NEP holds hope, needs effective implementation

Open House: Will National Education Policy 2020 transform the education system of the country?

It’s limited to only study matters

The success or failure of any policy/scheme in our country depends on the efforts made on the ground level. The National Education Policy is confined to matters relating to study only whereas other related issues are equally important. For example, buying school uniforms twice a year is a costly affair for a middle-class family. Instead of designer uniform, why not go for a regular plain colour uniform? The basic concept of the uniform is to avoid contrast between poor and rich students and bring smartness and discipline in them. Even in big cities, school uniforms are available at one or two particular shops at very exorbitant rates. Schools should be free to choose plain colour of their own choice. In this way, plain colour uniforms can be got stitched from any tailor, generating more business for them. Similarly, in the NEP, it should have been made mandatory for the students of Classes VI to VIII to go on school trip once a year to a place situated at a distance of 1,000 km from his/her native place. In this way, students would get to know of the lifestyles and culture of people living in other parts of the country. This will be a genuine attempt for national integration and unity. Friendship and relation developed at a young age would last for a long time. The NEP should have looked into such aspects also.

Naresh Johar

Hope it fills all gaps in education system

The Indian education system is basically related to the marking system, homework sheets, workbooks or assignments and rote learning. A lot of time is wasted in copying and doing these things which are useless and trash. Hence, these things are a great burden and even more for those who write slowly. As a result, children do not find time for other activities like sports and arts since parents force them to give top priority to studies. Even teachers are bound to teach the only things given in the syllabus. And so, teaching something in depth and properly takes time which backlogs the portion and creates a problem for the teachers themselves. Modern education system teaches only the concept of mugging up. It is a barrier to the country’s progress. Students in India are expected to cram up the books, chapters and syllabus and write their answer accordingly. Activity-based learning is an excellent solution for schools to aid their traditional education methods with a modern and advanced learning approach that brings confidence, healthy competition, innovation and creativity amongst students. The best way to address this problem is to introduce life-changing skill training in the school-based curriculum. Giving them some options at the onset of teenage gives them the chance to explore & learn more things beyond their textbooks. There should be a job-oriented skill development at the 12th level in education system so that students earn money after that for their livelihood or for their higher studies like in developed countries. Hope the new education policy fills all these gaps.

Amarjit Kalsi

The new policy is a Step in the right direction

The National Education Policy 2020 is set to alter the course of the future education system in the country. A step taken in the right direction after a long gap of 34 years signalling ‘new normals’ with major shift from examination-centric to experimental learning and thinking as the key component of the curriculum of schools and colleges to follow in times to come. The options and flexibility to change subjects up to Class X will help explore the latent talent of the younger students. Use of local languages, the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in schools is another landmark initiative envisaged in the policy to promote the culture of innovation and mindset of explorations amongst students. Permitting foreign universities to set up centres for higher education will halt the brain drain from India.

Anil Vinayak

will create job-creators rather than job seekers

The NEP 2020 is a welcome step in the right direction with its major focus on critical thinking, experiential learning, interactive classrooms, integrated pedagogy, competency based education and much more. And the PM says the policy will create job creators, not job seekers. Obviously it is supposed to help in transforming the education system of the country. The present education system lays stress on theoretical not on practical knowledge because of which it needs a drastic change. So, the NEP has abolished 10+2 system envisaging no separation of arts, science and commerce streams. In fact, the 10+2 system and separate streams were not there in the 60s and the early 70s. Hence nothing new about it. The only difference is that now it has been made 5+3+3+4 without clarity about board examinations. Earlier in the 1986/92 policy, schooling was compulsory for children aged between 6 and 14 and now it has been made mandatory for children aged between 3-18. The emphasis is also on the child’s mother tongue but children in government schools were already receiving education in their mother tongue up to Class V. Here it is silent whether the so-called English-medium private schools will follow the policy in letter and in spirit or not. And what about ministers and politicians who send their wards abroad to enable them to receive education in English? Now the policy lays no stress on memorisation and rote learning. The NEP observes that the introduction of systematic, well-planned and rigorously implemented programmes of vocational education is crucial in the proposed educational re- organisation and these would be introduced from Class VI and will include internship too. The countrymen are being impressed upon to become “atamnirbhir” (self-reliant) but the policy is opening doors to foreign universities to set up their shops here. The NEP 1986 had also sounded similar sentiments. The NEP 2020 has been presented as a Magna Carta of the education system for years to come.

Tarsem S Bumrah

New policy will change lives of school students

With emphasis on early childhood care and education, the 10+2 system of school curricula is to be replaced with the 5+3+3+4 system, 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/pre-schooling. Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects so that they could choose their own goals according to their talents and interests. I believe with the NEP will change the life of students and they would prefer to study in India only. I appreciate the Indian government for the wonderful decision.

Rohit Kumar Sehdev

Will reduce anxiety among students

The India education system is more inclined towards rote learning with no emphasis on analytical study. We follow the basic thumb rule for examination ‘long answers fetch high marks’. What we actually lack is a basic understanding of subjects. The National Education Policy 2020 is the modified version of the earlier policy of 1986. The proposed revamp of the education system has some promising points for students. The burden to score well has affected the mental health of pupils. The new pattern of board exams would lay emphasis on testing concepts and ability to apply knowledge. Students can also choose the level of exam between medium or advance. Students will be given two chances in a year to take the board exams. This will reduce the anxiety among students, improve their conceptual and critical thinking and make them job-ready professionals. Credit-based assessment in higher education is another big relief for students who dropped out from degrees due to unavoidable circumstances. As per the new policy, credit earned during the degree will remain valid and the course can be resumed anytime in future. The NEP 2020 has a basket of benefits for students and teachers, with a focus on personality development, analytical thinking and technology-driven learning. However, the benefits will accrue only after proper implementation of the proposed plan.

Gulshakh Kaur

Give competitive edge to Indian job-seekers

The NEP is ambitious and futuristic but much of its success will depend on how it is executed. The new NEP will introduce an array of changes —scrap the 10+2 system for a 5+3+3+4 system in school education. The important issue is the language that should be used to impart education upto Class V. Let’s take an instance, a person lives in Kerala and his child has studied upto Class IV in Kerala. After, he shifts to Punjab where most schools would teach in Punjabi, the child might not be able to adjust. In my opinion, priority to English must be given because the language has a global language for communication worldwide. This will also give a competitive edge to job-seekers from India in relation to those from China and Southeast Asian countries in western countries such as Canada and the US.

Saahil Hans

Policy gives flexibility, future-readiness

The New National Education Policy (NEP) approved by the Union Cabinet is ambitious and futuristic but whether it transforms the education system will depend on how it is executed. The policy offers students a flexible academic journey where students have the option to pick and choose subjects according to their interests and are not restricted to set patterns. The replacement of 10+2 pattern with 5+3+3+4 pattern aims to include the uncovered age group of three to six years. The idea of imparting early education in the mother tongue is an enlightened one but it is the leading language that provides access to the larger world, whether it is professional jobs, higher education or research. The proposal may harm students who shift their schools from one state to another. The policy says the choice of streams can be made from Class VI, but the mechanism to make choices is missing. The policy will align the education system with the global education system, and the process will continue even in the higher education sector. A four-year instead of three-year undergraduate programme is on the charts with MPhil standing scrapped while PhD remaining accessible after a master’s degree. The NEP 2020 offers flexibility and future-readiness to students. The toughest criticism of the NEP is that it is quite idealistic. The gap between vision and application will need more than action plans and implementation strategy.

Saanya Aggarwal

QUESTION

The police and the Excise Department recently seized 2.5 lakh litres of lahan during raids conducted in Ludhiana villages. The Excise Department ‘destroyed’ the lahan by throwing it into the Sutlej thereby ‘endangering’ aquatic life. Shouldn’t the lahan, seized in large quantities, be disposed of in a scientific manner? What guidelines the government needs to come up with in order to ensure its proper disposal?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (August 13).