The National Education Policy was introduced in 2020 with the goal to revolutionize the educational landscape in the country. Read the salient features of the policy, roadblocks in its implementation, and other key details.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a reformative initiative introduced by the Government of India that seeks to overhaul the prevalent education system.
NEP 2020, which was introduced on July 29, 2020, replaces the 1986 National Policy on Education. NEP 2020 emphasizes universal access to quality education. The policy seeks to restructure the school curriculum, emphasize foundational literacy, multilingualism, and technology integration.
Built on a flexible and holistic approach, it focuses on teacher training, competency-based assessments, and a multidisciplinary higher education system.
The ultimate aim of the policy is to create a modern, inclusive, and globally competitive education system in the country.
Note that the policy currently faces many obstacles in its implementation:
Table of Contents
Key Goals of the NEP 2024:
- It seeks to provide universal access to quality education from early childhood to higher education.
- The emphasis is on foundational literacy and numeracy, so as to ensure that the child attains basic reading and mathematics competencies by Grade 3.
- Importantly, the policy also aims to restructure school education with a 5+3+3+4 curricular framework to ensure flexibility and age-appropriate learning.
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NEP 2020: 5+3+3+4 Structure
The NEP 2020 policy seeks to replace the existing 10+2 structure in school education with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18.
| Previous academic structure (10+2 structure) | New Pedagogical & Curricular Structure (5+3+3+4 structure) |
| 2 years (Ages 16-18) | Secondary (Ages 14-18) 4 years (Class 9 to 12) |
| 10 years (Ages 6-16) | Middle (Ages 11-14) 3 years (Class 6 to 8) |
| – | Preparatory (Ages 8-11) 3 years (Class 3 to 5) |
| Foundational (Ages 3-8) 2 years (Class 1 to 2) (Ages 6-8) 3 years (Anganwadi/ preschool/Balvatika) (Ages 3-6) |
NEP 2020 – Highlights
| Parameters | Description |
| Foundational Literacy | Focus on play-based and activity-based learning in the foundational stage (ages 3-8). Seeks to improve cognitive faculties through early childhood education. |
| Medium of Instruction | Promotes multilingualism and mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Reckons that cognitive abilities will improve if one learns in one’s mother tongue. |
| Higher Education Reforms | Holistic and multidisciplinary approach to higher education. Integration of vocational education into mainstream education. Establishment of a National Research Foundation (NRF) to promote research-oriented culture. |
| Teacher Training and Professional Development | Recognizes that teachers are instrumental in shaping the education system. Proposal for the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST). Ensure that there is continuous professional development for teachers. |
| Technology Integration | Creation of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF).Promote technology integration in teaching and learning processes.Make education accessible through online and digital resources. |
| Assessment and Examination Reforms | Replace rote learning with competency-based and continuous assessment. Give priority to formative assessments over board exams. |
| Flexible Higher Education System | Credit-based system proposed to give students the flexibility in choosing courses. Promotion of autonomous degree-granting colleges and universities. |
| Governance and Administration: | National Education Commission (NEC) as the apex body proposed Coordination of efforts, monitoring policy implementation, and addressing challenges. |
Challenges faced in the Implementation of NEC 2020:
While the introduction of the NEC 2024 was seen as a landmark initiative, it has also faced pushback from various quarters, thus acting as a roadblock in its implementation.
Here are some of the challenges faced by the policy.
- If there are different governments at the center and state, they are often at loggerheads regarding the implementation.
- There are also educational institutions and other stakeholders who need a lot of convincing.
- Other challenges in the implementation of the policy include financial constraints, infrastructure limitations, and resistance to change.
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