India gets a new education, exam policy

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to a new National Education Policy aimed to bring about several changes in the education system from the school to college level.

Addressing a press conference, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said that following the new education policy and reforms, the country will achieve a 50 per cent gross enrolment ratio by 2035.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said: "It is important because there was no change in the education policy in the last 34 years."

Meanwhile, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has been renamed the Ministry of Education.

During the briefing, Khare assured that public investment in the education sector will reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest. Currently, it is around 4.43 per cent.

Outcomes of the National Education Policy will be universalisation of education from primary to secondary by 2030, attaining foundational learning and numeracy skills by 2025, 100 per cent gross enrolment ratio by 2030, and 20 million school children joining back.

It will also include preparation of teachers for assessment reforms by 2023, an inclusive education system by 2030, board exams only to test core concepts, and instilling at least one vocational skill in every child.

Highlights

The key highlights of the New Education Policy is use of technology in teaching, learning and assessment, a single regulator for higher education, graded autonomy for colleges, and phasing out of the affiliation system in 15 years.

It also includes formation of the National Research Foundation, internationalisation of education and multiple entry and exit for students and an academic bank of credit.

The major reforms in school education includes universalisation of early childhood care education, setting up of a national mission on foundational literacy and numeracy, 5+3+3+4 circular and pedological structure and no rigid separation between arts and sciences.

New subjects

Students will be taught coding from class 6, there will be vocational integration from class 6 as against from secondary level, and a gender inclusion fund for girl child development. Board examination will now be low stake and based on knowledge application.

The policy also mandates the medium of instruction till at least class 5 and preferably till class 8 and beyond in home or regional language, and 360 degree holistic report card - by children, by classmates and teachers.

Besides this, PARAKH - Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development - will form the standard, norm and guidelines for the schools so that it reaches the benchmark. Schools will have transparent online systems for self-disclosure for public oversight and accountability.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will offer a common entrance exam for admission to higher education institutes, and a National Professional Standard for teachers to be prepared by the NCERT and the NCTE.