In the year 2020 when almost every sector is reeling with ailments, the education sector received a gift from the policy makers in the form of New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The policy, framed under the guidance of eminent ISRO scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan, boasts of reforms that will enable the youth to face the challenges of 21st century through a multi-pronged and holistic approach.
A lot has been proposed in the policy to improve the school education system. The extension of RTE to include students up to 18 years of age and of Mid-Day Meal to pre-school levels would go a long way in enhancing enrolment as well as retention levels. The proposal of having 5+3+3+4 as the basic structure of schooling system aims to build a stronger foundation of students and focus on developing their cognitive ability right from the beginning. Besides, the provision of vocational education in classes as early as 6th goes in tandem with the objective of Skill India. To make the education multi-disciplinary, students will be given the option to choose their subjects, essentially blurring the distinction among streams.
The policy proposes to simplify the entrance to, exit from and regulation of the higher education institutes (HEIs). The provision of multiple exit points facilitated by creation of an Academic Bank of Credits is a commendable step. This would save many student-years of the country from getting wasted and help a dropout continue from where he/she left. To retain talent in the country, the policy has opened doors to foreign HEIs to set up campus in the country. This will allow Indian students to pursue higher education under popular brands with less financial outgo.
Despite a slew of measures proposed to reform the current system, the NEP seems to fail in one crucial aspect – implementation. The NEP is more of a broad suggestive framework and not a compulsory legal verdict. Education is a concurrent subject which means that the implementation of NEP lies in the hands of states. With some political leaders arguing that states have not been taken into confidence while framing the policy, the road ahead for NEP doesn’t look smooth. The target of allocating resources equivalent to 6% of the GDP to education looks vague in the absence of roadmap of implementation. Also, the proposal to change the medium of instruction to local language will create further divide among the students of government and private schools. English has become a harsh reality in today’s world and any attempt to suppress it with a nationalistic view will only dampen the job and higher education prospects of the students.
Education is the backbone of a country’s prosperity and every attempt should be made to strengthen it. The intent of the NEP looks clean in this regard but more has to be done to empower the youth. To make this policy a milestone in India’s education journey, the centre and states have to come together with the spirit of cooperative federalism. Then only the goal of Atma-Nirbhar Bharat will be achieved.
Comments