India’s New Education Policy: A synergistic tool

By a Special Correspondent 

The importance of education in shaping human lives cannot be overemphasised. For countries and civilisations, history testifies that education is a crucial determinant of progress and prosperity. 

Ancient India, home to a host of world-class institutions such as Takshashila, Nalanda, etc., made unparalleled contributions to humankind across fields spanning from mathematics, engineering, medicine, fine arts to several others.  

An attempt to catalogue accomplished Indian scholars over the ages would be long drawn since their numbers are such. Selective mention of a few renowned luminaries like Aryabhatta, Charaka and Susruta alone would leave out several great minds and can only be for an illustration purpose.  

Policymakers in India and elsewhere in the world face certain common challenges in designing an education framework for a better future for their youth. First, the framework should cater to the needs of all sections of the society in a fair and equitable manner. 

Flexibility and dynamism should be built into this structure in order to prevent it from becoming anachronous with the passage of time. An effective framework helps in unlocking the full potential of humans by borrowing from ancient wisdom and current global best practices. All these aspects are encompassed in a comprehensive fashion in India’s New Education Policy that was approved by the Union Cabinet on 29 July. 

Titled ‘National Education Policy 2020’ (www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf), a key objective of the Policy is to provide equitable access to the highest-quality education for all learners, which is envisioned in UN’s Sustained Development Goal 4 as well. 

In the process, education is treated as a leveller – an instrument for achieving social inclusion. Supportive mechanisms and targeted interventions are introduced to curtail attrition of disadvantaged students. Differently-abled students would be brought to the mainstream by sprucing up physical infrastructure and providing aiding tools. The ‘inclusive’ approach is central to the Policy. 

Fine print of the Policy suggests that it does not focus on learning per se; rather on ‘learning how to learn’. It subscribes to an integrated personality-driven approach which treats individual learners as the sum total of their cognitive, emotional, social and ethical dispositions in a stark departure from the commonly accepted educational norms which stress predominantly on cognitive faculty.   

Schooling pattern moves away from the traditional 10+2 pattern in India to a 5+3+3+4 system. During the five foundational years, beginning from the age of three, inquiry-based learning is encouraged. The emphasis here is on Early Childhood Care and Education through a combination of activity and play based learning. Thrust on experiential learning continues during the Preparatory (three years), Middle (three years) and Secondary stages (four years) also. 

Teachers are to be imparted special training to adapt to the new scheme and concentrate on holistic development of children. In the long-term, there would be a pool of dedicated teachers across India who are equipped with the necessary skillsets to meet the ever-changing educational demands of their students. 

Teachers who would be selected through more stringent recruitment processes would have the opportunity to hone and upgrade their skills on an ongoing basis through ‘Continuous Professional Development. There would be corresponding calibration of pedagogical tools as well. 

With an a la carte approach, school children will enjoy the freedom of choosing from a wide range of subjects without being restricted to conventional streams – humanities, science, arts etc. Likewise, vocational and academic streams could go hand-in-hand. 

As a result, efforts of children are channelised according to their interests. Extra-curricular integration (arts/sports) takes place throughout the period of schooling. This multidisciplinary approach is coupled with a multilingual approach in which the students could choose from the three Indian/foreign languages which are offered. 

Knowledge, wisdom and truth are at the heart of the Indian system of education. Therefore, lessons on ethics are being made a core part of the curriculum. Students are moulded in a value-based system which extols qualities like empathy, tolerance, righteous conduct among others. Violence, cheating, malpractices are all rightfully attributed as negative elements that one needs to stay away from. 

Chiselling students into responsible citizens, who are aware of their roots forms another main pillar of the new Policy. A student learns about one’s responsibilities and duties to the nation and the significance of fulfilling them during early stages of life itself. They are also exposed to the glorious past of their motherland and accomplishments of their forefathers. 

The manner in which performance assessment of students is being carried out shall undergo a radical transformation by easing performance pressure off students. The system of evaluating students at specific points in time solely on the basis of ‘recall and reproduction’ abilities would be replaced by an ongoing evaluation system that tests conceptual clarity, and analytical and critical thinking abilities. This system, which assesses competencies along cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions, is based on 360-degree feedback. Like students, schools would be accredited and graded against standardised benchmarks and pre-defined criteria by rolling out laid out, transparent processes that offer a level-playing field for all. 

Diversity is synonymous with India as ‘Indian culture’ is a harmonious amalgamation of the cultures of its constituent States and regions. This clearly demands the addition of local flavour in the educational curriculum. 

The new Policy creates room for customisation of the core curriculum as per local preferences and tastes. This also trickles down to a micro-level wherein children with special abilities and differently-abled students can chart personalised paths. These sweeping changes are hinged on technology which brings in inherent agility to the framework. The unprecedented pace at which the technological landscape evolves, underpinning on technology shields the structure from becoming outdated. 

Guiding philosophy for higher education is also similar with employability and skill development holding the key. The taboo on ‘drop-outs’ is being taken head on as there could now exist multiple-exit options with appropriate certifications. 

Students do not fall by the wayside anymore – students would have a certificate if they complete one year; a diploma on completion of two years; a Bachelor’s certificate after three years and so on. Scientific temperament and inclination for research are among anticipated outcomes of higher education. 

Internationalisation is the hallmark of all forward-looking policies in this age. India’s newly-designed futuristic Policy paves the way for an influx of more students from abroad by presenting an opportunity for these students to delve into India’s past by specialising in niche areas like Ayurveda and Yoga. Multicultural stimulus in educational campuses would be an eye-opening experience for both Indian and foreign students alike. 

Core principles of India’s new policy could resonate well with countries that are committed to structural transformations in education. India’s New Education Policy and the Indian template could be of relevance to several of our development partners like Sri Lanka. They can develop and tailor a suitable model for themselves to cater to their requirements. 

Countries like Sri Lanka which not only have commonalities with India in multiple ways and historical links but also share common developmental aspirations and challenges can create a synergistic educational system – a robust structure which can also enrich India’s new approach while gaining from it through mutual exchange of experience.