Cabinet clears National Education Policy to push reforms in higher education, reduce content load in school curriculum

Image courtesy: PIB

New Delhi: Union cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the National Education Policy and the announcement was made by HRD Minister Ramesh Nishank and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar at National Media Centre here on Wednesday (July 29). 

Prakash Javadekar said that the Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a new education policy for the 21st century, adding "It is important as for 34 years there were no changes in the education policy." 

Talking about new proposals under the NEP, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said the major reforms in the Cabinet-approved National Education Policy 2020 include a target to have 50% gross enrollment ratio by 2035 along with a provision for multiple entry/exit. 

The NEP will replace the existing National Policy on Education, which was formulated in 1986 and later modified in 1992. The NEP includes the extension of the Right to Education Act 2009 to cover children between the age group of 3 to 18 years. It also seeks to reduce the content load in the school education curriculum.

Other key features of the NEP are:

-The NEP will focus on skill development beginning from Class 6, with practical assignments for the students.

-It will aim to make mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction till class 5 in schools.

-Measures will be taken to prepare the teachers for the assessment reforms by 2023.

-The new reforms will introduce e-courses in regional languages instead of limiting the e-content to Hindi and English.

-The focus of school reforms will be to develop a scientific temper in students at a young age. The curriculum would integrate 21st-century skills and mathematical thinking.

-School education will include developing a play-based curriculum of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE), which will match the universal standards.

-The board exams will test the students' knowledge and it's an application and not just rote learning.

-The NEP will bring in a single regulatory body for higher education, except for legal and medical education.

-A new national curriculum framework will be introduced for ECCE, school, teachers, and adult education.