New Education Policy 2020 Analysis: Highlights and Brief Information

New Education Policy 2020 is announced on Wednesday, July 29. To overhaul the country’s education system the Union cabinet approved the New Education Policy. The announcement on the NEP- 2020 is made by Union Ministers for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Prakash Javadekar and Human Resource Development (HRD) and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. A panel of experts led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan prepared a draft for Prime Minister Narendra Modi by which he had reviewed the NEP- 2020 earlier on May 1. The government aims to introduce the policy before the new session kicks in September-October and the delay is due to the unprecedented coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Highlights New Education Policy 2020

1. 10+2 board structure is dropped
2. New school structure will be 5+3+3+4
3. Up to 5 preschools, 6 to 8 Mid School, 8 to 11 High School, 12 onwards Graduation
4. Any Degree will be 4 years
5. 6th std onwards vocational courses available
6. From 8th to 11 students can choose subjects
7. All graduation course will have major and minor (Example - science student can have Physics as Major and Music as minor also. Any combination he can choose)
8. All higher education will be governed by only one authority.
9. UGC AICTE will be merged.
10. All University government, private, Open, Deemed, Vocational, etc will have the same grading and other rules.
11. New Teacher Training board will be set up for all kinds of teachers in the country, no state can change
12. The same level of Accreditation to any collage, based on its rating college will get autonomous rights and funds.
13. The new Basic learning program will be created by the government for parents to teach children up to 3 years in home and for preschool 3 to 6
14. Multiple entries and exit from any course
15. Credit system for graduation for each year student will get some credits which he can utilize if he takes a break in the course and comes back again to complete course
16. All schools exams will be semester wise twice a year
17. The syllabus will be reduced to core knowledge of any subject only
18. More focus on student practical and application knowledge
19. For any graduation course if the student completes only one year he will get a basic certificate, if he completes two years then he will get a Diploma certificate and if he completes full course then he will get a degree certificate. So no year of any student will ve vested if he breaks the course in between.
20. All the graduation course feeds of all Universities will be governed by a single authority with capping on each course.

How children will learn?

Transforming Curricular & Pedagogical Structure

New pedagogical and curricular structure of school education (5+3+3+4): 3 years in Anganwadi/pre-school and 12 years in school

• Foundational stage (5 years) [3 years (Anganwadi/ preschool/Balvatika) (Ages 3-6) + 2 years (Class 1 & 2) (Ages 6-8)]: multilevel, play/activity-based learning
• Preparatory Stage [(3 years) (Class 3 to 5) (Age 8-11)]: discovery, play, and activity-based and interactive classroom learning 
• Middle Stage [(3 years) (Class 6 to 8) (Age 11-14)]: experiential learning in the mathematics, arts, sciences, social sciences, and humanities
• Secondary Stage [(4 Years) (Class 9 to 12) (Age 14-18)]: greater critical thinking, multidisciplinary study, flexibility and student choice of subjects

Curriculum and pedagogy to be transformed by 2022 to promote skill-based and minimize rote based learning.

Revision of NCF for school education and NCF for teacher education 2009 by 2021.

Textbook with local content and flavor

• All textbooks to contain only essential core material while capturing any desired nuances and supplementary material as per local contexts and needs.
• Affordable, high-quality, and energized textbooks to be provided along with free digital versions on the DIKSHA Platform.
• States to prepare their own curricula and textbooks based on NCERT curriculum and textbooks, incorporating State flavor and material as needed.
• Concerted efforts, through suitable changes in curriculum and pedagogy, to significantly reduce the weight of school bags and textbooks.

Integrating Vocational Education at All Levels

• LokVidya: ‘LokVidya’, knowledge developed in India, will be made accessible to students
• Skill Gap Analysis: Focus areas based on skills gap analysis and mapping of local opportunities
• Practice-Based Curriculum: A practice-based curriculum for Grades 6-8 to be appropriately designed
• Skills Framework: National Skills Qualifications Framework will be detailed further for each discipline vocation/profession.
• Open Distance Learning Mode: Courses to be offered through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.
• Vocational Crafts: All students of grades 6-8 will intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc. to develop a vocational craft.
• Exposure to vocational education: By 2025, at least 50% of learners shall have exposure to vocational education

Timelines for Implementation in NEP 2020

2021-22

• Formulation National Curricular Framework for School Education (NCFSE)
• National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education

2022-23

• A common guiding set of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST)
• Teachers prepared for a transformation in the assessment system

2025-26

• Attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3
• State/UT governments to optimize resources through mechanisms to group or rationalize schools, such as, school complexes
• At least 50% of learners exposed to vocational education in the school and higher education system

2029-30

• Universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care
• Teacher education will gradually be moved into multidisciplinary colleges and universities, with minimum deg. qualification 4-year B.Ed.
• Only educationally sound, multidisciplinary, and integrated teacher education programs shall be in force and all TEIs will be converted into multi-disciplinary institutes

2040

• The policy is fully operational following this a comprehensive review will be undertaken