‘SEP aims to make students future ready’

Age of school entry will remain five years, declares school education secretary B Chandra Mohan. In a telephonic interview to TOI on Saturday, a day after the state education policy (SEP) for school education was released, he explains the policy aims, how the govt intends to implement them, and reacts to criticism that the SEP is on the lines of the national education policy (NEP). Edited excerpts:

■ What is the state education policy aiming for?

With change in Technology, needs are changing, and the socioeconomic context of the state is changing. Artificial intelligence will reshape living, working, and playing. We have to prepare the child as future-ready, though we cannot anticipate everything. How our children become future-ready is the focus of the SEP and vision behind it.

■ How do you intend to do it?There are many. The two-language policy will link us to our culture, origins and identity, providing us with a background to who we are, where we originate and what we wish to attain. It provides us with an appreciation of the social context and lived experience of our people. English competency will enable us to relate to and interact with the world, unlocking doors of opportunity and advancement.

Conceptual clarity, contextual use of concepts, scientific temper, experiential learning, problem-solving and working with multi-disciplinary groups are abilities that will assist. Physical education to maintain fitness and health. Life skills will enable students' minds to be sharpened and equipped to deal with challenges in real life confidently and with flexibility.

■ Educationists opine SEP lacks wider concepts pertaining to school education.

School access was the core agenda of govts in the last several years. Today, govts are preoccupied with quality and transformational education.

■ There is criticism that the SEP is identical to the NEP with the difference of some provisions. 

In educational parlance anywhere on the globe, terms like primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary are universal. Inputs at these stages are determined by proper learning outcomes. There could be some coincidences in certain areas. For instance, children from Class I to III need to learn elementary literacy and numeracy. This is not just at the national level, but globally. It is in what type of stress you are placing, what is the content you are emphasizing, and the way you contextualize it. Each child will be taught about his village, district, state, country, culture, morals, festivals, arts, history and this will help him to remain grounded and develop character and identity.

■ SEP for school education does not speak of early childhood education.

The original report is much bigger in size with three parts – early childhood education, school education, and higher education. We have now published the school education portion. The concerned departments are working on the other portions and will soon be publishing them.

■ NEP states six years as the age of school entry. Tamil Nadu has five years. What would it be now?

What is being done and exists has changed over time according to local requirements. School-going age will still be five years. There are a lot of such things we have been doing, which we will keep on doing.

■ NEP does talk about the new school education system of 5+3+3+4. But, SEP states there would be only board exams from Class X onwards, and it clearly suggests that the 10+2 system is to be continued.

Whatever we are following now, we will continue to do so, I said.

■ SEP lays emphasis on assessment reforms. Are open-book exams on the cards in the near future?

We are in need of the periodic review of the school curriculum. We will essentially make sure the curriculum is redesigned and rationalised with emphasis on future skills, robust conceptual understanding, problem solving abilities, scientific temper, climate literacy, digital literacy, and financial literacy. While revamping the curriculum, it is essential and required that you modify your assessment tools to verify if these objectives are met or not. Thus, we intend to restructure the assessment system. The State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and the Directorate of Government Examinations will work out the details, consulting experts.

■ How does the policy aim to eliminate drug abuse, caste violence, and sexual abuse from schools?

The SEP has a whole chapter discussing safe, inclusive schools and holistic child development. We would like to ensure, in different ways, that schools are institutions of social integration. Particularly today, we are noticing caste-based problems arising in schools. The govt has taken a strong view that this is not tolerable. We will ensure that the learning and activity be so framed that children learn, play, and grow with respect for each other and work in a team with diversity. We will also provide gender-sensitive and child-friendly infrastructure in the schools. We also wish to enhance mental health and emotional well-being among students.

■ Some also fault that the existing schemes are offered as solutions to problems in the future. How do you respond to this?

A new policy NEVER overrides all that has been done previously. But a good policy surely builds on what has been done in the past, learns from it, and reimagines it for the future. That is what this policy intends to do.