New Delhi: Teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue or regional language, lowering the stakes of board exams, a single regulator for higher education institutions except for law and medical colleges and common entrance tests for universities are part of the sweeping reforms in the new National Education Policy (NEP) unveiled on Wednesday.
Replacing the 10+2 structure with a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to age groups 3-8, 8-11, 11-14 and 14-18 years respectively, scrapping M.Phil programmes and implementing common norms for private and public higher education institutions are among other salient features of the new policy.
The NEP approved by the Union Cabinet at a meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.
The Cabinet also approved renaming the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry back as Education Ministry.
The Ministry of Education was renamed as the HRD ministry in 1985 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The next year the National Education Policy (NEP) was introduced.
The new policy also envisaged that the Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6 per cent of the GDP at the earliest and universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030.
The GER in higher education is also planned to be raised to 50 per cent by 2035 by when 3.5 crore seats are to be added in this sector. Fee fixation under a broad regulatory framework is also part of the key reforms.
The NEP was part of the BJP’s manifesto ahead of the 2014 general elections.
Elaborating on the reforms in school education at a media briefing, HRD Secretary Anita Karwal said, “Board exams will be low stake. The focus will be on testing concepts and knowledge application. Home language, mother tongue or regional language to be medium of instruction up to class 5.”
“Board exams will be redesigned to encourage holistic development and will also be made easier by testing core capacities and competencies. All students will be allowed to take board exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired. All students will take school examinations in classes 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority”.
“To further eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of Board Exams, all students will be allowed to take Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired,” she said.
“A 5+3+3+4 curricular structure will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of anganwadi and pre-schooling,” she said.
The new system will cover four stages — Foundational Stage (three years of anganwadi or pre-school followed by classes 1-2), Preparatory Stage (classes 3-5), Middle Stage (classes 6-8) and Secondary Stage (classes 9-12).
Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. Over a period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting college, or a constituent college of a university, he told the press briefing. “Under Graduate education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period,” he said.
The undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4-year duration, with multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications — a certificate after completing 1 year in a discipline or field including vocational and professional areas, or a diploma after 2 years of study, or a Bachelor’s degree after a 3-year programme. (PTI)
