As a Class 12 HSC student currently studying in a college in Mumbai, I feel lucky to be a student as the National Education Policy 2020 gets passed.
The National Education Policy 2020 is a fresh relief from the out-dated education policy we previously had. It has more emphasis on skill learning and understanding, and lesser focus on rote learning.
As a student, it is a boon for me since I’ll be able to focus on understanding the core elements of the subject, and not waste my time on unnecessary concepts that are only intended to fill pages in a text book.
The pattern of the examinations is also welcome from the student community, since it will focus on objective type questions that are based on understanding the subject and not just vomiting words from the textbook onto answer sheets.
The new formula for school education (5+3+3+4) will attempt to imbibe the international standards of education in the Indian Education system. The Indian system of education is often criticised for being rotten due to the excessive emphasis on rote-learning and impractical knowledge.
However, the new policy intends to provide flexibility in subject choice and gets rid of the outdated ‘3 stream’ system that was the main cause of academic caused depression and suicide. Now, Arts subjects can be taken along with Commerce or Science subjects, providing students with a vast number of options to choose from.
Moreover, the syllabus of courses on Sociology, Political Science and History which were the breeding ground for Urban Maoism will also be curbed by the ‘Indian-ization’ of the syllabus. Regional languages would be used as a medium of communication in schools till Class 5, grooming the student to be more nationalistic and understand his/her cultural roots.
The 3 subject concept will also provide Sanskrit as an option to those who have Hindi as their mother tongue. The merging of institutions like UGC and AICTE into one regulatory board is also going to reform the education system, making it more efficient.
The new policy will also reduce the number of drop-outs from colleges, increasing the number of graduates in the country. The policy will provide a ‘basic certificate’ to those who complete one year of their course, diploma for two years and degree for the completion of the course. Majority of the students who drop-out of college are usually suffering from poverty or family issues. This new system will make it easier for them to join back the institute and complete the course one their matter is resolved.
Overall, this is a good change and should have been implemented way before. The Modi government has fulfilled yet another promise it had made in its manifesto. Hopefully, this new policy will reform the system for the better and truly make India a global power.
