In sweeping reforms, seen as the most ambitious since the introduction of the 10+2+3 system, the Indian government last week unveiled the new National Education Policy that restructures school education by setting out age 3-6 years as pre-school, de-emphasises "high stakes" boards, introduces a SAT-like university entrance test and offers the option of a four-year bachelor’s degree at the undergraduate level.
The changes in the board structure, which seek to make the exams a test of "core competencies", will be implemented from the 2021 academic session (exams to be held in 2022). The new university entrance test will be implemented for college admissions in the 2022 academic session. NEP aims to provide students with increased flexibility and subjects and there will be no rigid separation between arts and sciences, curricular and extracurricular activities, vocational and academic streams, the government said.
New policy seeks to emphasise learning in mother tongue
Announcing the reforms, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and information & broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said vocational education will start in schools from the sixth grade and will include internships. The policy seeks to emphasise learning in regional language or mother tongue.
“Since most of the learning happens in the mother tongue, we ensure that wherever possible, the medium of instruction until Class 5, but preferably till Class 8 and beyond, will be in home language, mother tongue, regional language. Starting from the foundational stage, children will be exposed to different languages with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue," said Pokhriyal.
The reforms look to substantially alter the college education system and replace the University Grants Commission with a new regulator - the Higher Education Commission of India with verticals for regulation, standard-setting, grants and accreditation. The NEP calls for flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points at the undergraduate level. “UG education can be of three or four years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification, like certificate after one year, advanced diploma after two, bachelor’s degree after three and bachelor’s with research after four years," said the government. In course of time, colleges will not need to seek affiliations but award degrees themselves. After the master’s degree, there will be no MPhil prior to a PhD.
The big push in the school education system is to convert it to a "5+3+3+4" system with three years as pre-schooling.
