Will India transform after commencing a new education policy?

A short analysis of new educational reforms in India.

Education is one of the most essential, salient, and powerful tools to upgrade one’s life. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual’s life. A good education opens up the possibilities of high paying jobs and employment for an individual to make a decent living. Not only this, but education also imparts the necessary life skills as people become more mature and sensible with the help of Education. It teaches individuals the importance of time, discipline, and much more as sophistication enters the life of educated people.  

Therefore, Education constitutes an important step in the country’s development ladder. And to ensure the community’s advancement and evolution, the National Policy of Education was formulated in 1968 and later its reforms were modified.

With an idea to improve and improvise the quality of education in India, the National policy of education in 1968 was prepared. It was focussed on providing basic education facilities to all citizens of the nation.

According to the National Policy on Education-1968, the government of India had formulated certain principles to promulgate the development of education in the country.

These principles are:

• Free and Compulsory Education:

   According to Article- 45 (Indian Constitution), education should be free and compulsory up to the age of 14. Steps should be taken to ensure that a child who is enrolled in the school should complete the course.

• Education of Teachers:

   The quality of education in any state is dependent on the caliber and standard of an educator. Therefore, it is crucial to have tutors on whom proper attention is given in the form of increment in emoluments and service standards. As the constitution of India distinctly mentions the freedom of expression to all, thus teachers should also get academic freedom to write, to study, and to speak on national and international issues.

• Language Development

   The policy had also emphasized language building skills through the development of Indian as well as foreign languages in the country. In a way to promote regional languages,  the three-language formula should be introduced in which a student at the secondary level should know Hindi, English, and the regional language of his state. The language Sanskrit has been included as an optional subject at the secondary level.

• Education Opportunity for all

   Under this policy, every child of the country should get an education irrespective of caste, religion, region, or whatever the case may be. Special emphasis should be given to backward classes, minority children, girls, and physically challenged children to avail of the education facilities.

• Uniform Education Structure

   The structure of education should be uniform throughout the country. It should be a 10+2+3 pattern from higher secondary to college level.

• Uniform Education Structure

   During the study, each student should get an atmosphere for sports and games. He should also develop the quality of work experience and should also participate in programs related to National construction and Community services.

• To review the progress

   The government should review the progress of education in the country from time to time and should present guidelines for future development.

The first NPE promulgated in 1968 during the reign of prime minister Indira Gandhi and the second by prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.

With an idea to promote national cohesion and work ethics NPE is divided into 12 essential parts:

• Introductory definition
• The essence and role of education
• The national system of education
• Education for equality
• The reorganization of education at different stages
• Technical and management education
• Making the system work
• Reorienting the content and process of education
• The teacher
• The management of education 
• Resources and review
• The Future

It was evident that the governance of 1985 wanted to curb the parochial communal interpretation of composite culture through textbooks and curriculum.

Despite having some advantages such as educational works, the national system of education, uniform pattern of education, delinking degree from jobs, the establishment of Navodaya schools, equal educational opportunities, following are the demerits noted:

1. The NPE 1986 failed in suggesting measures for reducing the differences in educational standards of poor children and privileged ones.
2. The education policies did not address the condition of those schools which run throughout the country on commercial lines by certain bodies or persons.
3. The education policy of 1986 has recommended the starting of an All India Educational Service. If this suggestion is implemented, the existing gulf between teachers and bureaucracy will be further widened. The All India Educational Service was stopped during the British days. The propriety of starting it again was inconceivable. 
4. The various education policies stand for admission to university classes based on capability. These features will deprive many youths in university education. According to some critics, the Open University can never be a good substitute for regular university classes.
5. Basic education is neglected at the school stage.
6. No suggestion is given on the reservation of policy for admission, but the economic condition should be the criterion for the reservation.
7. Primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools are not working in unison and there is no linkage envisaged among them.

New Education Policy 2020:

The last modification in Education policy took place in 1992. It has been more than three decades since the formation of Education policy. During this period,  significant changes at social, economic levels have taken place not only at the National level but at the international level too. Therefore, the Education sector needs to be accelerated to meet the demands of the present scenario.  To achieve the same, the Government had initiated the process of formulation of new education policy through the consultation process for an inclusive, participatory and holistic approach, which takes into consideration expert opinions, field experiences, empirical research, stakeholder feedback.

The new policy aims for universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030 and targets to raise GER in higher education to 50 percent by 2025.

Some of the key highlights of the new Education policy are:

1. Expansion of mandatory age group schooling:

The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/pre-schooling which was earlier from the age group 6- 14 years.

The 10+2 structure of the school curriculum 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 to provide emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education.

2. Mother Tongue as a medium of instruction:

In NEP, the focus has been on mother language as a medium of instruction even being stuck to the three language formula. But, it mentioned that no language would be imposed on anyone.

The reason behind putting this clause that students learn and grasp nontrivial concepts more quickly in their home languages.

“Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language, mother tongue, local language, or the regional language. Thereafter, the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools,” the policy states.

3. Universal body for higher education (Dismantling of UGC):

Public and private education institutions will be governed by the same set of rules and regulations, accreditation, and academic standards by having one governing body (no UGC, AICTE, NCTE).

Govt will phase out the affiliation of colleges in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.

4. No more demarcation of Science, Commerce, and arts:

Under NEP 2020, there will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams. Students can select subjects of their liking across the streams. Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internships.

5. Efforts to curb dropouts and making students employable:

Under the NEP, undergraduate degrees will be of either a 3 or 4-year duration with multiple exit options within this period. The college will be mandated to give a certificate after completing 1 year in a discipline or field including vocational and professional areas, a diploma after 2 years of study, or a Bachelor’s degree after a 3-year program.

The Government will also establish an Academic Bank of Credit for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards the final degree earned.

6. Setting up of a National Research Foundation.
7. Discontinuation of the M.Phil program.
8.  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.
9. NEP emphasizes on setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

Implementation of these reforms:

The NEP only provides a broad direction and is not mandatory to follow. Since education is a concurrent subject (both the Centre and the state governments can make laws on it), the reforms proposed can only be implemented collaboratively by the Centre and the states. This will not happen immediately. The incumbent government has set a target of 2040 to implement the entire policy. Sufficient funding is also crucial; the 1968 NEP was hamstrung by a shortage of funds.

The government plans to set up subject-wise committees with members from relevant ministries at both the central and state levels to develop implementation plans for each aspect of the NEP. The plans will list out actions to be taken by multiple bodies, including the HRD Ministry, state Education Departments, school Boards, NCERT, Central Advisory Board of Education, and National Testing Agency, among others. Planning will be followed by a yearly joint review of progress against targets set.

How the New Education Policy would benefit generations to come?

1. Evidently, the New Education Policy would provide a strong structural basis of society by promoting regional languages.
2. Anganwadi and pre-schooling will be given much importance as NEP 2020 will give thrust on early childhood care and education. This will further broaden the thinking skills of students at an early age and make them competent enough for future academics
3. The bar of dropouts at school and colleges would see a downfall as the government aims to provide internship opportunities at school and college level.
4. 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 India. Therefore, Indian Universities would touch the International standards of education.

Thus, it is hoped that the New Education Policy will bring revolutionary changes in the education standards of India with a target of educating everyone.