India unveils new education policy after 34 years
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E-mail Xinhua, July 30, 2020
The Indian government on Wednesday approved a new education policy, bringing about major reforms in higher education, restructuring of assessment methodology and early education in the mother tongue.
According to a statement by the federal government, this is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the 34-year old National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1986.
The government also renamed the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) as Ministry of Education.
The new "National Education Policy 2020" (NEP-2020) paves the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems. The new policy also aims for universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030.
GER in higher education would also be raised to 50 percent by 2035, and as many as 35 million seats would be added in higher education.
Besides, it aims at bringing 20 million children who are out of school back into the mainstream.
Under the NEP-2020, a new school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and three years of pre-schooling would be introduced.
Teaching up to at least Grade-5 to be in mother tongue, or regional language, in different states across the country, according to the NEP-2020.
Built on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability, this policy aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary.
Under the new policy, the school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with the key 21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential learning.
Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.
Vocational education will start in schools from the Grade 6, and will include internships.
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