Govt unveils sweeping changes for education
Greater flexibility in exam system, curriculum pattern, medium of instruction
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet passed India’s first new National Education Policy in at least 28 years, recommending primary education in local languages, facilitating the possible entry of foreign universities in India, creating a single higher-education regulator, and easier board examinations -- wide-ranging reforms aimed at making the Indian education system more contemporary and skill-oriented. NEP also renamed the HRD (human resources development) ministry as the education ministry.
The policy also sets ambitious targets: increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% from the current 26%, creating an additional 35 million seats in colleges, and increasing the education budget to 6% of the GDP from the present 4%. The NEP lays down that by 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary, with at least 3,000. It also says that by 2030 there will be at least one large multidisciplinary institution in or near every district. It also moots Special Education Zones (SEZ) in backward districts.
Information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, flanked by HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and HRD secretaries Amit Khare and Anita Karwal, said it was after 34 years that India’s education policy was being overhauled. Indeed, while the last policy was announced in 1992, it was essentially a rehash of a 1986 one. The policy, drafted by a committee headed by former Isro chief K Kasturirangan submitted its report last year.
The new policy brings with it a range of initiatives that touch every aspect of teaching and learning from the pre-school level to higher education including research.Some, like the recommendation on local languages or mother-tongues may be controversial. An early draft was criticised for this very issue, with allegations that the government was using it as a way to impose Hindi on people in non-Hindi speaking parts of the country. It is not clear whether the recommendation will be a rule or a guideline.
SCHOOLS
The policy has emphasised that the mother tongue, local language or the regional language should be the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. It also said that Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the threelanguage formula.
“The policy makes it clear that mother tongue should be the preferable medium of instruction wherever possible. However, there is going to be no imposition of any language. It will be for the states to decide,” said a senior HRD ministry official who asked not to be named. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level.
NEW DELHI: The New Education Policy approved by the Centre on Wednesday puts a focus on students’ mother tongue as the medium of instruction even as it sticks to the ‘three language formula’ while emphasizing that no language would be imposed on anyone.
The policy document states that since children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their home language, which is often the mother tongue, it should preferably be the medium of instruction.
“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 or the regional language. Thereafter, the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools,” the policy states.
This, however, led to a question on the existence of thousands of English-medium schools that operate across the country. Many of these impart high-quality education and are leading institutions in their particular regions.
When contacted, a senior HRD ministry official said the policy does not aim to impose any language at anyone.
“Even with regard to instruction in mother tongue, the policy document emphasizes wherever possible. There is no question of imposing anything.
Moreover, it is for the state governments to take decisions in this regard according to requirements of the students,” the official said, asking not to be named.
Language is a sensitive area as far as the education policy is concerned.
Previously, the draft policy submitted by the panel headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan
to the HRD ministry suggested a bigger focus on Hindi as a teaching medium, a suggestion that triggered a controversy with criticism pouring in from southern states.