The National Education Policy approved by the Union cabinet on 29th July 2020 seeks to overhaul the current system. It aims to bring 100% literacy in youth and adults, and assist the future citizens of this country to focus more on effective learning and practical applications.
National Education Policy’s Impact on Parents
- Parents will get structured guidance to help their children learn in their foundation years.
- They need not spend an additional amount on tuitions and coaching classes that have become very essential to get ahead in the rat race. Instead, they can encourage their children to follow their passion and focus on understanding the subject.
- With a cap on fees for higher education, parents need not worry about taking loans to fund their ward’s college studies.
- Their children will be trained in a vocation, learn valuable skills, and develop holistically which is beneficial to all.
- With scholarships being granted to deserving students, the financial burden on parents would be reduced.
- Parents need not worry about wastage of academic years if their child wants to take a break as the accumulated credits can be utilized on the resumption of studies.
- Moreover, if the student wishes to discontinue their higher studies after a year or two, they will be awarded a certificate or a diploma. This again ensures that there is no wastage of years in their ward’s academic career.
Thus, the National Education Policy will be beneficial to parents as their children would be vocationally trained, undergo a holistic development, and the process will be easier on their pockets too.
Impact on Students
- The students in the Foundation years will be exposed to a curriculum that is pedagogically structured and activity-based thus making the learning process engaging and fun.
- Students will be able to study in their local language during their formative years. This will help them understand the concepts with more clarity.
- While in Middle and Secondary school, they will be taught an additional vocational topic and can later choose subjects of their liking. With more focus being on understanding concepts, they will be trained in practical applications that will hold them in good stead.
- With school and board examinations testing the core knowledge of their subjects, students will focus more on positive learning outcomes and in the process, undergo a holistic development.
- Learning a vocational subject will equip a student to pass out with at least one skill, a valuable asset to become self-sufficient in life.
- The inclusive policy will involve children of all gender and those with disabilities to get access to quality education.
- Gifted children or those having special talents will be given special encouragement.
- With higher education becoming interdisciplinary and no strict demarcation between streams, students can choose to study subjects of their liking in the undergraduate programs.
- A credit system that allows a student to take a break and awards a certificate or diploma for studying the initial years of their course will prevent wastage of precious years in a student’s academic career.
- Children will be prepared with 21st-century skills and adept with the usage of modern technology to keep pace with the progress that is happening across the world.
Thus a student stands to benefit as they need not study by rote, can focus on subjects that they like, concentrate on core competencies, and get equipped with vocational skills.
Impact on Teachers
- Teachers will have to undergo specialized training of four years that will equip them to face different challenges while nurturing tomorrow’s leaders.
- With specialized training, they can effectively assess core competencies, learning outcomes, skills, and provide 360-degree feedback to students.
- They will have a well-defined career growth plan charted out for professional development.
- They would be given more autonomy to choose aspects of pedagogy while teaching in the classroom.
- Overall, they will get professional satisfaction as they can teach children through activity-based engaging modules that will foster creativity and help in the holistic development of the child.
Thus, Teachers would also stand to gain with more emphasis on their training and growth.
