Will accept ‘good aspects’ of NEP: School Education Min

SPCSS-TN general secretary PB Prince Gajendra Babu said the government needs to clearly state what is good and what is bad in the NEP

CHENNAI: Contradictory to its stance of opposing the Centre’s New Education Policy (NEP), the state government’s proposal to accept the policy with regard to School Education had raised the eyebrows of the stakeholders here.

School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that the state would take the ‘good aspects’ of the NEP. However, the state government is yet to come out clearly on the official implementation of NEP’s

‘good aspects.’

A senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity, told DT Next that the proposal of the common assessment exam for the students studying from Classes 6 to 8 might be a part of NEP.

“In addition, the state government is implementing inclusive education, which is also there in NEP,” he said adding the inclusive education is a scientific approach towards educating children with physical and learning difficulties along with other children in the same classroom in a mainstream school.

The official also pointed out that curtailing dropout rates and ensuring universal access to education at all levels, which is also a part of NEP, is being implemented in the state.

“Foundational literacy and numeracy, an important and cited as urgent aspect in NEP, will be implemented shortly in the name of “Ennum Ezhutthum Mission” for the children studying from Classes 1 to 3,” he said adding “strengthening of Teachers Eligibility Test, which was mentioned in the NEP, will also be done here in the state.” However, the official said the ‘good aspects’ of NEP have not been derived fully and still authorities were discussing it.

State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) general secretary PB Prince Gajendra Babu said the government needs to clearly state what is good and what is bad in the NEP. “Without a policy direction, any programme may land in chaos,” he said adding “a vision for education based on social justice principles is the need of the hour.”

Echoing similar views Tamil Nadu Teachers Association president PK Ilamaran said that the Minister should come out with the list of ‘good aspects’ in the NEP before implementing it. “The implementation of schemes in NEP should benefit all the students,” he said adding “it should also improve the infrastructure and standards of all government and government-aided schools.”