National Education Policy 2020
The
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020 today, making
way for large scale, transformational reforms in both school and higher
education sectors. This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four year
old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. Built on the
foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and
Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and aims to transform India
into a vibrant knowledge society and global
knowledge superpower by making both school
and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st century needs and aimed at bringing out the
unique capabilities of each student.
Important Highlights
·
New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school
to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030
·
NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out of school children back into the
main stream
·
New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3
years of Anganwadi/ Pre-schooling
·
Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid
separation between academic streams, extracurricular, vocational streams in
schools ; Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with
Internships
·
Teaching upto at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/ regional language
·
Assessment reforms with 360 degree Holistic Progress Card,
tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes
·
GER in higher education to be raised to 50 % by 2035 ; 3.5
crore seats to be added in higher education
·
Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects
·
Multiple Entry / Exit to be allowed with appropriate certification
·
Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate
Transfer of Credits
·
National Research Foundation to be established to foster a
strong research culture
·
Light but Tight Regulation of Higher Education, single regulator
with four separate verticals for different functions
·
Affiliation System to be phased out in 15 years with graded
autonomy to colleges
·
NEP 2020 advocates increased use of technology with
equity; National Educational Technology Forum to be created
·
NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education
Zones for disadvantaged
regions and groups
·
New Policy promotes Multilingualism in both schools and
HEs; National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit , Indian Institute
of Translation and Interpretation to be set up
Important Highlights- School Education
Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of school education
NEP 2020 emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school
education at all levels- pre school to secondary. Infrastructure
support, innovative education centres to bring back dropouts into the mainstream,
tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways
to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes, association
of counselors or well-trained social workers with schools, open learning for
classes3,5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education
programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy and
life-enrichment programs are some of the proposed ways for achieving this.
About 2 crore out of school children will be brought back into main stream
under NEP 2020.
Early Childhood Care & Education with new
Curricular and Pedagogical Structure
With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and
Education, the 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. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6
years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the
crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child. The new system
will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling.
NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early
Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 .
ECCE will be delivered through a significantly expanded and strengthened system
of institutions including Anganwadis and pre-schools that will have teachers
and Anganwadi workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. The planning
and implementation of ECCE will be carried out jointly by the Ministries of
HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and
Tribal Affairs.
Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Recognizing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy as an urgent and
necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP 2020 calls for setting up of
a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by
MHRD. States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal
foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by
grade 3 by 2025.A National Book Promotion Policy is
to be formulated.
Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy
The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic
development of learners by equipping them with the key
21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance
essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential
learning. Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects.
There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between
curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic
streams.
Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade, and will
include internships.
A new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for
School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be developed by the NCERT.
Multilingualism and the power of language
The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional
language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably
till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and
higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language
formula. Other classical
languages and literatures of India also to be available as options. No language
will be imposed on any student. Students to participate in a fun
project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8, such as,
under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative. Several
foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level. Indian Sign Language
(ISL) will be standardized across the country, and National and State
curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment.
Assessment Reforms
NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular
and formative assessment, which is more competency-based, promotes learning and
development, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical
thinking, and conceptual clarity. 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 with holistic development as the
aim. 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 .
Equitable and Inclusive Education
NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity to
learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. Special
emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups(SEDGs)
which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and
disabilities. This includes setting up of Gender
Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for
disadvantaged regions and groups. Children with disabilities will be enabled to
fully participate in the regular schooling process from the foundational stage
to higher education, with support of educators with cross disability training,
resource centres, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate
technology-based tools and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their
needs. Every state/district will be encouraged to establish “Bal
Bhavans” as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in
art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. Free school
infrastructure can be used as Samajik Chetna Kendras
Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path
Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes.
Promotions will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic
performance appraisals and available progression paths to become educational
administrators or teacher educators. A common National Professional
Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National
Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs,
teachers and expert organizations from across levels and regions.
School Governance
Schools can be organized into complexes or clusters which will be
the basic unit of governance and ensure availability of all resources including
infrastructure, academic libraries and a strong professional teacher community.
Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education
NEP 2020 envisages clear, separate systems for policy making,
regulation, operations and academic matters. States/UTs will set up independent State
School Standards Authority (SSSA). Transparent public self-disclosure of
all the basic regulatory information, as laid down by the SSSA, will be used
extensively for public oversight and accountability. The SCERT will develop
a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through
consultations with all stakeholders.
Important Highlights - Higher Education
Increase GER to 50 %
by 2035
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.
Holistic
Multidisciplinary Education
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. For example, Certificate after 1 year, Advanced
Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years and Bachelor’s with
Research after 4 years.
An Academic
Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic
credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and
counted towards final degree earned.
Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with
IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary
education of global standards in the country.
The National Research
Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong
research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
Regulation
Higher Education
Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body
the for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. HECI to
have four independent verticals - National Higher Education
Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, General Education Council (GEC ) for
standard setting, Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and
National Accreditation Council( NAC) for accreditation. HECI will
function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have
powers to penalise HEIs not conforming to norms and standards. Public and
private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms
for regulation, accreditation and academic standards.
Rationalised
Institutional Architecture
Higher education institutions will be transformed into large, well
resourced, vibrant multidisciplinary institutions providing high
quality teaching, research, and community engagement. The definition of
university will allow a spectrum of institutions that range from Research-intensive
Universities to Teaching-intensive Universities and Autonomous
degree-granting Colleges.
Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a
stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded
autonomy to colleges. Over a period of time, it is envisaged that
every college would develop into either an Autonomous degree-granting College,
or a constituent college of a university.
Motivated, Energized, and Capable Faculty
NEP makes recommendations for motivating, energizing, and building
capacity of faculty thorugh clearly defined,
independent, transparent recruitment , freedom to design curricula/pedagogy,
incentivising excellence, movement into institutional leadership. Faculty not
delivering on basic norms will be held accountable
Teacher Education
A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for
Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in
consultation with NCERT. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching
will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree .Stringent action will be taken
against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).
Mentoring Mission
A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large
pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty – including those with the ability
to teach in Indian languages – who would be willing to provide short and
long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.
Financial support for students
Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students
belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will
be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving
scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free
ships and scholarships to their students.
Open and Distance Learning
This will be expanded to play a significant role in
increasing GER. Measures such as online courses and digital repositories,
funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of
MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality
in-class programmes.
Online Education and Digital Education:
A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online
education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to
ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and
wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible, has
been covered. A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of
digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created
in the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher
education.
Technology in education
An autonomous body, the National Educational
Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the
free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning,
assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology
into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes,
support teacher professional development, enhance educational access for
disadvantaged groups and streamline educational planning, administration and
management
Promotion of Indian languages
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 .
Internationalization of education will be facilitated through
both institutional collaborations, and student and faculty mobility and
allowing entry of top world ranked Universities to open campuses in our
country.
Professional Education
All professional education will be an integral part of the higher
education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science
universities, legal and agricultural universities etc will aim to become
multi-disciplinary institutions.
Adult Education
Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.
Financing Education
The Centre and the States will work together to increase the
public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
Unprecedented
Consultations
NEP 2020 has been
formulated after an unprecedented process of consultation that involved nearly
over 2 lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakhs Gram Panchayats, 6600 Blocks, 6000 ULBs,
676 Districts. The MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive,
and highly participatory consultation process from January 2015. In May 2016, ‘Committee
for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the Chairmanship of Late
Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, submitted its
report. Based on this, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for
the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’. In June 2017 a ‘Committee
for the Draft National Education Policy’ was constituted under the
Chairmanship of eminent scientist Padma Vibhushan, Dr. K. Kasturirangan,
which submitted the Draft National Education Policy, 2019 to the Hon’ble Human
Resource Development Minister on 31st May,
2019. The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was uploaded on
MHRD’s website and at ‘MyGov Innovate’ portal eliciting
views/suggestions/comments of stakeholders, including public.
Reference: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1642049
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