NEP 2020

The Union Cabinet on July 29, 2020, gave the green light to country’s new National Education Policy. The Cabinet has also approved a proposal to rename the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Ministry of Education.

The NEP replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986. Before this was the National Education Commission, popularly known as Kothari Commission, of 1968. Both these policies were path-breaking for the nation’s education system. But a lot has changed in the world since the last policy was declared. While globalization, scientific advancements, technological revolution, evolution of communication have helped in bringing the world closer, we have also been witness to large-scale economic changes as well as upward mobility and deprivation. Religion, culture, politics and international relations have played a part in the changes we see around us. The education imparted to the young generation must reflect these changes and prepare them for the future.

The NEP proposes several structural changes in the early as well as the higher education system and has been developed after consultations with stakeholders and the general public for nearly five years. The first commission, headed by late TSR Subramanian, was rejected by majority of academicians and scholars for its excessive lenience towards a particular ideology and agenda. It was pointed out that the commission’s draft was centered on the themes of centralization, commercialization and communalization. Both within the parliament and outside, these issues were raised consistently and the government shelved the recommendations in favour of a wider commission under Dr. K. Kasturirangan, head of the panel for NEP 2020. The new commission came up with a 484-page document designed with the vision to create an “India centred education”.

Speaking at a virtual interaction with students shortly after the announcement of NEP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The 21st century is the era of knowledge. This is the time for increased focus on learning, research, innovation. This is exactly what India's National Education Policy 2020 does. We are focusing on the quality of education in India. Our attempts have been to make our education system the most advance and modern for students of our country”.

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think,” Albert Einstein once said. With this thought in mind, here is a look at the NEP’s vision for education.

Vision of the Draft NEP 2019 (By Kasturirangan Commission):

“The National Education Policy 2019 envisions an India centred education system that contributes directly to transforming our nation sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high quality education to all”.

Vision of the NEP 2020:

“This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower. The Policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values, bonding with one’s country, and a conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world. The vision of the Policy is to instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen”.

The additions, explanations and the tone of the vision of NEP 2020 are worth noting.

The 2020 policy also lists several key principles that will guide both the education system at large, as well as the individual institutions within it. Some of these principles include respect for diversity and local context, full equity and inclusion, community participation, use of technology, emphasis on conceptual understanding, fostering unique capabilities, encouraging creativity and critical thinking, and promoting continuous review.

The new policy aims to achieve 100 percent youth and adult literacy. While announcing the policy details, Amit Khare, Higher Education secretary, said that the government aims to increase the public investment in the education sector from the current 4.3 percent to reach 6 percent of GDP at the earliest.

Here are the highlights of NEP 2020:

School Education:

Universal Access: The NEP 2020 has provisions to ensure universal access to school education at all levels – preschool to secondary.

Early Childhood Care and Education: The 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will develop a framework of the early childhood education of children up to the age of 8.

Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy : A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be set up by the MHRD.

Reforms in School Curricula and Pedagogy:  The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with key 21st-century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential learning.

Multilingualism and the Power of Language:  The NEP 2020 advocates for mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.

Assessment Reforms: All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8. Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A standard-setting body called PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) will be formed and it will look at all these areas. Reduction in curriculum will be carried out.

Teacher Recruitment and Deployment: The policy identifies the need for teacher training. It focuses extensively on their professional development, service environment and culture. The minimum required professional training is also clearly stated.

Equitable and Inclusive Education: The NEP 2020 provides for setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

Higher Education:

Increase GER to 50 percent by 2035: The NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational education from 26.3 percent (2018) to 50 percent by 2035. At least 3.5 crore new seats will be added to higher education institutions.

Holistic Multidisciplinary Education: Undergraduate education will have flexible curricula,  creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and  multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.

Undergraduate education can be of three or four years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.

An  Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different institutes so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree earned.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities  (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The  National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

Regulation : Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education.

Rationalized Institutional Architecture: The definition of the university will allow a spectrum of institutions that range from research-intensive universities to teaching-intensive universities and autonomous degree-granting colleges.

Financial support for students:  Efforts will be made to incentivise the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs.

Open and Distance Learning: Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc, will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality in-class programmes.

Online and Digital Education:  A dedicated unit for the building of digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.

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.

Overall, the NEP contains some positive and forward-looking recommendations. It aims to strengthen existing schemes and policies that are targeted towards socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Further, it recommends setting up special education zones in areas with a significant proportion of such disadvantaged groups. The recommended gender inclusion fund would assist female and transgender students in getting access to education. Increasing capacity of existing higher education institutes (HEI) by restructuring and expanding existing institutes is also among its recommendations. At present, there is complex nomenclature of higher education institutes in the country such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university’, ‘unitary university’. These shall be  replaced simply by ‘university’. All institutes should aim to be large multidisciplinary institutes, and there should be one such institution in or near every district by 2030. Institutions have the option to run open distance learning and online programmes to improve access to higher education. These measures all if implemented with due diligence will help to achieve the goal of universal access to education.

The above-mentioned points cover the basics of the policy. While we appreciate the positive elements, one can see there are several areas of concerns as well.

Some concerns:

Federal system is not duly considered

Education, as of now, comes under the concurrent list. States have the power to decide what is best for them. If federal system is respected, then States must be involved, consulted and made responsible in adapting to its special needs and aspirations. Language policy must not be forced on the States. The NEP says, “Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language or mother tongue or local language or regional language.” This directive aims to give more importance to regional language, but there is a general trend to give more value to English. Even in the remotest parts of the country, you will find parents who want their children to learn English. Why should the rural, poor, marginalized people be deprived from learning and communicating in English is a relevant question.

Parliament is overlooked

In a democracy any major policy must be discussed, debated and, if need be, amended after hearing all the suggestions from the elected members. In the case of NEP 2020, this never happened. One can question the intent of this and also the manner in which the policy was approved by the cabinet and declared by the government in the midst of the pandemic. This actually prevents people from a well-meaning discussion about the long-term education policy.

Corporatisation is encouraged?

One of the fundamental principles of the NEP is “substantial investment in a strong, vibrant public education system as well as the encouragement and facilitation of true philanthropic private and community participation.” The adjective ‘philanthropic’ sounds good, but how will you interpret it is the crux of the issue. Will it lead to more privatization of education? The policy also encourages private investments in education and invites foreign universities to open their campuses in India. This is good in a way but it will also lead to more privatization of Indian education. This will again make it difficult for students from the marginalized and economically weak sections to get in and build their future.

Centralisation is envisaged

The policy proposes highly centralised system of governance at all levels. The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) will be strengthened and empowered more. Additionally, implementation of the policy will be carried out through various bodies like MHRD, CABE, Union and State governments, education-related ministries, State Departments of Education, the regulatory bodies of school and higher education, NCERT, SCERTs, schools, and HEIs along with timelines and plan for review. A lot more bureaucratic structures are also proposed. These can lead to a more centralized and controlled system in the future.

More research is needed

How genuine is the mention of research in this policy is a doubtful proposition for many scholars. The NEP 2020 talks about more funding for research. However, at only 0.69 percent of GDP, the proposed investment on research and innovation in India lags behind several other countries. The total investment on research and development in India as a proportion of GDP has been stagnant at around 0.7 percent of GDP. Of this, 58 percent of expenditure was by government, and the remaining 42 percent from private industry. If the proposed National Research Foundation (NRF) has to function, private investment may be required. This can again lead to ‘controlled’ research by the industry to suit their interest. Dr. Shashi Tharoor explains the allocation for research thus: “Total investment on research and innovation in India declined from 0.84 percent of GDP in 2008 to 0.6 percent in 2018. There are currently only 15 researchers in India per 100,000 of population, compared with 111 in China”.

Multidisciplinary education is good but choice of subject is intriguing

One of the fundamental principles of the policy focuses on multidisciplinarity and holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure the unity and integrity of all knowledge. Further in the policy document we learn that “Departments in Languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, Art, Dance, Theatre, Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports, and other such subjects needed for a multidisciplinary, stimulating Indian education and environment will be established and strengthened at HEIs across the country.”

However, it is worth noting what is missed out — fields of studies such as women’s studies or gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, Dalit studies, studies of discrimination and exclusion, ecology and climate change, peace and reconciliation, conflict resolution studies and development studies – all of which have emerged over the last three or four decades.

CONSTITUTION and SECULARISM neglected

When the policy talks about the emphasis on Fundamental Duties of the Constitution in the B.Ed programmes, it is worth noting that there is no mention of Fundamental Rights. The Constitution grants us six Fundamental Rights: right to equality, right to freedom of speech and expression, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights and right to constitutional remedies. These rights form the basis of the Constitution. This omission is an important point that demands our attention. Fundamental Duties are important, but without Fundamental Rights, the path will lead only to a rigid nationalist mindset.

Does School Complex work?

Instead of remedying the pitiable school infrastructure , NEP suggests school complexes as a solution to the problem, sharing resources spread over a large geographical area. How would this work in practice? Children from the marginalized and minority communities cannot go far due to various social and political problems in the country. This will also adversely affect girl children, who may drop out of schools at a far greater rate. Instead of dumping the responsibility of ‘school complex’ concept, government must enhance and build facilities in the rural areas.

Is the role of parliament undermined?

Parliament represents the people. Therefore, any policy that affects the people must be discussed and debated in the parliament. If members suggest some relevant and progressive points to add to the policy, it must be heard and considered. However, the present NEP never came up in the parliament before it was made public as a cabinet-approved policy. One must wonder if the pandemic-lockdown period is the best suited time for the declaration of a policy that makes the foundation of the education for the next two or more decades.

Language policy is still to be resolved

For many decades, the language policy of the governments was looked with misgiving. It is a very touchy and sentimental subject for many. There are regionalist, linguistic fanatics who want their choice to be implemented. Government must find an equal ground by assessing the choice of parents and then deciding the medium of instruction that will help our children to play a bigger role in the global arena. The vision of the document, in fact, talks about making global citizens.

Problem of Sanskrit

Some scholars point out that Sanskrit is a classical language like Latin in Europe. It is not a language used for daily communication. It is associated more with classical literature and ritualism. It also carries the tag of Brahmanical language. Therefore, many groups will find it difficult to learn it only through grammar. How far will it go in helping our kids to succeed at the future global platform is still not clear.

Dichotomy between the ideals and actuality

Though the policy speaks of encouraging reason and critical thinking, campus activities, the real actions on the ground differs as can be seen from attacks on campuses and critical thinkers in the last few years. Dissent must be accepted for any society to move forward.

Conclusion

When we look at the NEP 2020, it has a lot of good factors and some rather problematic areas of concerns. These concerns need to be addressed. Education must be for the common good. It is not a subject to be rushed through with certain ideology or triumphalism. Academicians and scholars have creative, constructive opinions and suggestions with regards to the policy. We hope that beyond the immediate excitement that the announcement of the implementation of the NEP has generated, there will be opportunities to examine its long-term implications, and, if necessary, revisit it, before it is actually implemented.

(Writer is the Secretary of Jesuit Education of South Asia (JEASA), National Adviser to Jesuit Alumni Association of India (JAAI)).

(Published on 17^th August 2020, Volume XXXII, Issue 34)