Karnataka academics draft 'People's Education Policy 2025' as alternative to NEP

Amidst raging debates on National Education Policy and State Education Policy, the All India Save Education Committee of professors and former vice-chancellors of different universities in the country have drafted People's Education Policy 2025 as an alternative to NEP.

Rajashekar VN, member of AISEC, said, "We have pointed out many drawbacks in NEP from the time it was introduced. We have drafted PEP, which is still open for suggestions and changes from various stakeholders in education. We will place it before the Union and state governments in January and push for its implementation."

PEP offers a welcome change: an adequate number of teachers, no non-academic work for the teachers, no no-detention policy, with reintroduction of year-end exams, two-language formula, among others.

Educationists have, meanwhile, criticized the state government for failing to reject NEP and for delaying the posting of the SEP report in the public domain.

Kathyayini Chamaraj, educationist and executive trustee, CIVIC, said, "I fail to understand why the SEP report is not being made public, though it was submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah two months ago. I had submitted a memorandum with certain suggestions to one of the members of the SEP committee. The memorandum was given after consulting teachers and anganwadi workers, who are part of elementary education in the state."

Kathyayini said the state government has not rejected NEP. “There are many issues with NEP. It has no proper mention of ‘free and compulsory education’, except once. In that case, how can one justify Article 21A which provides for free and compulsory education for those in the age group of 6 to 14?”