The New Education Policy was released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on 29th July 2020, after being approved by the Union Cabinet. This New National Education Policy replaced the 34-year-old National Education Policy formulated in 1986.
Like the transient waves in a big ocean, our surroundings constantly change their course. With the growing changes in societies and lifestyles, the new education policy was the long awaited necessity for an Indian student.
The real challenge for the education givers and policy makers in the 21st century is to provide students with a quality education, and striking balance between learning and exploring new horizons.
This new generation of students is articulate and forthright in expressing their opinions, sharing supports, protesting over the wrong and thus the decision of including global citizenship in the school curriculum which talks about equity, inclusion, diversity, harmony in community and subjects like human rights and non violence was worthy of the applaud it got from the millions of school going children.
This addition in our curriculum would accommodate us as students to face the challenges this rapidly changing world displays, and would make us more responsive to the contemporary problems of the interconnected global village world is becoming.
This new policy thus promotes a flexible and holistic curriculum. The biggest challenge of 21st century is to identify differences and acknowledge them.
And the new education policy advocates “full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system” (education policy MHRD).
Exposures to events like model united nations is also encouraged in the new education policy as this not only ignites the young diplomats in all of us but also initiates great problem solving skills over larger problems and widens our worldview.
The multidisciplinary approach of this curriculum will enhance knowledge and focus on learning more than scoring a certain ‘grade’ in an exam. Children will now be examined over their abilities to apply concepts to solving real problems.
The new curriculum includes knowledge about Indian cultures, values and other relevant topics that would sensitise our respect for diversity and promote unity amongst all. Another very important element of “peer education” or “peer tutoring” empowers students to accommodate problems and foster a support system for their peers thus providing a legitimate representation to youth to express the concerns and power accommodate them as well. This new education policy also aims to bring Indian education system at international levels.
Vocational education in this policy talks about teaching students in their mother tongue till the Sth year of schooling. This policy envisages to bridge the gap between rural and urban education so each students receives a quality universal education.
The policy also aims to increase the gross enrollment ratio till the year 2035. The introduction of ‘PARAKH’- a self assessment platform for students will allow them to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and utilise their potential wisely.
There will be more ‘ e courses’ introduced for various students that will enhance their skills at the comfort of their homes. The school life of a student is now divided into 4 stages of foundational, preparatory, middle and secondary.
This education policy addresses some major issues that had been lingering on since the last years and thus proves to be a Noah’s arc in the education system.
And though there are challenges still as to allotment of funds to build digital as well as physical infrastructure for the proper implementation of all the objectives and making sure that just not on the records, but literally the schemes are being implemented and every student is receiving the best education as we are the future of this great nation.
This new education policy will build students of great characters and would make them fit to compete globally.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.