NEP (National Educational Policy) 2020: School Education

Dr. Kuldeep Agarwal

The NEP (New Education Policy) 2020, announced recently, has come after 34 years; the last one being the NPE 1986 (revised in 1992). Education is one issue that does, and should, interest each and every one of us. We have all been educated up to some level or the other. Some young readers may still be studying. If we are older, we may be having children or grandchildren who are studying. So it can be assumed that all of us, without exception, are stakeholders in education. So what the NEP 2020 is going to do to the world of education in our country concerns all of us. In this Paper, we will restrict ourselves to School Education and discuss the major provisions of the Policy with regard to School Education only.

1.       Philosophical Approach of NEP 2020

 

1.1      Philosophical Approach in the Introduction: The following are the important philosophical approaches that emerge from the Introduction of NEP 2020-

1.       Alignment with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including Sustainable Development Goals: This Policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG4, while building upon India’s traditions and value systems.

2.       Instilling Knowledge and Thought of India (Bharat) for developing national pride: The rich heritage of ancient and eternal Indian knowledge and thought has been a guiding light for this Policy. The pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragyaa), and truth (Satya) was always considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal. The aim of education in ancient India was not just the acquisition of knowledge as preparation for life in this world, or life beyond schooling, but for the complete realization and liberation of the self. World-class institutions of ancient India such as Takshashila, Nalanda,Vikramshila, Vallabhi, set the highest standards of multidisciplinary teaching and research and hosted scholars and students from across backgrounds and countries. The Indian education system produced great scholars such as Charaka, Susruta, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta, Chanakya, Chakrapani Datta, Madhava, Panini, Patanjali, Nagarjuna, Gautama, Pingala, Sankardev, Maitreyi, Gargi and Thiruvalluvar, among numerous others, who made seminal contributions to world knowledge in diverse fields such as mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medical science and surgery, civil engineering, architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, yoga, fine arts, chess, and more. Indian culture and philosophy have had a strong influence on the world.

These rich legacies to world heritage must not only be nurtured and preserved for posterity but also researched, enhanced, and put to new uses through our education system. Instilling knowledge of India and its varied social, cultural, and technological needs, its inimitable artistic, language, and knowledge traditions, and its strong ethics in India’s young people is considered critical for purposes of national pride, self-confidence, self-knowledge, cooperation, and integration.

3.       Learning How to Learn: It is becoming increasingly critical that children not only learn, but more importantly learn how to learn. Education thus, must move towards less content, and more towards learning about how to think critically and solve problems, how to be creative and multidisciplinary, and how to innovate, adapt, and absorb new material in novel and changing fields.

4.       Holistic Education: Pedagogy must evolve to make education more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based, flexible, and, of course, enjoyable. The curriculum must include basic arts, crafts, humanities, games, sports and fitness, languages, literature, culture, and values, in addition to science and mathematics, to develop all aspects and capabilities of learners; and make education more well-rounded, useful, and fulfilling to the learner. Education must build character, enable learners to be ethical, rational, compassionate, and caring, while at the same time prepare them for gainful, fulfilling employment.

5.       Inclusivity in Education: The new education policy must provide to all students, irrespective of their place of residence, a quality education system, with particular focus on historically marginalized, disadvantaged, and underrepresented groups.

6.       Empowering Teachers to restore their High Status in Society: The teacher must be at the centre of the fundamental reforms in the education system. The new education policy must help re-establish teachers, at all levels, as the most respected and essential members of our society, because they truly shape our next generation of citizens. It must do everything to empower teachers and help them to do their job as effectively as possible. The new education policy must help recruit the very best and brightest to enter the teaching profession at all levels, by ensuring livelihood, respect, dignity, and autonomy, while also instilling in the system basic methods of quality control and accountability.

1.2    Philosophy in the Vision: The Vision of the Policy is reproduced verbatim below-

 “This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby global knowledge superpower. The Policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values, bonding with one’s country, and a conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world. The vision of the Policy is to instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.”

The key philosophical approaches evident in the Vision  are:

·         Envisioning an education system rooted in Indian ethos

·         Transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society and thereby global knowledge superpower

·         Providing high-quality education to all

·         Developing in the students a deep sense of respect towards Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values as well as bonding with one’s country

·         Instilling among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds

·         Supporting responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being thereby reflecting a truly global citizen

1.3       Guiding Principles: The NEP 2020 has given certain fundamental principles that will guide both the education system at large, as well as the individual institutions within it are. These are:

  •  recognizing, identifying, and fostering the unique capabilities of each student, by sensitizing teachers as well as parents to promote each student’s holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres;

·         according the highest priority to achieving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by all students by Grade 3;

·         flexibility, so that learners have the ability to choose their learning trajectories and programmes, and thereby choose their own paths in life according to their talents and interests;

·         no hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams, etc. in order to eliminate harmful hierarchies among, and silos between different areas of learning;

·         multidisciplinarity and a holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure the unity and integrity of all knowledge;

·         emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams;

·         creativity and critical thinking to encourage logical decision-making and innovation;

·         ethics and human & Constitutional values like empathy, respect for others, cleanliness, courtesy, democratic spirit, spirit of service, respect for public property, scientific temper, liberty, responsibility, pluralism, equality, and justice;

·         promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning;

·         life skills such as communication, cooperation, teamwork, and resilience;

·         focus on regular formative assessment for learning rather than the summative assessment that encourages today’s ‘coaching culture ’;

·         extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access for Divyang students, and educational planning and management;

·         respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy, always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject;

·         full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system;

·         synergy in curriculum across all levels of education from early childhood care and education to school education to higher education;

·         teachers and faculty as the heart of the learning process – their recruitment, continuous professional development, positive working environments and service conditions;

·         a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency, and resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure while encouraging innovation and out-of-the-box ideas through autonomy, good governance, and empowerment;

·         outstanding research as a co-requisite for outstanding education and development;

·         continuous review of progress based on sustained research and regular assessment by educational experts;

·         a rootedness and pride in India, and its rich, diverse, ancient and modern culture and knowledge systems and traditions;

·         education is a public service; access to quality education must be considered a basic right of every child;

·         substantial investment in a strong, vibrant public education system as well as the encouragement and facilitation of true philanthropic private and community participation.

 

2. Provision With Regard to School Education

 

2.1               Structure of School Education: The most important change in school education that has been envisaged in this Policy is in the structure of school education. It envisages that the 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18. Right now, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 structure as Class 1 begins at age 6. In the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development, and well-being.

The first stage of 5 years (age 3 to 8) will be called the Foundational Stage, which will include 3 years of pre-primary school (age 3 to 6) and Classes 1 and 2 (age 6 to 8). The next stage of 3 years (age 8 to 11) will be called the  Preparatory Stage and include Classes 3, 4, and 5. The third stage of 3 years (age 11 to 14) is the Middle (or Upper Primary) Stage, including Classes 6, 7 and 8. The last stage of 4 years (age 14 to 18) will be the High (or Secondary) Stage, including Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12.

What is the significance of this change in the structure? Pre-Primary stage has been recognised and formalized in the Policy, which was not there earlier. This age group will also be added in the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Thus every child in the country will now have the right to a quality pre-primary education. Of course, the nomenclature will change; these three years of pre-primary will be a part of the Foundational Stage, which will extend up to Class 2. Consequently, all government school systems will also add these classes.    

This is the most important major change that this NEP 2020 will bring about in School Education.

2.2       Early Childhood Care and Education

Universalization of ECCE: The Policy recommends that “Universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care, and education must be achieved as soon as possible, and no later than 2030, to ensure that all students entering Grade 1 are school ready. The overall aim of ECCE will be to attain optimal outcomes in the domains of: physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development, cultural/artistic development, and the development of communication and early language, literacy, and numeracy.”

National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE): It has been mandated that a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 will be developed by NCERT (National Council for Educational Research & Training). The NCPFECCE will be in two parts: (i) a sub-framework for   0-3 year-olds; and (ii) a sub-framework for 3-8 year-olds. These will be aligned with the guidelines given in the Policy as well as with the latest research on ECCE and national and international best practices. In particular, the numerous rich local traditions of India developed over millennia in ECCE involving art, stories, poetry, games, songs, and more, will also be suitably incorporated. It has been stipulated that the framework will serve as a guide both for parents as well as for ECCE institutions.

Agencies/Institutions for providing ECCE: The Policy has prescribed that the overarching goal in this regard will be to ensure universal access to high-quality ECCE across the country in a phased manner. Special attention and priority will be given to districts and locations that are particularly socio-economically disadvantaged. ECCE shall be delivered through a significantly expanded and strengthened system of early-childhood education institutions consisting of (a) stand-alone Anganwad is; (b) Anganwad is co-located with primary schools; (c) pre-primary schools/sections covering at least age 5 to 6 years co-located with existing primary schools; and (d) stand-alone pre-schools - all of which would recruit workers/teachers specially trained in the curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE.

2.3 Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

Urgent National Mission: According to the Policy, attaining foundational literacy and numeracy for all children will become an urgent national mission. For this, immediate measures will be taken on many fronts and with clear goals that will be attained in the short term (including that every student will attain foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3). The highest priority of the education system will be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary school by 2025. It has been clearly stated: “The rest of this Policy will become relevant for our students only if this most basic learning requirement (i.e., reading, writing, and arithmetic at the foundational level) is first achieved.”

Promotion of Children’s Book Development and a Culture of Reading: The Policy mandates that enjoyable and inspirational books for students at all levels will be developed, including through high-quality translation (technology assisted as needed) in all local and Indian languages, and will be made available extensively in schools as well as in local public libraries. Public and school libraries will be significantly expanded to build a culture of reading across the country. Digital libraries will also be established. School libraries will be set up - particularly in villages - to serve the community during non-school hours; book clubs may meet in public/school libraries to further facilitate and promote widespread reading. A National Book Promotion Policy will be formulated, and extensive initiatives will be undertaken to ensure the availability, accessibility, quality, and readership of books across geographies, languages, levels, and genres.

Nutrition and Health of Children: According to the Policy, children are unable to learn optimally when they are undernourished or unwell. Hence, the nutrition and health (including mental health) of children will be addressed, through healthy meals and the introduction of well-trained social workers, counsellors, and community involvement into the schooling system. The Policy mentions that research shows that the morning hours after a nutritious breakfast can be particularly productive for the study of cognitively more demanding subjects and hence these hours may be leveraged by providing a simple but energizing breakfast in addition to midday meals. In locations where hot meals are not possible, a simple but nutritious meal, e.g., groundnuts/chana mixed with jaggery and/or local fruits may be provided. All school children shall undergo regular health check-ups especially for 100% immunization in schools and health cards will be issued to monitor the same.

2.4       Curtailing Dropout Rates and Ensuring Universal Access to Education at All Levels : According to the Policy, one of the primary goals of the schooling system must be to ensure that children are enrolled in and are attending school. Through initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (now the Samagra Shiksha) and the Right to Education Act, India has made remarkable strides in recent years in attaining near-universal enrolment in elementary education. However, the data for later grades indicates some serious issues in retaining children in the schooling system. The number of out of school children in the age group of 6 to 17 years has been estimated to be 3.22 crore. The Policy mandates: “It will be a top priority to bring these children back into the educational fold as early as possible, and to prevent further students from dropping out, with a goal to achieve 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio in preschool to secondary level by 2030. A concerted national effort will be made to ensure universal access and afford opportunity to all children of the country to obtain quality holistic education–including vocational education - from pre-school to Grade 12.”

2.5       Curriculum and Pedagogy in Schools: Learning Should be Holistic, Integrated, Enjoyable, and Engaging: The Policy lays down the norms for the curriculum and pedagogy to be followed in various stages of the new 5+3+3+4 system.

The Foundational Stage will consist of five years of flexible, multilevel, play/activity-based learning and the curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE.

The Preparatory Stage will comprise three years of education building on the play, discovery, and activity-based pedagogical and curricular style of the Foundational Stage. It will also begin to incorporate some light text books as well as aspects of more formal but interactive classroom learning, in order to lay a solid groundwork across subjects, including reading, writing, speaking, physical education, art, languages, science, and mathematics.

The Middle Stage will comprise three years of education, building on the pedagogical and curricular style of the Preparatory Stage, but with the introduction of subject teachers for learning and discussion of the more abstract concepts in each subject that students will be ready for at this stage across the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences, and humanities. Experiential learning within each subject, and explorations of relations among different subjects, will be encouraged and emphasized despite the introduction of more specialized subjects and subject teachers.

The Secondary Stage will comprise of four years of multidisciplinary study, building on the subject-oriented pedagogical and curricular style of the Middle Stage, but with greater depth, greater critical thinking, greater attention to life aspirations, and greater flexibility and student choice of subjects. In particular students would continue to have the option of exiting after Grade 10 and re-entering in the next phase to pursue vocational or any other courses available in Grades 11-12, including at a more specialized school, if so desired.

Holistic development of learners: The Policy recommends that the key overall thrust of curriculum and pedagogy reform across all stages will be to move the education system towards real understanding and towards learning how to learn - and away from the culture of rote learning as is largely present today. The aim of education will not only be cognitive development, but also building character and creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with the key 21st century skills.

 

Reduction of curriculum content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking: It has been recommended that curriculum content will be reduced in each subject to its core essentials, to make space for critical thinking and more holistic, inquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning. The mandated content will focus on key concepts, ideas, applications, and problem-solving. Teaching and learning will be conducted in a more interactive manner; questions will be encouraged, and classroom sessions will regularly contain more fun, creative, collaborative, and exploratory activities for students for deeper and more experiential learning.

 

Experiential learning: In all stages, experiential learning will be adopted, including hands-on learning, arts-integrated and sports-integrated education, story-telling-based pedagogy, among others, as standard pedagogy within each subject, and with explorations of relations among different subjects. To close the gap in achievement of learning outcomes, classroom transactions will shift, towards competency-based learning and education. The assessment tools (including assessment “as”, “of”, and “for” learning) will also be aligned with the learning outcomes, capabilities, and dispositions as specified for each subject of a given class.

 

Art-integration is a cross-curricular pedagogical approach that utilizes various aspects and forms of art and culture as the basis for learning of concepts across subjects. As a part of the thrust on experiential learning, art-integrated education will be embedded in classroom transactions not only for creating joyful classrooms, but also for imbibing the Indian ethos through integration of Indian art and culture in the teaching and learning process at every level. This art-integrated approach will strengthenSports-integration is another cross-curricular pedagogical approach that utilizes physical activities including indigenous sports, in pedagogical practices to help in developing skills such as collaboration, self-initiative, self-direction, self-discipline, teamwork, responsibility, citizenship, etc.

 

Sports-integrated learning will be undertaken in classroom transactions to help students adopt fitness as a lifelong attitude and to achieve the related life skills along with the levels of fitness as envisaged in the Fit India Movement. The need to integrate sports in education is well recognized as it serves to foster holistic development by promoting physical and psychological well-being while also enhancing cognitive abilities.

 

Empower students through flexibility in course choices: The Policy mandated that students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, particularly in secondary school - including subjects in physical education, the arts and crafts, and vocational skills – so that they can design their own paths of study and life plans. Holistic development and a wide choice of subjects and courses year to year will be the new distinguishing feature of secondary school education. There will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extracurricular ’, or ‘co-curricular’;  similarly there will be no hard separation among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or between ‘vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams. Subjects such as physical education, the arts and crafts, and vocational skills, in addition to science, humanities, and mathematics, will be incorporated throughout the school curriculum, with a consideration for what is interesting and safe at each age.

 

It has been recommended that each of the four stages of school education, in accordance with what may be possible in different regions, may consider moving towards a semester or any other system that allows the inclusion of shorter modules, or courses that are taught on alternate days, in order to allow an exposure to more subjects and enable greater flexibility. States may look into innovative methods to achieve these aims of greater flexibility and exposure to and enjoyment of a wider range of subjects, including across the arts, sciences, humanities, languages, sports, and vocational subjects.

 

2.6       Language Issues

 

Medium of Instruction: The Policy explains that young children learn and grasp nontrivial concepts more quickly in their home language/mother tongue. Home language is usually the same language as the mother tongue or that which is spoken by local communities. However, at times in multi-lingual families, there can be a home language, spoken by other family members, which may sometimes be different from mother tongue orocal language. The Policy mandates: “Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. hereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools. High-quality textbooks, including in science, will be made available in home languages/mother tongue. All efforts will be made early on to ensure that any gaps that exist between the language spoken by the child and the medium of teaching are bridged. In cases where home language/mother tongue textbook material is not available, the language of transaction between teachers and students will still remain the home language/mother tongue wherever possible. Teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching-learning materials, with those students whose home language may be different from the medium of instruction. All languages will be taught with highquality to all students; a language does not need to be the medium of instruction for it to be taught and learned well.”  

Multilingualism: Again the Policy explains that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of 2 and 8 and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young students. Therefore, the Policy recommends that children will be exposed to different languages early on (but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue), starting from the Foundational Stage onwards. All languages will be taught in an enjoyable and interactive style, with plenty of interactive conversation, and with early reading and subsequently writing in the mother tongue in the early years, and with skills developed for reading and writing in other languages in Grade 3 and beyond. There will be a major effort from both the Central and State governments to invest in large numbers of language teachers in all regional languages around the country, and, in particular, for all languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. States, especially States from different regions of India, may enter into bilateral agreements to hire teachers in large numbers from each other, to satisfy the three-language formula in their respective States, and also to encourage the study of Indian languages across the country. Extensive use of technology will be made for teaching and learning of different languages and to popularize language learning.

2.7       Curricular Integration of Essential Subjects, Skills, and Capacities: The Policy explains that while students must have a large amount of flexibility in choosing their individual curricula, certain subjects, skills, and capacities should be learned by all students to become good, successful, innovative, adaptable, and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world.

 

In addition to proficiency in languages, these skills include:

·         Ethical and Moral Reasoning;

·         Gender Sensitivity;

·         Scientific temper and evidence-based thinking, Problem solving and logical reasoning & Creativity and innovativeness

·         Knowledge of India (Bharat) – Bharat’s contribution to world culture, civilization, knowledge and wisdom, including in the fields of Mathematics, Science & Technology, Mrdicine, etc.  

·         Oral and written communication;

·         Health and nutrition & Physical education, fitness, wellness, and sports;

·         Collaboration and teamwork;

·         Vocational exposure and skills;

·         Dgital literacy, coding, and computational thinking;

·         Knowledge and practice of Human and Constitutional values, Fundamental Duties & Citizenship Skills and Values;

·         Environmental Awareness including water and resource conservation, sanitation and hygiene;

·         Sense of aesthetics and art;

·         Knowledge of critical issues facing local communities, states, the country, and the world.

 

2.8       Transforming Assessment for Student Development : The Policy recommends: “The aim of assessment in the culture of our schooling system will shift from one that is summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and formative, is more competency-based, promotes learning and development for our students, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. The primary purpose of assessment will indeed be for learning; it will help the teacher and student, and the entire schooling system, continuously revise teaching-learning processes to optimize learning and development for all students. This will be the underlying principle for assessment at all levels of education.”

The current nature of secondary school exams, including Board exams and entrance exams - and the resulting coaching culture of today - are doing much harm, especially at the secondary school level, replacing valuable time for true learning with excessive exam coaching and preparation. These exams also force students to learn a very narrow band of material in a single stream, rather than allowing the flexibility and choice that will be so important in the education system of the future.

The Policy recommends that while the Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, the existing system of Board and entrance examinations shall be reformed to eliminate the need for undertaking coaching classes. To reverse these harmful 

effects of the current assessment system, Board exams will be redesigned to encourage holistic development; students will be able to choose many of the subjects in which they take Board exams, depending on their individualized interests. Board exams will also be made ‘easier’, in the sense that they will test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than months of  coaching and memorization; any student who has been going to and making a basic effort in a school class will be able to pass and do well in the corresponding subject Board Exam without much additional effort. To further eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of Board Exams, all students will be allowed to take Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired.

2.9 Conclusion: We have seen that the NEP 2020 has made several landmark provisions for School Education in the country. Let us, at the end, list the most important ones.

1.       Philosophical Approach: Alignment with the aspirational goals of 21st century education; including Sustainable Development Goals; Instilling Knowledge and Thought of India (Bharat) for developing national pride; Learning How to Learn; Holistic Education; Inclusivity in Education; etc.

2.       Changing the School Structure from 10+ 2 to 5+3+3+4

3.       Recognizing the important role of ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education)/Pre-Primary Education in building the foundations of children and making them ‘School Ready’

4.       Steps to universalize the pre-primary stage of education and bringing it into the mainstream as an integral part of the formal school structure, making it a part of the Foundational Stage (Age 3 to 8) 

5.       Making Foundational Literacy and Numeracy an Urgent National Mission

6.       Promotion of Children’s Book Development and a Culture of Reading

7.       Providing a simple but energizing breakfast in addition to midday meals

8.       A concerted national effort to ensure universal access and afford opportunity to all children of the country to obtain quality holistic education–including vocational education - from pre-school to Grade 12. I n effect, universalization of education from 3 years of age to 18 years of age (from pre-primary to secondary)

9.       Revamping Curriculum and Pedagogy in Schools: Learning to be Holistic, Integrated, Enjoyable, and Engaging; Reduction of curriculum content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking, Art Integration, Sports Integration, Empowering students through flexibility in course choices

10.   The medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language

11.   Children will be exposed to different languages early on (but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue), starting from the Foundational Stage onwards

12.   Curricular Integration of Essential Subjects, Skills, and Capacities

13.   Paradigm shift in the culture of schooling system to shift from one that is summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and formative, is more competency-based, promotes learning and development for students, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity.



—00—

< Contents