Listen to this articleIntroduction
The first education policy was introduced in 1968 under the presidentship of Indira Gandhi and the 2nd policy was introduced under the president-ship of Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. Former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao was the first HRD minister under the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet. The new NEP also includes the renaming of the HRD ministry back to the education ministry. Indian prime minister tweeted, the availability of scholarships, strengthening infrastructure for open and distance learning, online education, and increasing the usage of technology have received great attention in the NEP. All higher education institutes excluding the medical and law colleges will be governed by a single regulator.
10+2 study culture discontinue and a new structure of 5+3+3+4 will be followed, subjecting to the respective age group of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years. The old policy is replaced by the national education policy to bring education to a nationalized level. Under NEP, different benefits will be provided to the students. These changes will help children to grow in various fields. The academic bank of credit will be provided to utilize the fund for education. An improvement will be done to the research and innovation process for better results. A new platform will be created for the student to exchange their ideas to improve their learning.
The objective of the national education policy
The main objective of this policy is to bring education provided in India to the global level. The main target of this scheme is to universalize education through national education policy. The education of India works only at the nationalized level. due to this, the students of India are not able to utilize their talent at the global level. NEP scheme will help in improving the children to get a good education. The period of covid 19 has affected the lives of students in several ways. The chairman of UGC said after the normalized condition of this pandemic the implementation of NEP will be done at faster place. The chairman said that now the minimum qualification for teaching the student in various schools will be 4 years of integrated B.Ed. So a better education system for the students will be finalized and given to the students to build a better future.
Features of New Education Policy
1- The ministry of education department has changed the previous education policy system to the new national education policy.
2- Education will be universalized under the national education policy which excluded medical and law studies.
3- The pattern of 10+2 was followed but now the pattern was changed into 5+3+3+4 will be followed under the new education policy.
4- Before there was a science commerce and arts stream but now there will be no such stream. Students can choose a subject as a wish like they can study account with physics or arts.
5- All the schools will be digitally and all types of content will be translated into regional language along with that virtual labs will be developed, 6% of the GDP will be spent to implement the NEP.
6- Artificial intelligence software will also be used to make learning easier and special attention will be paid to the children’s education as well as skills.
History of national education policy
Structured based on “Guide Line” provided by the PM’s directive on 10th Feb 1991. The federal Minister of education announced the policy on 20th December 1992. Formulated with the consultation of teachers, parents, scholars, lawyers, journalists, students representative of the public. Planning, finance, and education ministries and provincial departments were involved to set benchmarks, targets, and implementation. In 2019, the ministry of human resource development released a draft NEP 2019, which was followed by several public consultations. To reduce curriculum content to enhance essential learning, critical thinking, and more holistic experimental, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning. On 29 July 2020, the cabinet approved a new national education policy to introduce several changes to the existing Indian education system. it will be introduced in India by 2026.
Advantages of new education policy
1-Students will have the option of learning Sanskrit and other ancient Indian languages. These languages are available for students to study and in case he is not interested in this subject then it depends upon students desire. To make studying easier, artificial intelligence technologies or digital learning be deployed.
2- Students will be taught three languages at their level, as determined by the state. The National Council of educational research and training will create the national curriculum framework for school education.
3- Many institutions will be developed to implement this new education strategy so that it can run properly. children’s education, as well as their talents, will be given significant priority under the new national education policy.
4- The implementation of the national education policy will cost 6% of GDP. NEP aims to make it easier to set up new qualify for higher educational institutes which will be at par with the global standards.
5- It will make it easier for foreign colleges to set up their campuses here many students who are unable to go abroad due to multiple reasons will be able to experience it and get global exposure.
6- This education policy will give importance to students’ practical knowledge instead of just pushing them toward rote learning. It also helps students to develop a scientific temper from a young age.
Principles of education policy
1- Identifying and developing the potential of each child. children’s literacy and numeracy skills should be developed making education more adaptable.
2- Putting money into a public education system and improving the quality of education. children should be taught and empowered about good governance.
3- Transparency in education policy and the use of technology as much as feasible is emphasized. Concentrating on the evaluation and teaching a multitude of languages is one of my specialties.
4- Flexibility for learners to choose their learning trajectories and programs, and thereby choose their paths in life according to their talents & interests.
5- Multidisciplinary and holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports to ensure unity and integrity of all knowledge.
Disadvantages of new education policy
1- Delay in Teaching of English- The NEP suggests that the government schools will start teaching English after class 5, which is going to be a setback for the students who can only afford to go to government-run institutes. It will happen the chance, between the different socio-economic groups and reduce several opportunities, or in teaching that could have been beneficial for the government school students if they were to teach English, the global language, at the early stages of their learning.
2-Focus on Digital Learning- The focus on digitization of education and the promotion of e-learning under the name 2020 seems to overlook the fact that just about 30% of Indians can afford smartphones, and fewer still have access to computers. Then the schools run by the government do not have a strong right infrastructure, so students in remote regions or underprivileged social-economic backgrounds won’t be able to acclimatize to IT-based learning till such facility is made level the earliest.
3-Enforcement of Languages– NEP emphasizes the introduction of the mother tongue in the primary classes which will be used to teach the principal subjects, while English will be taught at a much later stage. such as Germany, Russia, Japan, China, France, etc. which have a common mother tongue.
4-Updated terms of the undergraduate program- since under the updated policy a student can exit from the graduate program and still get a certification or diploma, this can cause the students to quit without completing their education, leading to their non-seriousness and a high dropout rate.
Conclusion
Education is an essential and indispensable element for the all-around development of any society and country and a comprehensive national education policy is formulated by a nation to fulfill this requirement. The government of India is an important initiative in this direction. The success of this new education policy will depend on how it is implemented. NEP is a good policy as it aims at making the education system holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, aligned to the needs of the 21st century. The intent of policy seems to be ideal but it is the implementation that lies the key to success. While the NEP is an ambitious document, there is a need to go over the digital era, especially at a time when online education has already disadvantaged many. A focus on equitable access is the first way forward. There is no need to strike a balance between mother tongue education and English to help students have global exposure and adaptability. It provides an important opportunity to move Indian education from sorting and selection to human development.