National Education Policy 2020

The education system of our county has been facing a lot of criticism and many questions have been raised whether our education system is even anywhere near the standard that it should be. We have to accept that our education system is nowhere near as good as the modern and well-planned education systems that are adopted by the other top countries such as the USA and the United Kingdom. They are well ahead of us in terms of quality and proper implementation of the education system in their respective countries.

India is a great nation which is developing at a very good speed but in order to future proof the development of our country it is extremely important that our children and youth who are the future of this county get the highest quality of education. We cannot afford to make any compromises in terms of the quality of education that we provide to our young generation. Every child regardless of his/her caste, religion, status and whether he or she lives in a huge city or a tiny village, every child has the right to get the best quality of education.

It was about time that we made a change in our education system, and it looks like we’ve got what we wanted. It`s been quite a long time coming but better late than never!

We here at NotchUp are here to explain all the new changes that have been made in our education system to you all in simple words to make it easy for all to understand and comprehend. So stick around to know what all amazing changes are going to be made to our education system and what all positives we can expect from these changes.

We will be explaining the following changes :

• New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure

• Emphasis on Regional Languages

• No rigid separation between different streams

• Entry of Global Universities in India

• Digital Learning

• Mental and Physical Health care

• Changes in University, 10th and 12th Board Exams

• Other miscellaneous changes

New curricular and pedagogical structure

Right now we follow the 10+2 structure where the child`s education starts in pre-primary and then the child moves on to grade 1 at the age of 6 and then has 10 years of schooling [1st-10th] and two years of high school that is 11th and 12th std. Now that is about to change we are going to be adapting the 5+3+3+4 structure for school education, the educational structure is going to be divided into 4 stages.

• Stage 1 will be the foundational stage, there will be two levels here consisting of 3 years of preschool which will be level 1 for ages 3-6 and level 2 comprising of class 1 and 2 for 6-8 yr olds, here the main focus will be to educate kids in a fun way. Education will be play and activity-based.

• Stage 2 will be the preparatory stage for kids from class 3-5, here kids will discover different things and learn different things in a playful and activity-based way and there will interactive classroom learning.

• Stage 3 will be the middle stage for class 6-8, there will be experimental learning in science, math, arts, social sciences and humanities.

• Stage 4 will be the secondary stage for class 9-12 where kids will be taught discipline, critical thinking, flexibility and other subjects of the student`s choice.

So clearly big changes are about to be made in our educational structure and this is how the 5+3+3+4 will be implemented.

Emphasis on regional languages

The new educational policy also states that both the private and government schools wherever possible the teachers should give instructions in the mother tongue/ regional language/ home language/ local language of the kids until class 5 or preferably until class 8 and beyond. The local languages/ local language should be continued to be taught as a language subject wherever possible. What 3 languages will be taught to the kids in school will be decided by the respective states. All classical languages will be widely available in schools as options.

This is a really good step taken by the authorities because this will help the children to understand all the instructions given to them and everything that is taught to them as they would have a far superior hold on their regional/ local languages or mother tongue because in most cases their local language is the language they might grow up speaking the most since the time of their birth.

There would be no better way to make kids understand certain complex topics and concepts than to explain it to them in the language they understand the best, it helps them to truly understand the concepts rather than just rote learning it.

The new education policy also aims to include Sanskrit as one of the main languages in the three languages formula. The new policy also proposes to offer Sanskrit at all levels of school and higher education.

No rigid separations between different streams

Students will be able to study the subjects and courses they are interested in, as schools will not have any rigid form of the three streams or curricular and extracurricular activities. All the subjects will be offered at two levels of proficiency and students will have the freedom to choose whatever subject they want or are interested in. This means that a student is free to learn music whilst learning chemistry and the child can also learn bakery along with physics, so as you can guess the possibilities are endless and kids are absolutely going to fall in love with learning. Why choose one when you can study both ;)

Now that'ss amazing, right?

Bagless days in schools

There will be more bagless days in schools to encourage other extracurricular activities and vocational skills of the student`s choice, the new policy encourages schools to have at least 10 bagless days in a year so that students can also focus on other vocational skills and engage in stuff like quizzes, different forms of art, internships, etc. with the help of vocational experts.

This will help students become an allrounder and improve their vocational skills whilst also giving them a break from their daily school schedule, it would help them relax and unwind for a change.

Global universities will be coming to India

The top universities from around the globe will be allowed to set up universities in India and this can prove to be really beneficial for our Indian students. Not only will they be getting the best quality of education but they will also be exposed to foreign ways of learning and we might learn a lot of new things from them and we might then be able to implement those teaching methods, etc in our very own educational system.

Digital Learning

There is going to be a great emphasis on digital learning in order to prepare students for the digital future. Kids are going to be taught how to code in the schools itself from class 6 onwards, this would help kids learn how to create apps and games, etc on their own for android, ios, windows etc. Along with this, they will also be trained in order to increase their logical, abstract and creative thinking and moral reasoning.

This will help them big time in their careers no matter what field they choose, as according to a study about 70% of coding jobs are in fields outside of technology.

If you all have read our other blog on why kids should start coding at an early age you all would know that we here at NotchUp have been crying out for Indian schools to start teaching kids how to code at schools in order to help them get smarter and sharper and to prepare them for the tech-dominated world that awaits them.

Along with this, the teaching will also be digitalized, already during this pandemic, most of the schools and colleges are conducting lectures online using various video conferencing apps like zoom, google meet, etc. New smart and interactive ways of teaching will be introduced to make learning easy and fun for the students. We can expect technology to play a huge role in teaching your kids at schools and there will be a great emphasis on increasing digital literacy.

There will be more emphasis on mathematics and computational thinking throughout the years in school. Schools will focus on inculcating mathematical thinking and problem solving through a variety of innovative methods, including the regular use of puzzles and games. Artificial Intelligence, Design Thinking, Holistic Health, Organic Living, Environmental Education, Global Citizenship Education (GCED) Mathematical thinking and problem-solving are the next-gen skills that will be imbibed in the students.

Mental and Physical health care

Mental health issues are on a rise nowadays, About 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide every year, of these 135,000 (17%) are residents of India, a nation with 17.5% of the world population. This is concerning and the authorities have taken a great call by prioritizing the mental and physical health of the students at schools. There will be annual health checkups at all schools to make sure students are in good health.

The weight of school bags and textbooks would be reduced through suitable changes in curriculum and pedagogy. Mandatory skills will be imbibed in all students - health, nutrition, physical education, fitness, wellness, sports. In addition to this basic training in preventive health care, mental health, first aid, personal and public hygiene will be included in the curriculum in all schools.

The state would also encourage the hiring of good amount counsellors and teachers at schools. Differentiated interventions and suitable infrastructure development at schools will be made in order to make access easier for children with disability. And the overall atmosphere of schools will be filled with care and inclusivity and the teachers and the principal will play a huge roll in this.

Changes in university, 10th and 12th board exams.

Now with the new education policy, the two board exams that put immense pressure and panic on students and parents, the 10th and 12th-grade board exams will be revamped. The focus will now be shifted on testing core concepts of students and not rote learning. It is aimed to promote the quest for knowledge amongst children and help in their development. As per the New Education Policy, all students will be allowed to take Board Exams on two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, the later depending on if the student wants to give it.

Also, The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a common entrance examination for university admission twice a year, it will include an aptitude test and specialized common subject examination for all the three streams.

The undergraduate degree, which is usually of three/four years will now come with multiple exit options during the length of the course, which means that students can drop out after any year and will still get at least a certificate. Those who leave the course after completing one year will be given a certificate in discipline and those who drop out after either 2 or 3 years, those students will be given a diploma and Bachelor’s degree respectively. Overall, the 4-year multidisciplinary Bachelor’s program will be the preferred choice for the students as they will be awarded a degree with research if they complete a project along with their degree.

Some more details that you would like to know

Now that we have touched upon all the main highlights of the new policy, here are a few more intricate details that you all would like to know.

• There will be a reduction in curriculum. All subjects to be reduced to its core essentials. More emphasis will be given on critical thinking, inquiry, discovery, discussion and analysis-based teaching and learning methods for holistic education. Teaching will be interactive and dependency on textbook learning will be reduced. Experiential learning, creative, collaborative, and exploratory activities in classroom for experiential learning and deeper student learning will be encouraged. Students will also be encouraged to ask more question in order to clear all their doubts and make learning more interactive.

• There will be continuous tracking of learning outcomes of every child. AI-based software will be used to help keep track of the progress of the students to enable them to make good career choices. National Assessment Centre will help in bringing greater synergy in board exams conducted by various Boards of Assessments. Self Assessment and Peer Assessment will be introduced which means that the fellow students will also play a huge role in helping your child grow and the child himself will be made capable enough to assess himself and work hard on improving his/her weaker areas. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will work to offer a high-quality common aptitude test, to eliminate the need for taking coaching for these exams.

• Schools will be encouraged to set up Bal Bhavan for children of all age group to partake in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. The unutilized areas of school complexes will be used as Samajik Chetna Kendra to promote social, intellectual, and voluntary activities among students and imbibe good values in them.

• The schools will be encouraged to share their resources so that every school can grow and most importantly the students get all the required thing. Everything is apparently going to be well planned and governed and required changes will always be made.

• There will be a setting up of State School Standards Authority(SSSA). There will be self-disclosure of all the basic regulatory information of all schools at SSSA and School website to ensure all schools follow certain minimal professional and quality standards in order to provide kids with the best quality of education. There will also be the development of School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) by SCERT & NCERT. A periodic check of the overall system through a sample-based National Achievement Survey (NAS) will be done. Public and private schools will be assessed and accredited on common minimum criteria Private/philanthropic schools to be encouraged and enabled to play a beneficial role.

Conclusion - Finally a step in the right direction?

In short yes, this is what we have been asking for and the authorities have finally delivered! The changes are huge and have come after almost 30+ years, finally, kids will be thought something valuable and worth learning, they will finally be learning the next-gen skills which will help them big time in their careers.

The early signs are really promising, as long as everything is implemented smartly and efficiently without any sort of exclusions, without excluding even a single child, then the future looks bright. India is on the right track and with proper guidance, our kids will take India to new heights and will help India become a superpower in terms of development and technology. Kids might finally find school and learning more fun and exciting.

Maybe finally now every kid in India will get his/her right to education and every child will be able to get quality education and the same amount of opportunities as everyone else gets in order to unlock countless doors of good opportunities which will help every child to be successful in life.

NOW IT'S INDIA'S TIME TO NOTCHUP!