Education Systems in India
Education is a continuous process that starts from birth to death by acquiring skills, values, knowledge and beliefs which can positively transform the society. The first education policy was implemented by Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1968.It was in 1986 the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi put forward another educational policy. The current educational policy is 34 years old and will be replaced by a system that transforms our nation sustainably into a strong, quality society. The new policy was introduced by the Narendra Modi government.
Traditional System of Education
We were following a traditional form of education, that was in the 10 +2 structure which has some drawbacks like ,
1. Judging every student with a single set of parameter so that the unique skills of the students cannot be explored.
2. Limited disciplines to choose so that the taste of the student will not be identified.
3. No relationship between what the student studied at school, and the job acquired. If the skills were traced at school itself, it will be more useful in future.
4. Syllabus and curriculum will have nothing to do with the future of the child.
5. No importance given to application level training so that the student can apply the knowledge what he gained in his day to day life.
In order to overcome these faults, there should be a new vibrant education policy that rectifies the above mentioned drawbacks.
National Education Policy 2020 - Origin
The drafting committee of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) was under the chairmanship of Dr. K Kasturirangan, with 9 members and was approved by the union cabinet recently. The NEP bestows equal importance on academic, vocation and extra-curricular activities.
Objectives of the NEP committee
1. To improve the quality of education
2. Credibility of education
3. Addressing the gaps in implementation
There are 3 noted changes in the system of education, they are
- HRD ministry will be now the Ministry of Education
- GDP investment in education increased to 6%
- Gross enrolment ratio will be increased to 50 % by 2030
School Education
School education will have four stages,
Foundation Stage- This stage will be of 3 years, the 1 year of Anganwadi/ preschool is followed by classes 1 and 2 in primary school and it is for the age group 3 to 6.There will be a formal education as per global standards. Emphasis will be given to activity based learning.
Preparatory Stage – 3 years of preparatory stage for classes 3 to 5 for the 8 to 11 age group. There will be interactive class modules and formal subjects.
Middle Stage - 3 years for the middle stage from class 6 to 8 for the age group 11 to 14.Formal subjects, interactive class modules and vocational training will be included.
Secondary Stage - 4 years of secondary stage from class 9 to 12 for the age group 14 to 18.Multidisciplinary study, greater critical thinking and flexibility supported. The student can choose the subjects. Brain development, critical thinking and analytical thinking will be given importance.
Some Innovative Ideas included like,
Multi-disciplinary Approach- With the introduction of multi-disciplinary approach, for eg. the student can learn biology, economics and arts together.
Exam – No yearly exams and need to answer 3rd, 5th and 8th class exam. The board exam will be for 10 and 12 with objective and descriptive papers. Questions will be to test their analytical skill, critical thinking and conceptual clarity.
Report Cards: Comprehensive report card system -“360 degree holistic progress card”, will be implemented on the basis of the skills and capabilities of the student. The holistic progress card assesses the academic, practical and co-curricular activities and will not be solely from the point of view of the teacher. The provision of self- assessment and mutual assessment will be taken into consideration.
Languages: Mother tongue and regional language will be given importance, but not mandatory for all. Medium of instruction till class 5 is preferably in mother tongue. Sanskrit and foreign languages will be given importance.
Vocational Training- Strict vocational training will be there for middle stage in order to meet the requirement of daily life situations. Hence there will be 10 bag-less days for the students.
Coding – Coding will be introduced for class 6 students in order to develop their logical thinking.
Quality of Teachers: Regarding teachers and teacher education, every teacher should acquire a common national professional standard by 2020.By 2030, there will be a 4 year integrated B.Ed. course for those who want to pursue a teaching career.
College Education
Traditional system of college education will be vanished after the implementation of the new policy and multiple educational bodies will be unified.
Bachelor’s degree: Multi- disciplinary bachelor’s degree with 4 year duration which is known as Bachelor’s research degree (optional) with multiple exit option will be introduced. Without completing the whole term, if the student wants to leave at 1 year of his study, a certificate will be issued. Diploma certificate will be awarded after completing 2 years of study and a bachelor’s degree after 3 years. At the same time credit transfer will also be given. Hence, the student can resume his studies in another college according to his choice. Those who have a three year bachelor’s degree can do his PG in one year duration.
Status of Colleges: Autonomous status will be given to all colleges.
Foreign University Campuses: There will be setting up top 100 foreign university campuses in India.
As the policy need a lot of time to implement, there may be changes may in the policies further. Anyway, the new policy will make the education more inclusive and pupil-oriented so that each student will get a chance to contribute his own thoughts. No doubt, NEP 2020 will make a massive change in our educational system so that; the vision of the policy makers will be fulfilled.
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