New Education Policy 2020 seeks to make school learning less stressful and more practical with the implementation of a 5+3+3+4 design where the curriculum will revolve around Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and High School. Every student of classes VI to VIII will participate in a 10-day bagless learning period where they will collaborate with local vocational experts simultaneously learning coding, physical education, vocational skills and art. NEP stresses on the looming gaps in the present education system that puts less emphasis on the development of cognitive learning.
Rustom Kerawalla, Chairperson, Ampersand Group
“The integration of co-curricular subjects at par will help students honour their hobbies and skills and make value addition in the areas of preference. Project-based learning, vocational learning at an early age, and learning of life skills and inclusion of technology will help a child realise ambitions, gain multi-dimensional knowledge and universal skills and lay the foundation for higher education. In addition, a new system of self, peer, and teacher assessment will give parents and children a 360-degree progress report imbibed with new skills learned during the academic year” states Rustom Kerawalla, Chairperson, Ampersand Group.
Undergraduate degrees will be metamorphosed into 3 or 4-year duration with multiple exit points and colleges will be mandated to provide students with certificates once they complete 1 year in the concerned discipline.
Rajiv Shah, CEO & Director, NMIS Global Access School for Continuing Education
“We applaud the Indian government’s vision to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from 25.7% currently to 50% by 2030. The government acknowledges that online and distance education will play a key role in achieving this goal by enhancing the offerings, improving access and providing increased opportunities for lifelong learning. This goal will boost the Indian economy and the per capita income.
We, at NMIMS Global Access, are committed to playing our part in achieving the 50% GER mark and will continue to create programs that are at par with the highest quality in-class programmes and delivered online,” expressed Rajiv Shah, CEO & Director, NMIS Global Access School for Continuing Education.
The policy also seeks to encourage teachers to focus on bilingual teaching which has fetched mixed criticism especially from parents who frequently need to migrate for work.
Sumeet Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, LEAD School
“One that is problematic is the insistence of mother tongue till Class 5. This is against the principle of choice. Parents should choose the medium they want their children to learn in” comments Sumeet Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, LEAD School.
The policies aim to open India’s education market to foreign players and focuses on the top 100 universities in the world that will be able to set up campuses in India. Presently, NEP 2020 also harps on a more gender-inclusion education system which will thrive with the aid of ‘Gender-Inclusion Fund’ by the government.
“The New Education Policy 2020 is aimed at bringing transformational changes in the Indian education system with a global perspective. The policy has a multi-disciplinary, value-based approach focussing on holistic education along with life-skills with special emphasis on skill development to improve high employability rate among our students,” further adds Kerawalla, Ampersand Group.
