India has made significant strides in improving access to education across the country. Between 2004-05 and 2018-19, the number of children going to school increased from 219 million to 248 million. However, the learning outcomes of students across all age groups continue to remain below par.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to address this challenge by strengthening implementation at the local level, investing in teacher capacity, and ensuring that no child of any background is left behind from the right to education.The NEP 2020 proposes sweeping changes including opening up of Indian higher education to foreign universities, dismantling of the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), introduction of a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate program with multiple exit options, and discontinuation of the M Phil program. The policy also aims to increase state expenditure on education from around 3% to 6% of the GDP as soon as possible.
Here are some of the best provisions in the new education policy that state governments should implement:
Universal Access: Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12.
Early Childhood Care and Education: Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years.
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
Multilingualism: Emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages.
Assessment Reforms: Introducing Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired; Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
Equitable and Inclusive Education: Ensuring special emphasis is given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs); Establishing a separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
Teacher Recruitment and Development: Robust and transparent processes for recruitment of teachers and merit-based performance; Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters.
Standard-setting and Accreditation: Setting up of State School Standards Authority (SSSA); Providing Exposure of vocational education in school and higher education system.
Higher Education: Increasing GER in higher education to 50%; Introducing Holistic Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options; Introducing Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs to be offered by NTA; Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit; Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs); Setting up of National Research Foundation (NRF).
Regulatory System: Framing ‘Light but Tight’ regulation; Setting up of single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education sector including teacher education and excluding medical and legal education- the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)-with independent bodies for standard setting- the General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC).
Professional Education: Professional Education will be an integral part of the higher education system.
Technology Use and Integration: Technology Use and Integration; Online and Digital Education: Ensuring Equitable Use of Technology.
These provisions aim to provide quality, equitable, inclusive, accessible, affordable, holistic, multidisciplinary, technology-integrated education to all children in India. State governments should implement these provisions to improve primary, secondary, higher secondary, and higher education in their respective states.
In conclusion, India has made significant progress in improving access to education but there is still much work to be done in terms of improving learning outcomes. The NEP 2020 provides a comprehensive framework for addressing these challenges through a series of reform initiatives. State governments should implement these provisions to improve the quality of education in their respective states. By doing so, India can unlock its full potential as a nation by providing high-quality educational opportunities to its young population.
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