian education system to empower learners with critical thinking, creativity, and holistic development.

Key highlights of NEP 2020 include:

A. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): Introducing foundational learning in early years (ages 3-6) and integrating ECCE into the formal education system.

B. School Education: Implementing a 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure, emphasizing experiential learning and reducing the curriculum load. Vocational education will be introduced from the 6th grade.

C. Higher Education: Transforming higher education by promoting multidisciplinary learning, allowing for multiple exit points, and integrating research into the undergraduate curriculum.

D. Teacher Education: Revamping teacher training programs to enhance the quality of educators and introducing a four-year integrated B.Ed. program.

E. Digital Education: Integrating technology into education to improve access, equity, and quality of learning.

F. Gender Inclusion: Ensuring equal opportunities and promoting the participation of all genders in education.

G. National Research Foundation (NRF): Establishing an NRF to fund and promote research across disciplines.

H. Graded Autonomy: Granting greater autonomy to educational institutions to foster innovation and creativity.

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Short Notes on New Education Policy |Updated 2023

The New Education Policy (NEP) is a landmark reform in India’s education system. Approved by the Indian government in July 2020, the NEP aims to transform India’s education system from rote learning to a more holistic, learner-centric approach. The NEP is the first education policy in India in over three decades and has been hailed as a game-changer for the country’s education system.

In this article, we will delve into the New Education Policy (NEP) and discuss its key features, benefits, and challenges.

Introduction: Understanding the New Education Policy (NEP)

The New Education Policy (NEP) is a comprehensive framework that seeks to transform India’s education system. The NEP covers all aspects of education, from early childhood education to higher education. The NEP is based on the principles of equity, access, quality, affordability, and accountability.

The NEP is a significant departure from the previous education policies in India, which were focused on rote learning and examination-based assessments. The NEP aims to promote a more holistic approach to education, which includes experiential learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

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Key Features of the New Education Policy (NEP)

The New Education Policy (NEP) has several key features, which include:

1. Early Childhood Education

The NEP recognizes the importance of early childhood education and aims to provide universal access to high-quality early childhood education for all children up to the age of 8 years. The NEP proposes to set up a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy to ensure that every child has basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills by grade 3.

2. School Education

• A new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure
• The introduction of vocational education from grade 6
• The inclusion of coding and computational thinking in the school curriculum
• The promotion of multilingualism
• The phasing out of the 10+2 structure
• The introduction of a new assessment framework

3. Higher Education

• The creation of a single regulator for higher education
• The introduction of a credit-based system for degree programs
• The phasing out of MPhil programs
• The introduction of multidisciplinary education
• The promotion of research and innovation

4. Teacher Education

• The introduction of a 4-year integrated B.Ed. program
• The setting up of a National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as the sole regulator for teacher education
• The promotion of continuous professional development for teachers

5. Technology in Education

The NEP recognizes the importance of technology in education and proposes several measures to promote the use of technology in education, including:

• The establishment of a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF)
• The creation of a digital infrastructure for education
• The promotion of online and blended learning

Benefits of the New Education Policy (NEP)

Equity and inclusion.

The policy aims to provide equal access to quality education for all students, irrespective of their socio-economic background. It recognizes the importance of bridging the learning gap between urban and rural areas and ensuring that students from marginalized communities have access to education.

Skill Development and Employability

Another significant benefit of the New Education Policy (NEP) is its focus on skill development and employability. The policy aims to provide students with practical skills that are essential for employment and entrepreneurship. It recognizes the need for collaboration between industry and academia and aims to provide students with internships and apprenticeships to enhance their employability.

Reducing Exam Stress

The New Education Policy (NEP) aims to reduce the stress of examinations and promote a holistic assessment system. It recognizes the adverse effects of high-stakes exams on students’ mental health and well-being and aims to provide them with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. This approach is set to reduce the stress of examinations and promote a more comprehensive evaluation system.

Global Recognition

The New Education Policy (NEP) aligns with global standards and aims to provide students with a world-class education. It recognizes the importance of internationalization and aims to provide students with exposure to global best practices. This approach is set to enhance the global recognition of Indian degrees and attract international students to Indian institutions.

Enhancing Research and Innovation

The New Education Policy (NEP) recognizes the importance of research and innovation in shaping the future of the country. It aims to promote research and innovation in all fields of study and provide students with the necessary skills and resources. This approach is set to enhance the research output of Indian institutions and promote the development of new technologies and solutions.

Preserving Local Languages and Cultures

The New Education Policy (NEP) recognizes the importance of preserving local languages and cultures and aims to promote multilingualism. It emphasizes the need for education in the mother tongue or local language and gradually introduces other languages. This approach is set to preserve local languages and cultures and promote diversity and inclusivity.

 On School Education Level

Salient Features of the New Education Policy (NEP)

The New Education Policy (NEP) brings in a host of changes that are set to revolutionize the Indian education system. Let’s take a closer look at some of the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP).

Multidisciplinary Education

The New Education Policy (NEP) emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to education, enabling students to explore different subjects and fields of study. It allows students to choose subjects of their interest and pursue them alongside their core subjects. This approach aims to provide a well-rounded education to students and prepare them for the 21st-century job market.

Vocational Education and Skill Development

The New Education Policy (NEP) aims to integrate vocational education and skill development into the mainstream education system. It emphasizes hands-on learning and provides students with practical skills that are essential for employment. This approach aims to bridge the gap between education and employability and provide students with relevant skills that match the needs of the job market.

Holistic Assessment

The New Education Policy (NEP) aims to move away from rote learning and shift towards a holistic assessment system. It emphasizes the need for continuous and comprehensive evaluation and provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. This approach aims to reduce the stress of examinations and promote creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Medium of Instruction

The New Education Policy (NEP) allows for flexibility in the choice of the medium of instruction. It emphasizes the need for education in the mother tongue or local language until Grade 5, and then gradually introducing other languages. This approach aims to promote multilingualism and preserve local languages and cultures.

Digital Education

The New Education Policy (NEP) recognizes the need for digital education and aims to provide students with access to digital resources and technology. It emphasizes the need for blended learning and encourages the use of online learning platforms, digital libraries, and educational apps. This approach aims to enhance the quality of education and make it accessible to all.

Flexibility in Choice of Subjects

The New Education Policy (NEP) provides students with the flexibility to choose their subjects and the pace of learning. It allows students to pursue a variety of subjects and provides multiple entry and exit points. This approach aims to promote flexibility and choice and cater to the diverse needs of students.

• National Education Policy 2020 Official Report

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A detailed summary for National Education Policy (NEP- 2020) for students

The National Education Policy of India , abbreviated as NEP , was framed in 1986, and it was modified in 1992. So, it has been in existence for at least three decades, and during this long period, the country and the world's society and economy have changed massively. So, India's education sector needed to update itself according to the 21st-century requirements. The new policy, released on 23 rd September 2020, will focus on innovation, research, and quality to fulfil India's dream of becoming a knowledge powerhouse.

The school curriculum's new structure:

• Foundational Stage : Pre-school for three years followed by grades 1 and 2 
• Preparatory Stage : In this stage, there are three classes 3, 4, and 5
• Middle Stage : The Middle Stage consists of class 6 to class 8
• Secondary Stage : The final Stage of school learning will focus on level 9 to level 12

Main points of 2020's National Educational Policy

Let us have a look at the latest education policy:

• The 10+2 board structure that schools have been following for years will not be there anymore. Instead, the new division  will be 5+3+3+4 .
• Up to grade 5  will fall under preschool . Grades 6 to 8  have been renamed as Mid-school . The high school comprises of classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 .
• Students can opt for vocational classes  from the 6th Standard .

NEP's key aspects in matters of school education:

• Achieving excellent numeracy and literacy-  The Drafting Committee has realized that a large proportion of elementary school students lack foundational numeracy and literacy. Carrying out basic addition, substruction, reading, and understanding simple texts are getting difficult for them. The target will be to help every child attain it by grade three .
• Restructuring the old curriculum-  Restructuring the existing curriculum will cater to students' diverse needs at various stages of development.
• Early Childhood Care and Education-  ECCE means play-based learning activities consist of language, alphabets, painting, music, and puzzles.
• Reforming curriculum content- Curriculum load will decrease , and emphasis will be on core content to encourage critical thinking, analysis, and discussion.
• Instruction medium-  Till grade V the instruction medium should be the child's mother tongue or the local language. Instead of imposing one language on students, all states will adopt a study of three languages .
• Governance of institutions-  Schools will be grouped to become a school complex. This will ensure effective management, excellent administration, and sufficient teachers.
• School regulation-  The Department of School Education will no longer regulate schools. A separate State School Standards Authority will be there for each state .
• Students' assessment-  The Drafting Committee has noticed that the current examination pattern has popularized coaching culture and it is harming student learning. So, board exams will test core concepts, and students' progress will be tested in three, five, and eight.
• Teachers' training-  A four-year integrated course focusing on practical training and high-quality content will replace the current B.Ed course. Teachers will also have to complete 50 hours of professional development training per year.

Cabinet has given its approval to the New Education Policy of 2020: 

After a long period of 34 years, the Education Policy of India has undergone a significant change. These are the most remarkable things about the latest Education Policy: 

·         Fundamentals (5 years)- 

1. Nursery (age- 4 years)

2. Junior KG (age- 5 years)

3. Senior KG (age- 6 years)

4. 1st Standard (age- 7 years) 

5. 2nd Standard (age- 8 years) 

·         Preparatory (3 years)-

1. Class 3 (age- 9 years)

2. Class 4 (age- 10 years)

3. Class 5 (age- 11 years)

·         Middle School (3 years)-

1. Standard 6th (age- 12 years)

2. Standard 7th (age- 13 years)

3. Standard 8th (age- 14 years)

·         Secondary School (4 years)- 

1. Standard 9th (age- 15 years)

2. Standard SSC (age- 16 years)

3. Standard FYJC (age- 17 years)

4. Standard SYJC (age- 18 years)

Important points: 

1. As per the new, revised education policy, all students will appear for Board Examinations for the first time in Grade 12 . So, there will be no board exams in grade 10. College Degree will be of 4 years, and the MPhil course will be closed. In reputed institutions such as JNU, 45 or 50 years old students reside for several years inside the university campus to pursue their MPhil degree. All these hackneyed leftist ideologies need to come to an end. 

2. Students will be taught in their mother tongue, national language and local language will only be up to grade 5. The remaining subjects, whether it is English or any other subject, will be considered as a subject and taught accordingly.

3. Board exams for school students will take place only once, in grade 12. Earlier, it was essential to pass the board exam to get promoted to class 11. This was applicable for ICSE, CBSE and other boards as well.

4. From class 9 to class 12, exams will be conducted as semesters.

5. Schooling will take place under the above-mentioned formula: 5 + 3 + 3 + 4.

6. College degree will be for 4 and 3 years. Students will receive a certificate in the first year during their graduation. Diploma and degree will be given on the second and third years, respectively. This three-year degree course is for those candidates who do not wish to pursue higher education. On the other hand, candidates pursuing higher education will have to complete a degree course of four years. For such students, the Master's Course will be for one year only. 

7. MA students can directly apply for PhD. They will not have to consider MPhil as an option. 

8. Students will have the freedom to do multiple other courses simultaneously. Gross enrolment ratio in higher education is likely to be 50 per cent by the end of the year 2035. At the same time, the revised education policy clearly states that, if a student is willing to do another course while studying on one course, he can take a break from the main course for a certain period and devote his attention to the other course. 

As far as higher education is concerned, we can look forward to many innovative reforms. Some of the significant improvements are seen in financial, administrative and academic autonomy sector. E-course will also begin in regional languages for the convenience of students. Other than the modifications mentioned above, development of virtual labs will take place along with the establishment of a National Educational Scientific Forum, abbreviated as NETF. The number of colleges in India is forty-five thousand. Rules will be uniform for all private, government, and deemed academic institutions in the country. 

#Education 

#Concept of NEP

#Change in school education

#New Education Policy

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The new education policy 2020, digitalization and quality of life in india: some reflections.

1. Introduction

2. literature review, 3. methodology, 3.1. objectives.

• Experimental learning, new pedagogical curriculum structure, and flexibility in learning may give scopes for improvement in the overall standard and quality of education.
• Integration of knowledge, skill development, and employability through holistic education are likely to provide better opportunities.
• The multidimensional development conceived on physical, mental, and emotional areas of human beings will elevate QOL.
• The key agenda of government on digitalization of education in its all aspects presumably can produce synergies required for human and social development.
• A multidisciplinary approach, lifelong learning, and fostering the unique capabilities of learners invariably will strengthen QOL.

3.2. Frame of Study and Data Issues

3.3. questionnaire, 3.4. model building, 4. data analysis and findings, 5. structural modeling, 5.1. model building, 5.2. the estimated structural equations, 6. limitations, 7. conclusion and policy recommendations, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest, appendix a. questionnaires.

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Muralidharan, K.; Shanmugan, K.; Klochkov, Y. The New Education Policy 2020, Digitalization and Quality of Life in India: Some Reflections. Educ. Sci. 2022 , 12 , 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020075

Muralidharan K, Shanmugan K, Klochkov Y. The New Education Policy 2020, Digitalization and Quality of Life in India: Some Reflections. Education Sciences . 2022; 12(2):75. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020075

Muralidharan, Kunnummal, Kulandaivel Shanmugan, and Yury Klochkov. 2022. "The New Education Policy 2020, Digitalization and Quality of Life in India: Some Reflections" Education Sciences 12, no. 2: 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020075

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What education policy experts are watching for in 2022

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, daphna bassok , daphna bassok nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy stephanie riegg cellini , stephanie riegg cellini nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy michael hansen , michael hansen senior fellow - brown center on education policy , the herman and george r. brown chair - governance studies douglas n. harris , douglas n. harris nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy , professor and chair, department of economics - tulane university jon valant , and jon valant director - brown center on education policy , senior fellow - governance studies kenneth k. wong kenneth k. wong nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy.

January 7, 2022

Entering 2022, the world of education policy and practice is at a turning point. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the day-to-day learning for children across the nation, bringing anxiety and uncertainty to yet another year. Contentious school-board meetings attract headlines as controversy swirls around critical race theory and transgender students’ rights. The looming midterm elections threaten to upend the balance of power in Washington, with serious implications for the federal education landscape. All of these issues—and many more—will have a tremendous impact on students, teachers, families, and American society as a whole; whether that impact is positive or negative remains to be seen.

Below, experts from the Brown Center on Education Policy identify the education stories that they’ll be following in 2022, providing analysis on how these issues could shape the learning landscape for the next 12 months—and possibly well into the future.

I will also be watching the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking sessions and following any subsequent regulatory changes to federal student-aid programs. I expect to see changes to income-driven repayment plans and will be monitoring debates over regulations governing institutional and programmatic eligibility for federal student-loan programs. Notably, the Department of Education will be re-evaluating Gainful Employment regulations—put in place by the Obama administration and rescinded by the Trump administration—which tied eligibility for federal funding to graduates’ earnings and debt.

But the biggest and most concerning hole has been in the  substitute teacher force —and the ripple effects on school communities have been broad and deep. Based on personal communications with Nicola Soares, president of  Kelly Education , the largest education staffing provider in the country, the pandemic is exacerbating several problematic trends that have been quietly simmering for years. These are: (1) a growing reliance on long-term substitutes to fill permanent teacher positions; (2) a shrinking supply of qualified individuals willing to fill short-term substitute vacancies; and, (3) steadily declining fill rates for schools’ substitute requests. Many schools in high-need settings have long faced challenges with adequate, reliable substitutes, and the pandemic has turned these localized trouble spots into a widespread catastrophe. Though federal pandemic-relief funds could be used to meet the short-term weakness in the substitute labor market (and mainline teacher compensation, too ), this is an area where we sorely need more research and policy solutions for a permanent fix.

First, what’s to come of the vaccine for ages 0-4? This is now the main impediment to resuming in-person activity. This is the only large group that currently cannot be vaccinated. Also, outbreaks are triggering day-care closures, which has a significant impact on parents (especially mothers), including teachers and other school staff.

Second, will schools (and day cares) require the vaccine for the fall of 2022? Kudos to my hometown of New Orleans, which still appears to be the nation’s only district to require vaccination. Schools normally require a wide variety of other vaccines, and the COVID-19 vaccines are very effective. However, this issue is unfortunately going to trigger a new round of intense political conflict and opposition that will likely delay the end of the pandemic.

Third, will we start to see signs of permanent changes in schooling a result of COVID-19? In a previous post on this blog, I proposed some possibilities. There are some real opportunities before us, but whether we can take advantage of them depends on the first two questions. We can’t know about these long-term effects on schooling until we address the COVID-19 crisis so that people get beyond survival mode and start planning and looking ahead again. I’m hopeful, though not especially optimistic, that we’ll start to see this during 2022.

The CTC and universal pre-K top my list for 2022, but it’s a long list. I’ll also be watching the Supreme Court’s ruling on vouchers in Carson v. Makin , how issues like critical race theory and detracking play into the 2022 elections, and whether we start to see more signs of school/district innovation in response to COVID-19 and the recovery funds that followed.

Electoral dynamics will affect several important issues: the selection of state superintendents; the use of American Rescue Plan funds; the management of safe return to in-person learning for students; the integration of racial justice and diversity into curriculum; the growth of charter schools; and, above all, the extent to which education issues are leveraged to polarize rather than heal the growing divisions among the American public.

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August 26, 2024

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• The National Education Policy, 2020 is the third in the series of National Education Policies (1968 and 1986 modified in 1992) in India and is the first education policy of the 21 st century. NEP 2020 covers wider spectrum of school education from pre-primary to senior secondary.
• The recommendations given have varied timelines as the policy is made for next 20 years. Therefore, the implementation of NEP is being carried out in a phased manner.
• ShikshakParv was organised from 8 th to 25 th September 2020 for discussing various recommendations of NEP 2020 and its implementation strategies. Around 15 lakh suggestions were received from the stakeholders, which are being examined.
• To achieve the goals and objectives of NEP 2020, DoSEL has prepared a draft implementation plan with Task lists linking each recommendation with tasks, responsible agencies to carry out the task, timelines and outputs. This task list was shared with the States/UTs/Autonomous Bodies on 10th September, 2020, to provide their feedback/suggestions till 12th October, 2020. Autonomous Bodies of this Department and 31 States and UTs provided 7177 suggestions/ feedback on the task list. These have been analysed by expert groups and important suggestions have been incorporated in the final version of implementation plan . In addition to above, a series of national workshops on Implementation of NEP 2020 and revision of Samagra Shiksha was held under the chairpersonship of Secretary (SE&L) on 10th November, 27th November and 2nd December, 2020 covering all States and UTs. The document is being finalised and will be released shortly.
• Appropriate care is being taken to make this implementation plan realistic, flexible and collaborative by inviting suggestions from all corners of the society. It is hoped that this implementation plan so finalised with the inputs of all associates will be able to translate the vision of the policy in the field and will reach to grass root level creating adequate awareness and motivation and competencies among concerned stakeholders, thereby transforming the school education in the country.  
• The major portions of NEP will be covered under the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and centrally sponsored schemes. Groundwork for NCF is initiated and it is likely to be developed in the next academic session, that is 2021-22.
• The department has initiated implementation of NEP by undertaking following activities in accordance with the recommendations of the policy :
• To undertake 50 hours of mandatory Continuous Professional development of teachers, 18 modules of 4-5 hours each comprehensively covering all aspects of elementary education have been launched under NISHTHA on 6.10.20 for in service teacher training (CPD) in the online mode on DIKSHA platform . This has so far seen more than 3.4 cr course wise registrations and 2.8 cr completions from more than 23 lakh teachers.
• In-principle approval has been given for setting up the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission . A Committee has been formed for preparing framework on FL&N, codification of learning outcomes etc.
• E-learning has been expanded through DIKSHA . DIKSHA provides access to a large number of curriculum linked e-content through several solutions such as QR coded Energized Textbooks (ETBs), courses for teachers, quizzes etc. Till date DIKSHA houses over 3600 QR coded textbooks (tagged with e-content) from 29 states, 1.44 lakh e Contents and more than 300 courses.
• The department has launched an initiative called ‘Manodarpan’ for mental health and wellbeing of students . It aims to provide emotional support and counselling to the students under distress. Issuance of advisory guidelines, web page and national toll-free number, interactive online chat options and, national-level database and directory of counsellorsare part of the initiative. 
• MoU has been signed between Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) and NCERT to develop Indian Sign Language dictionary for school education.
• CBSE exam reforms have been initiated ; CBSE will introduce improvement examination from the year 2021 and will introduce English and Sanskrit in 2 levels from the session 2021-22 (already offers Mathematics and Hindi at two levels). Competency based questions have been introduced in the Board exams for class X and XII in a phased manner, increasing by 10% every year.
• Learning Outcomes upto Secondary level have been notified and draft of learning outcomes for senior secondary level have been released for inviting suggestions .
• The department is also aligning its existing schemes i.e, Samagra Shiksha, Mid Day Meal and Padhna Likhna Abhiyan with the recommendations of NEP 2020. 86 paras of NEP have been proposed to be covered/integrated under the revised scheme of Samagra Shiksha which includes phased introduction of:  1 year of Balvatika and TLMs to all children, Launch of National Mission of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, upgradation of schools upto senior secondary level including residential schools and KGBVs, Holistic Progress Card (HPC) and tracking of learning outcomes as well as transition of children, appointment of Hindi and Urdu Language Teachers, Capacity building of teachers (50 Hrs CPD), Bagless days and internships, Support for OOSC, Activities of PARAKH, Separate stipend for CWSN girl child; provision for identification of CWSN and Resource Centre at block level, Provision for Hub and Spoke model in vocational education, Provision for Smart classroom and DIKSHA, Support for Assessment Cells in SCERT etc., etc.
• States and UTs are also constituting their own Task Force to steer implementation of the NEP provisions in their respective jurisdiction.