The National Education Policy 2020, is a visionary step to redefine the country’s education system. It aims at revamping our systems to evolve and grow as per the needs of the 21st-century education. This year in 2025, our policymakers intend to implement NEP 2020 across the nation.
How Can this policy modernize our Indian education system?
And what do these changes mean for stakeholders like us?
Let’s discover all this sequentially.
What is NEP 2020?
On 29th July’2020, the Union Cabinet of India approved the new education policy called the National Education Policy NEP 2020. This policy covers a wide range of reforms including the structure, stages, pathways, and vision of education. In 2023, this policy was implemented. Henceforth, it was also called the National Education Policy 2023.
Let’s start with the objectives of the new education policy 2020.
Main Objectives of National Education Policy NEP 2020
Equity and Inclusion – For decades, India has continued to struggle with the problem of inclusion. We are home to 2.1% of the disabled population. However, 45% of these remain illiterate.
NEP 2020 addresses these challenges by prioritizing inclusion to extend equal learning opportunities to all types of students.
Quality Education – Other than universal participation, the new education policy 2020 also aims at improving the quality of education. With the NEP 2020, all students will have access to high-quality textbooks in their mother tongue.
Reducing School drop-out rates- This policy also focuses on bringing down the drop-out rates and retaining students in higher grades.
Focus on Digital Learning and Infrastructure- Incorporating digital learning and strengthening digital infrastructure through initiatives.
Happy Learning- Making learning stress-free and enjoyable for students.
Salient Features of the NPE 2020
Introducing the New School Structure (Point 4.1)
In the National Education Policy 1986, the 10+2 structure was widely accepted by the stakeholders. And the National Education Policy NEP 2020 further breaks it down to the 5+3+3+4 design. This means that the preschool stage will now be included in the formal curricular and pedagogical structure.
Revamping System for Holistic Development
To move from role learning to skill, building, the NEP 2020 aims to identify and nurture skills at an early stage. The policy suggests creating curriculum frameworks to incorporate certain skills and values across different stages of learning (from preschool to higher grades).
Reducing Academic Load
The new education policy 2020 also touches upon a critical aspect of reducing curriculum load with only mandated content to focus on key concepts (15% reduction in the syllabus for classes 10 and 12). It also suggests interactive teaching and learning for a deeper understanding.
Flexible Learning
Considering the uphill battles like reducing school dropout rates, and improving the quality of education, NEP promotes increased flexibility. Students will have more choices of subjects and these will also include opportunities to build vocational skills from the school stages itself.
For this, the policy aims at eliminating the separation of streams under ‘Arts’ ‘Science’, etc. And a semester system with shorter modules will be introduced along with ‘alternate day’ courses.
Multilingualism
One of the striking features of the National Education Policy 2023 (NEP 2020) is the focus on home languages. Through multilingualism, the policy aims to extend the cognitive benefits of language learning through exposure to different languages. Till grade 8, students will be able to learn with the mother tongue as their medium of instruction. This bilingual approach is believed to help students grasp concepts faster than any other language. The academicians of NEP 2020 further reiterate the three-language formula that will continue to be implemented without imposing any language on any state (across traditional and online schools).
Now let’s take a look at the changes expected through this policy.
What will the New Education Policy 2020 Change?
Change in Assessment Formats
Under the assessment reforms, the NEP suggests a more holistic and flexible board examination system. Now students will be able to take board exams up to two occasions within an academic year. This change will redesign the board exam system as per the semester/modular/annual exams. Under the same reforms, assessments will be divided into the MCQs and the descriptive type questions.
Unlike the previous education policies (such as the education policy 1986), the National Education Policy 2023 aims at testing core competencies instead of strengthening the rote learning culture.
Focus on Technology
NEP 2020 (New Education Policy 2020) acknowledges the power of technology in the present time. Under the point number 23. Technology Use and Integration, the policy highlights the need to improve teaching, learning, evaluation, professional development, planning, management, access, and data-related processes with the help of robust technologies.
Integration of Vocational Learning
For holistic curriculum development, the New Education Policy suggests integrating vocational education into mainstream education in a phased manner. The idea is to expose students to vocational learning right from the middle school stage. Now the four years of the secondary stage will give students a choice to join specialized vocational courses after they complete the 10th grade. They will also have more choices in vocational pathways under the new schooling design (with the National Education Policy).
New Structure
With the full implementation of the New Education Policy 2020, the new education structure will replace the old one. Our schooling designs will now be 5+3+3+4 instead of 10+2.
Virtual Learning Platforms
Platforms like DIKSHA and PM e-VIDYA, etc. will continue to strengthen the education system. Besides, an additional effort is proposed to create a reliable digital infrastructure. For the first time, digital education will be integrated into our schooling systems right from the primary school level.
New NCERT Books
With the complete implementation of the New Education Policy, students will also have new versions of books.
As per the Minister of Education (Shri Dharmendra Pradhan), new NCERT books will be made available to students from the 2025-26 session. However, the same will be available to students in grades 9-12 from 2026-27 onwards.
The Bottom Line
The New Education Policy does have an incredible line-up of visionary reforms. It intends to make education holistic in every sense. And promises great benefits to students and the stakeholders as well. Let’s hope the new policy creates a better educational setting in India across all stages of education. Till then, let’s continue to play our roles well and prepare our students and stakeholders for these massive changes!
Thanks for Reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the National Education Policy 2023 the same as the new education policy 2020?
Yes, the NPE 2020 is also called the National Education Policy 2023 as it was implemented in 2023. - What will the New Education Policy 2020 suggest that education policy 1986 could not?
Assessment reforms, integration of vocational education at the schooling stage, and inclusion of early childhood education in the mainstream structure are some legendary steps that NEP 2020 suggests. All these aspects were not covered in this much detail in the education policy 1986. - How does the National Education Policy 2023 address the problem of inclusion in India?
To extend universal access to quality education, the New Education Policy 2020 makes early childhood education mandatory. This policy also supports appropriate teaching methods for disabled students. And promotes multilingualism to help students learn better in their home languages.
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