New Education Policy to bring in drastic changes

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 17

To introduce the New Education Policy 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, has sought suggestions from academicians, through which the education system in the country can be improved. Educationists, teachers and principals have started sending feedback to the Ministry. The Central Government wants to draft a policy, which should have uniformity in the education system.

As per educationists, if the New Education Policy is implemented, everything will be drastically changed. The new policy will focus curricular and pedagogical structure and the curricular framework for school education will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design. Five years of foundational stage (age 3-8 years) will include three years of a pre-primary and Class I and II. It will focus on learning based on play and active discovery. Three years of preparatory stage (8-11 years) will include Class III ot V and will focus on building on play and discovery and act as transition to structured learning. Three years of middle stage (11-14 years) will include Class VI to VIII and four years of the secondary stage (14-18 years) will include Class IX to XIII. The secondary stage will comprise four years of multidisciplinary study and will build subject depth, critical thinking, attention to life aspirations with flexibility for student choice.

A major change, if at all implemented, will be the introduction of a new semester system. The semesters will be of six months each and students will no longer study the entire syllabus. At the end of the second semester, a student would have appeared for 12 papers combined. A new system, in which students can appear for their examinations in two patterns, has also been introduced. If a student isn’t prepared in two subjects, he/she can appear for those two subjects in the second semester. This allows the students to sit for either 6+6 or 4+8 papers in a year, completing a total of 12 papers.

Commenting on the draft of the New Education Policy, the principal of Nankana Public School, Harmeet Kaur Waraich, said: “According to the new draft, students can appear for examinations according to their preparation. This would give liberty to the students. A student can either sit for 6+6 or 4+8 pattern in a year. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has asked for reviews. We will give a feedback after discussing the pros and cons. It is a lengthy draft of over 400 pages. Personally, I feel it would be very relaxing for the student. There will be an overall uniformity in the school education in the country. The NCERT books will also be strengthened. Private publications will be curbed and only the Centre will have the authority to print all books. If this is achieved, the next step would be uniformity in the fee structure. If education/books will be same all over, the fee structure will also have to be uniform, giving much needed relief to the parents.”

Intoroduction of new semester system

• The states cannot introduce their own pattern and will have to adhere to the system formulated by the Centre. As per educationists, if the New Education Policy is implemented, everything will be drastically changed. 

• The new policy will focus curricular and pedagogical structure and the curricular framework for school education will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design. Five years of foundational stage (age 3-8 years) will include three years of a pre-primary and Class I and II. It will focus on learning based on play and active discovery. Three years of preparatory stage (8-11 years) will include Class III ot V and will focus on building on play and discovery and act as transition to structured learning. Three years of middle stage (11-14 years) will include Class VI to VIII and four years of the secondary stage (14-18 years) will include Class IX to XIII. 

• The secondary stage will comprise four years of multidisciplinary study and will build subject depth, critical thinking, attention to life aspirations with flexibility for student choice. 

• A major change, if at all implemented, will be the introduction of a new semester system. The semesters will be of six months each. At the end of the second semester, a student would have appeared for 12 papers combined. A new system, in which students can appear for their examinations in two patterns, has also been introduced. If a student isn’t prepared in two subjects, he/she can appear for those two subjects in the second semester. This allows the students to sit for either 6+6 or 4+8 papers in a year, completing a total of 12 papers.