National Education Policy 2020
National Education Policy 2020replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986
giving our country a new, visionary and diversified education policy. India and the world in the 1980s were
a lot different than in the 2020s thus creating an urgent need for an advanced educational vision for the
country’s future. This policy is a gigantic & undebatable a progressive leap towards a scientific approach
to education which aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”. By giving special attention at
integrating 21st Century Skills, Mathematical Thinking and Scientific temper, this policy caters to a
well-rounded education for all individuals, and has the immense potential to transform India’s youth- an
invaluable asset for the country. Critical thinking, experiential and application-based learning,
flexibility in learning, focus on life skills, multidisciplinary, and continuous review are some of the
salient features of this policy. Ministry of Human Resource has now been renamed as the Ministry Of
Education.
Key highlights of NEP2020 are: · With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the traditional 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. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of anganwadi/ preschooling.
· NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 5 years.
· NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular and formative assessment.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 to test the understanding, knowledge and real world application of the topic so as to discourage rote learning practices 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.
· School curriculum to be reduced to core concepts and there will integration of vocational education from class 6. This will ensure that the youth has a varied skill set having a good exposure to the world.
· Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.
· Assessment reforms with 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes.
· The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5. No language will be imposed on any student.
· School children will be now taught coding from class 6th.The concept of programming and coding helps a long way in problem-solving and creating a result-oriented mentality. Along with Maths and English, Coding too will become mainstream.
· To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting 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, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes.
· Another important aspect covered by NEP 2020 is promoting and adapting to online modes of education consequent to the recent rise in pandemics in order to ensure preparedness whenever in-person modes of teaching is not possible.
· 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. Thedefinition of university will allow a spectrum of institutions thatrange from research-intensive universities to teaching-intensive universities and autonomous degree-granting colleges.
· The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry 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.
· 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.
· NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
Built on the foundational pillars of quality & skill oriented learning, equal weightage to different professional fields and access for all the high quality education this policy is aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.
One can undoubtedly say that if implemented in its true vision, this coming of age policy will be a revolutionary step in the education sector making the learning process joyful while focusing on the holistic development of the youth of our country.
Key highlights of NEP2020 are: · With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the traditional 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. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of anganwadi/ preschooling.
· NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 5 years.
· NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular and formative assessment.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 to test the understanding, knowledge and real world application of the topic so as to discourage rote learning practices 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.
· School curriculum to be reduced to core concepts and there will integration of vocational education from class 6. This will ensure that the youth has a varied skill set having a good exposure to the world.
· Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.
· Assessment reforms with 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes.
· The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5. No language will be imposed on any student.
· School children will be now taught coding from class 6th.The concept of programming and coding helps a long way in problem-solving and creating a result-oriented mentality. Along with Maths and English, Coding too will become mainstream.
· To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting 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, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes.
· Another important aspect covered by NEP 2020 is promoting and adapting to online modes of education consequent to the recent rise in pandemics in order to ensure preparedness whenever in-person modes of teaching is not possible.
· 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. Thedefinition of university will allow a spectrum of institutions thatrange from research-intensive universities to teaching-intensive universities and autonomous degree-granting colleges.
· The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry 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.
· 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.
· NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
Built on the foundational pillars of quality & skill oriented learning, equal weightage to different professional fields and access for all the high quality education this policy is aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.
One can undoubtedly say that if implemented in its true vision, this coming of age policy will be a revolutionary step in the education sector making the learning process joyful while focusing on the holistic development of the youth of our country.
