National Education Policy 2020: The Curriculum & Future

In a revolutionary move, the central government replaced a 34-year-old National Policy on Education, framed in 1986, with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. Ever since, it has been the talk of the town with everyone trying to comprehend the impact of the new policy. Bringing a sea of change, most educators feel that the NEP is ambitious and futuristic. 

Approved by the union cabinet, the policy will be in making sweeping reforms in school and higher education including teaching and curriculum. The new NEP will not just change the way a student studies but also the way examinations are conducted and the final assessment is provided. There will be a lot more flexibility to choose subjects in schools and colleges.

What needs to be noted, is that the new policy will bring major reforms in the way the education board functions. It is stepping up to the international curriculum options by providing holistic and skill-based learning, in a way. The changes will boost multidisciplinary education that is more aligned with the global system. In higher education, the institutes set to become multidisciplinary and research focused. 

Let’s look into key changes being brought into the Indian education system with NEP 2020. 

Structure: Dismantling the age-old 10+2 concept, the policy pitches for a “5+3+3+4” design corresponding to the age groups 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle), and 14-18 (secondary). This brings early childhood education (also known as pre-school education for children of ages 3 to 5) under the umbrella of formal schooling. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with 3 years of Anganwadi/pre-schooling. The ‘foundational’ age-group has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of children during their early years. 

Assessments: Our education system has always been known for its rote learning and memory-based assessments of students. This was a major setback us, who have understood the growing importance of a progressive and global approach to evaluation.  However with NEP 2020, ending that structure, there’s a major shift from summative assessment to a more competency-based regular assessment that tests analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity. 

Evaluation: Similar to the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, exams will not be conducted every year for your child. Instead, the child 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. The idea is to instill a sense of responsibility and self-evaluation among students, at an early age. This will ensure that your child is not just assessed based on her academic performance, but other factors that focus on overall personality development as well. 

School Curriculum: According to the new policy, the curriculum will aim for the holistic development of learners by equipping them with the key 21st-century skills. Additionally, it also aims for reduction in the syllabus to enhance essential learning and critical thinking. It gives students increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study across Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Sports and Vocational subjects. Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internships.  The greater focus is on experiential learning – a key element in international education and curriculum options. This means more projects, better real-life training, more interactions and better skills.

Language: One of the highly debated topics of the new Education Policy is the multilingualism-based shift. The policy 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. Sanskrit will now be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students including the 3-language formula. Other classical languages and literature of India also to be available as options. the basis for it is that children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their home language. It is also said that no language will be imposed on any student, as per the policy.

Technology in Education : We live in a tech-driven society. Almost every decision we make is influenced by technology. Until now, Only a few schools used smart boards and projectors for classroom teaching and are mostly affiliated with international curriculum. With the NEP’s aim to increase tech-based education, the national curriculum can provide top-notch learning to its students. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes and support teacher professional development.

The policy states that 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, and administration. 

Higher Education: Under the National Education Policy 2020, undergraduate degrees will be of either 3 or 4-year duration with multiple exit options within this period. The college will be mandated to give a certificate after completing 1 year in a discipline or field including vocational and professional areas, a diploma after 2 years of study, or a Bachelor’s degree after a 3-year programme. 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. The national board aims to provide  students with good quality global education, making them ready for foreign universities and cultures. 

The National Education Policy 2020 also states that the world’s top 100 universities will be “facilitated” to operate in the country through a new law. This means that many foreign universities are expected to be set-up in the country in the near future. 

For years, industry experts have pointed out myths and drawbacks of our education system. The National Education Policy 2020 scraps most of them, making the curriculum stronger and a more viable. Be it skill-based learning, better assessment procedure or flexibility and choice of subjects/streams, the system will be stepped up in its standards. The National Education Policy 2020 has proposed sweeping changes in the Indian education system – much-awaited and anticipated changes.