Preparing thoughtful hands to create beautiful pots!

(NEW EDUCATIONAL POLICY 2020)

‘Education’ is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. It is the tool to create more capable, more responsible citizens of the society. It is fundamental for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development. Education is the hand of potter on the spinning wheel which transforms shapeless mudballs into beautiful articles of pottery. With a lot of young balls preparing to be shaped through this educational system we must recognize the importance of able and skilled hands working with determination.

India would have the largest youth population in the world over the next decade. This huge number of youth shall determine the future of our society. To lead this country towards a bright future the youth needs to have curiosity, logistic attitude, flexibility, ethical, rational, compassionate and passionate at the same time. They must be skillful, employed and most importantly aware of the current situation and surroundings. While looking forward towards excellent youth, bright and healthy future we must first critically analyse our current situation and must similarly formulate required policies.

The education policies were last formulated and improvised in 1986 and 1992 respectively. The implementation of previous policies focused largely on the issues of access and equity. The world is undergoing rapid changes in the knowledge landscape. today, it is not only important to learn but , to learn how to learn. Due to the drastic change in the scenario, the pattern designed then is not appropriate for  the students now

This is when the new educational policy enters the picture. With access to technology and catering the needs of present scenario an extensive policy has been formulated. Designed by experts like K Kasturirangan, it provides critical analysis of the current educational system and a detailed explanation of what the new education system will be. The policy in its well written introduction puts forth the situation of the currently working educational system. The now unyielding 10+2 structure, marks oriented psychology of students as well as of parents, the lost interest in studies, the rot learning method, the hard separation of different streams in higher education is having an adverse effect on the youth. It completely focuses on the academic achievements of the students very less or no importance to co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. . IT also focuses on some very vibrant problems of the increasing dropout rate, absence of foundational literacy, unskilled graduates and as a result increasing unemployment.

These problems are attempted to be rectified through the NEP. The NEP is basically divided into four parts concerning school education, higher education, other key areas and implementation. In the first part concerning the school education the students shall learn with new pedagogical and curricular structure which has four stages. The foundational, the preparatory, middle and secondary. The stages are prepared according to the physical and psychological development of children. In the foundational stage (3-8 yrs) students shall learn in a fun and activity based manner. The foundational schools or the anganwadis shall be provided with good infra structure, playing equipments and well-trained faculty. They shall also be provided with the mid-day meals whose benefits shall be extended to class one and two.

In the preparatory part of class 3 to 5 all students must have gained basic literacy to read, write and understand work with basic numerals. The teaching would be in an activity based manner. In the middle school (12-14 yrs) students along with essential subjects shall be allowed to learn new different skills. There would be no bag days and they would be provided internships in different arts like pottery, carpentry, etc. Taking into consideration the importance of artificial intelligence and related fields students shall learn basic coding from class 6. In the high school (15-18 yrs) , students shall be able to select subjects of their choice and prepare accordingly. To map the progress of students at different level exams shall be conducted by the concerned authorities in class 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12.

The education shall focus more on experimental learning. Art-linked approaches used while teaching would strengthen the linkage of education and culture. It shall also abide to the ‘Fit India movement’ which imbibes many qualities like self-initiative, teamwork, responsibility and to enhance cognitive abilities. They will also be provided with regular health check-ups. The students shall be provided with the knowledge of India. Its journey from the ancient times to the modern and its strengths and challenges today.

In the second part of the NEP higher education is concerned. The admissions in higher education institutions (HEIs) will be conducted by a centralized entrance exam. Undergraduate education must be multidisciplinary. All HEIs shall aim to be multidisciplinary by 2040 to end the fragmentation of higher knowledge. Open distance learning and opportunities for lifelong learning must be made available. In the multidisciplinary approach students will be given credits for all the courses they do and those credits will be saved in the ‘Academic Bank of Credit’. MERUs i.e. Multidisciplinary Education and Research Units will be established to encourage students to carry out research in various fields. The HEIs must create a healthy learning environment, have good faculty and increase their outreach. To regulate the HEIs “light but tight”, ‘Higher Education Commission of India’ will be established which will look after all the affairs of the institutions.

The HEIs will be committed to provide professional education in the fields like agriculture, legal, health and technology. Increasing adult literacy and curbing the commercialization of education will be main parts of the agenda. For promotion of Indian art and culture, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation will also be established. Use of technology will be encouraged with the use of DIKSHA and SWAYAM apps.

The last and the most important stage would be the implementation! The central advisory board of education will be strengthened to take all the decisions. 6% of country’s total GDP to be moved to the education sector so that quality education would be affordable and hence accessible to all. The name ‘Ministry of Education’ shall take over the current’ Ministry of Human Resource Development’.

The policy has been designed as to include all sections of the society and has treated them with equality. Special provisions are made for students economically and socially backward societies and for those from tribal areas. This education system has clearly showed the faults in the current education system, also has presented us with excellent solutions to them. The new educational system will recognize and foster unique capabilities of each child, help in conceptual understanding, encourage logical decision making, imbibe constitutional values, develop respect for all cultures and promote life skills. At the same time, these outcomes shall only depend upon the level of implementation of the policy which has not been described in the NEP2020. Though it has been mentioned that various committees would be involved in implementation, no clear roadmap has been given for such important aspect.

The new educational policy is very carefully planned, fully thought of policy. Almost all the sections and shortcomings of the current systems are planned to be rectified. So, the hands are ready to show their skill to transform the little mudballs, what all they need is constant work and dedication and then these hands shall lead us to the bright future ahead.

Chinmayee Deshpande.

S.Y.B.A. - Vaadasabha Member

(Secured First Rank In Our In-house Essay Competition)