News Desk: The Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020. This will make way for large scale transformation in both school and higher education sectors.
This is the first education policy of the 21st century. It replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE) of 1986.
The Policy is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. This policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower. Both school and college education will become holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary. The policy is best suited to 21st century needs. It aims at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.
The current expenditure on education stands at 4 percent of GDP. The National Education Policy intends to increase it to 6 percent. Central and State governments will work together to achieve an expenditure of 6 percent of GDP.
NEP 2020 emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels. Starting from preschool to secondary. Innovative education centers will bring back dropouts into the mainstream. The policy will track students and their learning levels
About 2 Crore out-of-school children will be brought back into the mainstream under NEP 2020.
All sections of Assam have welcomed NEP 2020. They termed it as a ray of hope for the State’s education sector.
Dr. Ankuran Dutta said that education and health should always get the priority. The new Education Policy, 2020 gives hope for escalating quality education in India. It targets 50% of GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) from present 26.3%.
With the feature of community engagement, the universities will be able to reach the unreached along with the core areas of teaching and research. The policy also provides multiple exit options. It will help lakhs of learners saving their valuable time.
Subhrangshu Sekhar Sarkar, Tezpur University Professor described the policy as a path-breaking concept. The Policy will help learners who do not have the fortune of continuous education.
Students can take a break from the undergraduate course. They can come back again within a specified period. They will not miss any credits earned during the previous session. Also, there is the provision of appropriate certifications after every year of the undergraduate program. It includes a Certificate after completing one year in a discipline or field. A Diploma after two years of study. And a Bachelor’s degree after a three-year program.
The undergraduate degree will have multiple exit options with appropriate certifications. An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) will be established to store digitally the academic credits earned from various recognized higher educational institutes. The credits earned in the previous years can be carried forward to the newly admitted program again. With ABC, the chance of wastage of academic years will be avoided
COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has stressed the importance of online education. The pandemic has also introduced online exams in the education system. The new Education policy will show a definite path of progress towards knowledge. The Policy ensures education for all.
