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INTRODUCTION  

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the  National Education Policy 2020, making way for large scale, transformational reforms in  both school and higher education sectors. The new policy aims to pave the way for  transformational reforms in school and higher education systems in the country. This policy  will replace the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. 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.  

FEATURES OF NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 

The National Education Policy as submitted by the Kasturirangan Committee submitted an  education policy that seeks to address the following challenges facing the existing education  system: 

• Quality

• Affordability 

• Equity  

• Access  

• Accountability  

The policy provides for reforms at all levels of education from school to higher  education. NEP aims to increase the focus on strengthening teacher training, reforming the  existing exam system, early childhood care and restructuring the regulatory framework of  education.  

Other intentions of the NEP include: 

• Increasing public investment in education,  

• Setting up NEC (National Education Commission),  

• Increasing focus on vocational and adult education,  

• Strengthening the use of technology, etc  

PREVIOUS POLICIES  

The implementation of previous policies on education has focused largely on issues  of access and equity. The unfinished agenda of the National Policy on Education 1986,  modified in 1992 (NPE 1986/92), is appropriately dealt with in this Policy. A major  development since the last Policy of 1986/92 has been the Right of Children to Free and  Compulsory Education Act 2009 which laid down legal underpinnings for achieving  universal elementary education.  

STRUCTURE  

This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified  with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18 as  shown in the representative figure and elaborated in detail.  

Currently, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 structure as Class 1  begins at age 6. In the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and  Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall  learning, development, and well-being.  

What is NEP’s 5+3+3+4 format to replace 10+2?

One of the salient features of the new National Education Policy is shifting from  decades-old 10+2 format to 5+3+3+4 keeping in mind a child’s development and capabilities.  The new NEP replaces the rules framed in 1986 and restructures school and higher education  to make more flexible and with an integrated approach.  

What does 5+3+3+4 mean? 

The new NEP has replaced school education 10+2 format with 5+3+3+4. Here’s how  school education will be approached according to the new and reformed education policy.

THE PRINCIPLES OF NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020

• Flexibility 

• No hard separations between subjects, curricular and extra-curricular activities 

• Multi-disciplinary education 

• Conceptual understanding 

• Critical thinking Ethical Values Teachers as the heart of the learning process. 

• The strong public education system 

NEW SCHOOL ASSESSMENT SCHEME  

The new school assessment scheme will come in place from 2022-2023. As per the new  assessment scheme, school exams in grades 3, 5, and 8 will test the child’s basic learning  with a 360-degree progress report card. 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 literature 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.  

NATIONAL TEXTBOOKS WITH LOCAL CONTENT AND FLAVOUR  

The aim will be to provide such quality textbooks at the lowest possible cost - namely, at the cost of production/printing - in order to mitigate the burden of textbook prices  on the students and on the educational system. This may be accomplished by using high quality textbook materials developed by NCERT in conjunction with the SCERTs.  

States will prepare their own curricula (which may be based on the NCFSE prepared  by NCERT to the extent possible) and prepare textbooks (which may be based on the  NCERT textbook materials to the extent possible), incorporating State flavour and material as  needed. While doing so, it must be borne in mind that NCERT curriculum would be taken as  the nationally acceptable criterion. The availability of such textbooks in all regional  languages will be a top priority so that all students have access to high-quality learning. All  efforts will be made to ensure timely availability of textbooks in schools. Access to  downloadable and printable versions of all textbooks will be provided by all States/UTs and  NCERT to help conserve the environment and reduce the logistical burden.  

KEY POINTS OF NEW EDUCATIONAL POLICY 2020:  

1. School Education:  

New Policy aims for universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level  with 100 % Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030.  

NEP 2020 will bring 2 crores out of school children back into the mainstream through the  open schooling system.  

The current 10+2 system to be replaced by a new 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 the school curriculum, which has been  recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of mental faculties of a child.  The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three 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 up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/ regional language. No language  will be imposed on any student.  

Assessment reforms with 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress  for achieving Learning Outcomes  

2. Higher Education

Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to be raised to 50 % by 2035; 3.5 crore seats  to be added in higher 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 entries 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.  

Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate Transfer of Credits  

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.  

Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching  umbrella body 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. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed  by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards.  

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 some time, it is envisaged that  every college would develop into either an Autonomous degree-granting College or a  constituent college of a university.  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.  NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones  for disadvantaged regions and groups.  The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in the  Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.  

ONLINE EDUCATION AND DIGITAL EDUCATION: 

The NEP 2020 aims at promoting online education consequent to the recent rise in  epidemics and pandemics 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 to orchestrate 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.  

CONCLUSION  

The new education policy has retired the traditional ways of learning and rejuvenating the  education sector. Since the government’s outlook has changed towards the country’s  education system, school management and parents now realise the need to align their  children’s education with the new education system. To cope with the changes, the education  sector needs a new-age integrated academic management solution that perfectly aligns with  the salient features of NEP 2020.  

Reference:  

1. Jain, S. (2020, August 4). Summary of New Education Policy, 2020 - LawLex.Org. LawLex.Org. https://lawlex.org/lex-pedia/summary-of-new-education-policy-2020/25303

2. Salient Features of NEP 2020 You Should Know About. (2022, December 8). LEAD School.  https://leadschool.in/blog/salient-features-of-nep-2020-key-highlights-at-a-glance

3. MHRD, National Education Policy 2020 https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

4. National Education Policy 2020 - What is New Education Policy 2020? (n.d.). BYJUS.  https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/national-policy-education/