- Prime Minister said that students will study under a new curriculum drawn from the National Education Policy when the country celebrates its 75th year of Independence in 2022, and asserted that the curriculum will be “forward-looking, future ready and scientific“.
- Addressing a conclave on “School Education in 21st Century” under the NEP 2020, Mr. Modi also emphasised on the need for children to study in their mother tongue or local language at least till Class 5.
- NEP places no bar on learning any language and that children can study English or any international language which they find useful.
- His comments come amid criticism of the NEP-2020 by some opposition-ruled states.
- A few Opposition parties have accused the ruling BJP of working to promote Hindi, a charge rejected by it.
- In the current system, marksheet has become “pressure sheet” for students and “prestige sheet” for families, but the new policy aims to remove this pressure.
- It focuses on learning based on fun, activities and discovery, and seeks to develop mathematical thinking and scientific temperament.
- The NEP has been prepared in way that the syllabus can be reduced and focus should be shifted to fundamentals.
- A national curriculum framework will be developed with a view to make learning a fun-based complete experience.
- It will have new skills to promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and curiosity.
- Engage, explore, experience, express and excel should be the mantra of the new age learning.
- Students should have 21st century skills which are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity and communication.
- Young students should not be spending their energy more on understanding a language than their subject, this is why mother tongue is the medium of study in early education in most countries.
- One of the major reasons behind the drop-out ratio is that students do not have the freedom of choosing their own subject but NEP will give the choice.
- Now, students will not have to be limited to the watertight boundaries of commerce, science, and humanities and will choose any subjects they want to.
- The NEP approved by the Union Cabinet in July replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.
- Among the reforms proposed in the policy for school education are universalisation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children up to the age 8;
- Replacing 10+2 structure of school curricula by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure; integrating curriculum to 21st-century skills, and mathematical thinking and scientific temper.
