New Education Policy 2020

New Education Policy 2020 by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (renamed: Ministry of Education) has been announced on 29 July 2020. The announcement was commenced by Union Ministers for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and Human Resource Development (HRD), Prakash Javadekar, and Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank,’ respectively. They were joined by Amit Khare and Anita Karwal, both Education Secretaries.

Talking about the New Education Policy 2020, here are major reforms for school education and other suggested improvements for school and higher education that the leaders announced: 

1. Universalization of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE): 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 preschools 
2. National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: There will be no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, vocational streams in schools; Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships 
3. 5+3+3+4 Curricular and Pedagogical Structure: this curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of Anganwadi/Pre-schooling
4. Curriculum to integrate 21st Century Skills, Mathematical Thinking and Scientific temper
5. No Rigid Separation between Arts & Science, between Curricular and extra-curricular activities, between Vocational and Academic streams
6. Education of Gifted Children: Special emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and disabilities
7. Gender Inclusion Fund: Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups
8. KGBVs up to Grade 12
9. Reduction in Curriculum to Core Concepts: 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. 
10. Vocational integration from class 6 onwards
11. New National Curriculum Framework for ECE, School, Teachers and Adult Education
12. Board Examination will be Low Stakes, Based on Knowledge Application
13. The medium of instruction till at least Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8 and beyond in Home Language/ Mother tongues/ Regional Language
14. Tracking Students Progress for Achieving Learning Outcomes: Assessment reforms with 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes
15. National assessment center, PARAKH: Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development will be set up as a standard-setting body
16. NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs
17. National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST): It 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.
18. Book Promotion Policy and Digital Libraries: 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.
19. Transparent online self-disclosure for public oversight and accountability
20. 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. 
21. Financing Education: 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.

What are your views on this new policy? How do you see this shaping the future of New India?

Looking forward to hear your view.