National Education policy 2020

Amidst the havoc of the pandemic, the centre made a notable decision and announced sweeping changes in the education system by launching New Education Policy on the 29th of July. 

The previous education system was majorly revamped with the hope of an increased focus on the practical knowledge of the students, along with academics. The decade-old education system had spurred debates up time and again, with the claims that the institutions in India focus upon the idea of memorization rather than understanding. 

This seemed to be the centre point of the new policies, as it drastically changed how we looked at our country's education by having its linchpin around cognitive learning.

The structural reforms are as follows : 

• The pedagogical structure has shifted from the 10+2 model to a 5+3+3+4 design. All the students from ages of 3-8 will be a part of the 'foundational stage' which will include three years of playschool and Grade 1-2. The stage that follows is the 'preparatory stage', inclusive of the students of age 8-11, focusing more on interacting classroom learning. 

• The 'middle stage' is the next step, wherein the kids will be introduced to a varied range of subjects such as science, mathematics, humanities, and arts. The last stage of schooling is termed as the 'secondary stage', for students of ages 14-18. This final stage will comprise multidisciplinary subjects and more significant critical thinking. 

• Every student will be exposed to at least one vocational training course along with their academics. These include coding, gardening, art,  and more such exciting subjects, starting from Grade 6.

• A significant burden of exams has been lifted from students' shoulders, making them compulsory only for classes 3rd, 5th, and 8th. The format of Board examinations will also be changed, making it more concentrated on objective questions and practical learning. 

• The medium of instruction and communication will be the mother tongue or the regional language of the location until Grade 5. As we must've observed, the educational institutions in our country tend to give a higher pedestal to English, making a lot of students devoid of their local language learning. Keeping this as the pivot, the centre has shifted to a wholesome and integrated system of languages.

• The National Education Policy has proposed a 4-year undergraduate program, along with multiple exit options. If a student wishes to drop after one year, s/he will earn a certificate. 

• If they want to exit after two years, a diploma will be provided. If the student wishes to drop out after three years, they'll be awarded a degree. Lastly, if the student completes four years of undergraduate in a field, s/he will be provided with a degree with research.

• MPhil (Master of Philosophy) courses are said to be discontinued from hereon.

• Surprisingly, schools now won't have a rigid division of streams like arts, commerce, and humanities. Schools will be flexible with a student's subject choices. This signifies that if a child wants to pursue Physics along with Fashion Technology or Economics with Fine Arts, they'll be given full freedom to go ahead with their choice.

In conclusion, these significant highlights of the NEP seem to be a win for our country's future. It was high time for the old educational system to get a makeover. These remarkable changes will unquestionably provide the students with more intrinsic knowledge of a field with a lot less pressure. The institutions will now be more multidisciplinary with additional integrational courses. The focus will now be on education and not merely literacy!