SHILLONG, Aug 3: The students of the first-semester undergraduate courses want to see the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 implemented.
A section of the students felt the NEP should be implemented when everything is in place but agreed that the consent of the teachers is critical to ensuring its effective implementation.
HSSLC (Arts) second position holder of 2023, Avelyne Francisca Khriam told The Shillong Times that the NEHU’s move to implement the NEP is in the interest of the students. She is in the first semester of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) at St. Edmund’s College.
“There will always be challenges when anything new is introduced. The NEP is thus expected to have its pros and cons,” she said.
“Its implementation will depend on the preparedness of colleges in terms of infrastructure and faculties to teach the new subjects,” she added.
Avelyne said the NEP allows students to choose subjects from different streams, unlike the old system. A science student with a flair for writing can opt for English as a minor paper, for instance.
She also said it is for the government and the university to find out whether implementing the NEP would be advantageous or disadvantageous.
At the same time, she felt colleges without proper infrastructure should be allowed to not implement the NEP from the current academic year.
HSSLC (Commerce) topper for 2023, Rishab Purkayastha said he has no issues if the NEP is implemented from the current academic session.
“But if a majority of the colleges and students are not ready, the university should not be implementing it. The implementation of the NEP should be in uniformity and not partially,” said the St. Anthony’s College student who is pursing his B.Com.
He said implementing the NEP by force is not the right approach since the state has already fallen behind.
“If the teachers are unsure about the new policy, how will the students benefit? I believe the teachers’ views should be taken into account for implementing the NEP,” he said.
But he agreed with Avelyne that the NEP would help the students grow. “One can now opt for subjects one likes, irrespective of stream,” he said.
Akshat Das, who secured the fourth position in HSSLC (Commerce) this year, echoed Avelyne and Rishab and said the NEP should be implemented soon.
Akshat, who is now pursuing his B.Com from St. Anthony’s College, said students will have a better and broader view on their future since they will not be restricted to selecting subjects from only one stream.
He was of the view that the NEP, if implemented, has to be across all the colleges in the state. “We should not create disparity among the students,” Akshat added.
Kerika K. Kharshanlor, a first-semester FYUP student of St. Edmund’s College, also spoke in favour of the NEP, saying students would be benefitted since the courses proposed are quite advanced.
She mentioned the advantages the new batch of students would have over their seniors as they would be in a position to select a combination of subjects from the three streams.
She said there should not be any delay in the implementation of the NEP.
First-semester FYUP student of Ri Bhoi College, Monju M. Sangma admitted that the NEP was necessary but felt that students might face problems due to the sudden implementation of the NEP.
Monju said students, especially those from rural areas, would face difficulties in coping with the new course.
Lamangpura Bina, a first-semester FYUP student from Lady Keane College, spoke on the need to end the ongoing impasse between NEHU and MCTA over the implementation of the NEP.
“There is no problem if teachers are protesting. But classes should not be hampered since students are on the losing side,” Lamangpura said.
Demanding clarity on the NEP, he said, “How we are going to cope if we don’t understand anything about this new policy? We can go ahead only when both teachers and students are familiar with the pros and cons of the NEP.”
