Why children, parents, and teachers ought to be taught these six critical transitions before the start of the new school year

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 declares education-revolutionary changes in education in India with a vision to promote enhanced quality of education and skill upgradation at all levels. The parents, children, and educational community must understand in the next new academic year these revolutionizing changes and how they will impact school and higher education.

This policy sees an open and dynamic education system that is responsive to the Indian cultural heritage and sensitive to development needs. The following are seven major reforms suggested by NEP 2020 which the stakeholders need to know.

Flexible undergraduate programs with exit points

One of the key new provisions made by NEP 2020 is flexible entry and exit from undergraduate programmes. Therefore, the students can opt to leave after one year with a certificate, after two years with a diploma, and after three or four years with a bachelor's degree. Flexibility is being pursued in an effort to accommodate diverse student purposes and situations and to render education more participatory.

It also offers a drop-out elimination since it offers recognized qualifications at intervals throughout the course along the journey through the degree course. It ensures that those students who might be compelled to join the job market earlier or even take up other interests are officially accredited for the study which they have attained.

Learning begins at three years old with a new model

NEP 2020 converts schooling into four stages according to the development of a child: foundation (3–8 years), preparatory (8–11 years), middle (11–14 years), and secondary (14–18 years). The foundation stage consists of three years of pre-schooling (3 to 5 years) and Classes 1 and 2. It substitutes the earlier 10+2 structure with an organization that attempts to influence the mental and emotional development of the children.

Beginning regular school at three acknowledges the value of preschool schooling within school and introduces a point of focus for possible academic achievement. The new framework makes curriculums and learning processes relevant to all levels of development, making comprehensive progress possible.

Parakh national assessment surveys

NEP 2020 sets up the PARAKH centre to perform national assessments of reading, writing, and numeracy abilities of students. PARAKH tests Class 3, Class 6, and Class 9 levels of learning, which are finding ginormous gaps in core skills in most schools. Policy interventions and teachers learn from the report to tackle areas of weaknesses of strengths and enhance teaching standards.

PARAKH directly communicates with several boards of education to retake and schedule exams across the country. It operates to ensure educational quality through strict monitoring and ensures students acquire basic skills and learning.

Including vocational studies as part of regular schooling

The policy selects vocational training, i.e., functional skill training directly applicable to the profession. Relatively fewer young Indians are under vocational training at present than in countries like the USA, Germany, and South Korea. NEP 2020 recommends that vocational education should be encouraged to at least 50% of middle school and secondary school students by 2025.

This convergence will incorporate vocational subject matter into standard school curricula, equipping students for work and setting the stage for further and higher education. It is an answer to the demands of an economy needing skilled staff and promoting employability at an early stage.

Optional subjects on Indian systems of knowledge

NEP 2020 makes it mandatory to introduce an optional subject of Indian Knowledge Systems among school students. It consists of a broad array of topics that existed from time immemorial, including the contribution in mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, yoga, architecture, and politics. The objective is to acquaint the students with India's rich intellectual heritage on one hand and conventional courses on the other hand.

This course will be incorporated in all the disciplines in order to give an equal proportion of India's cultural and scientific heritage. This requires appreciation of past knowledge and stimulus generation, and creative thought is encouraged.

Integrated four-year degree required for teachers

For improving the quality of education, NEP 2020 mandates future teachers to undergo an integrated Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) for three years. The program includes training in teaching and teaching a subject like history, science, maths, or arts. The aim is to develop quality teachers who will provide quality education.

The law will be implemented by 2030 that will provide all the teachers with pedagogic training, as well as specialized subject expertise. The reform will professionlaise the teaching to make it a professional course so that it improves the quality of the education in all the schools of the country.