NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020

 

Education is the finest tool to open the doors of freedom. Education is a concurrent subject. Education is known to be the foundation of any society. It makes the way for a civilized way of living and contributes to the growth and development of the society. The overall literacy rate in India as of 2019 was 69.1%. If education is the foundation then why is neglected in our country. Is the government responsible for it? Or are the citizens to be blamed? Has education become a mere means of agenda to be taken up during election? Or can we blame the system for it?

India is a nation that has reached orbit of Mars in first attempt which even superpower like USA couldn’t achieve. So is giving proper education really that difficult!!! Let’s find out.

According to national clearing house research center 60% of students in India are graduates. What about the rest 40%. Indian education system has a huge influence of British education system in as indicated in the beginning education make the path of freedom and Britishers never wanted India to achieve freedom. Even after 73 years of independence can we call ourselves free. It’s controversial!!!!

After independence India has seen 3 education policy first in 1968 followed by 1986 and now in 2020. The policy of 1968 was based on the reports and recommendations of the Kothari Commission (1964-1966). The government of Prime Minister Indra Gandhi announced the first Nation policy on education, which called for “radical restructuring” and proposed equal educational opportunities in order to achieve national integration and greater cultural and economic development. In 1964, Kothari Commission had firmly recommended that India should allocate 6% of GDP towards education but till the introduction of NEP 2020 India has never spent 6% of GDP on education.

We can find proofs of above stated facts in Draft of National Educational Policy 2019 which highlights the following point:-

Ø  Inadequate Investment

2.7% of GDP spent in 2017-2018. This is not even 10% of total government (centre and state) spending. Countries across the world make substantially higher public investment in education than India does. Bhutan, Zimbabwe and Sweden 7.5%, Costa Rica and Finland 7%, 6% in Kyrgyzstan, south Africa and brazil, 5.5% for UK.

Finland education system remains the best education system in the world. An interesting fact about Finland is that Primary Teachers are one the highest paid jobs as they feel they shape the minds of future.

NEP 2020

It is the first education policy in 34 years and aims to create an educational system which is deeply rooted in Indian ethics and can rebuild India as a global knowledge superpower, by providing high-quality education to all. 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 elections in may 2019.

 

Highlights of this policy are:-

Ø  Public spending on education by states, centre to be raised to 6% of GDP.

Ø  Ministry of human resource development to be renamed Ministry of Education.

Ø  By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a Four year integrated B.Ed.

Ø  Teachers will also be given training in online educational methods relevant to indian situation in order to help bridge the digital divide.

Ø  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.

Ø  Separate technology unit to develop digital education resources. The unit will coordinate digital infrastructure, content and capacity building.

NEW CIRRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Ø  Universalize the pre-primary education (3-6 years) by 2025.

Ø  Universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100% gross enrolment ratio in school education by 2030.

Ø  A new school curriculum with coding and vocational studies from class 6 will be introduced.

Ø  A child’s mother tongue will be used as the medium of instruction till class 5.

Ø  A national mission on foundational literacy and numeracy will ensure basic skills at the class 3 level by 2025.

Ø  Board exams to be easier, redesigned. Exams will test core competencies rather than memorizing facts, with all students allowed to take the exam twice.

Ø  Four years undergraduate degree with multiple entry and exit options will be introduced.

Ø  The Phil degree will be abolished.

Ø  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.

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

Ø  Regions such as aspirational districts, which have large number of students facing economic, social or caste barriers will be designated as “Special Education Zones”.

NEP proposes changing the existing 10+2 curricular and pedagogical structure with 5+3+3+4 design covering the children in age group 3-18 years.

Now a child wouldn’t follow rot learning and vomit in exam approach. Suicide rate due to fear of marks will go down. An overall development will be prime focus. Pressure of board exams will reduce and children will study with less stressed. A child will not be judged on the marks he scores rather his overall personality will be assessed which will even have the inputs of the peers. A conventional approach had made children in india study for marks rather than knowledge and practical implications which is highly missing in india. Children will now be able to study any stream or subjects they like and the prejudice of science being superior above all will be removed. An approach to link nature with study curriculum will also make children more sensitive towards sustainable development.

 

ROAD AHEAD

Ø  Moral values are the reforms that need to be inculcated in education system. A student will become highly moral and ethical along with the academic qualification which will help shape our country in a better way.

Ø  Children should be taught the history of our Indian than foreign rulers and leaders to inculcate patriotism and nationalism in our youth. Stories of Indian Defence forces valour should be part of the curriculum so that they take pride in our forces and understand the hardships they go through.

Ø  Children must be taught to perform FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES rather than beg for FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS as one person’s fundamental duties act as fundamental rights of the other person and vice versa.

Ø  Students must be encouraged to become curious about WHY factor rather than accept things just the way they are.

JAI HIND

by ABHISHEK KAUSHIK