Draft National Education Policy 2019
Introduction:
The National Education Policy was first introduced by the Indian government to promote quality education throughout India. The first National Policy on Education was set up under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1968. The National Policy on Education covers education from elementary school to college education.
History:
The origins of the policy can be traced back to when Congress MP Siddeshwar prasad introduced a resolution in the lok sabha. The primary criticism that he placed before the house was that the nation lacked a uniform vision and philosophy with regard to education. The then education minister MC Chagla broadly agreed with Siddeshwar and requested him to remove the resolution from the house. The same year a 17 member committee was established and the first NEP was passed in the year 1968. (Chopra, 2016)
NEP 1 introduced an education system that was free of bias and equal access to education was given to all, it envisaged the 10+2+3 educational structure that remains to this day. (Chopra, 2016)
NEP 2 was a reflection of Rajiv Gandhi's vision for modernisation of India focussing on the role of information technology in education, women empowerment, early child care and adult literacy. Moreover some schemes such as The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools) and use of IT in education are a result of the NEP of 1986. (Chopra, 2016)
The NEP of 1986 was further revised in the year 1992 under the Narasimha Rao Government where the idea for a common entrance examination was introduced for professional and technical courses in India were introduced.
Draft National Education Policy 2019:
Challenges facing our education system presently:
1. Fragmentation of the higher education system: 800 universities – 40,000 colleges – 40% of these institutions have only one programme – 20% of these colleges have less than 100 students – 4% of these colleges have over 3,000 students.
2. Too many silos; too much early specialisation and streaming of students into disciplines: again emphasis on the inability to study subjects outside your discipline.
3. Lack of access, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged areas: Present GER is 25% - this policy aims at reaching 50% by 2035.
4. Lack of teacher and institutional autonomy: no financial or creative autonomy,
5. Inadequate mechanisms for career management and progression of faculty and institutional leaders: The system of selection, tenure, promotion, salary increases and other recognition and vertical mobility of faculty and institutional leaders is, at the current time, not based on merit but tends to be either seniority based or arbitrary. This has had the negative effect of severely disincentivising quality and innovation at all levels.
6. The lack of research at most universities and colleges, and the lack of transparent and competitive peer reviewed research funding across disciplines: The separation in higher education between teaching institutions and research institutions post-independence has caused much harm, as most universities and colleges in the country today conduct very little research.
7. Suboptimal governance and leadership of higher education institutions: Undeserving personnel appointed in places of power through corruption.
8. A regulatory system allowing fake colleges to thrive while constraining
excellent, innovative institutions:
Proposed initiatives to take HE in India to the next level:
1. Moving towards a higher educational system consisting of large,
multidisciplinary universities and colleges.
2. Moving towards a more liberal undergraduate education – multidisciplinary approach.
3. Moving towards faculty and institutional autonomy.
4. Curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and student support will be revamped – moving away from traditional methods of evaluation.
5. Reaffirming the integrity of faculty positions and institutional leadership
through merit based appointments and career management.
6. Establishment of a National Research Foundation – Established to fund exceptional research proposals – The NRF will also act as a liaison among researchers, ministries of government, and industry, in order to ensure that the most relevant and societally useful research reaches the people as soon as possible.
7. Higher education institutions will be governed by Independent Boards,
with complete academic and administrative autonomy.
8. One regulator for all higher education.
Other proposed changes include:
1. Nationwide ecosystem of vibrant multidisciplinary universities and colleges: There is an ambitious plan to apply design thinking and integrate all aspects of higher education under one umbrella – it sounds brilliant and I hope it's executed.
2. Public higher education will be expanded and improved.
3. New institutional architecture for higher education – all higher education institutions will be classified into three types:
a. Type 1 – Research Universities: Focus equally on research and teaching – Presently research universities do not focus on undergraduate programs these institutions will be encouraged to include them in order to facilitate greater transfer of knowledge.
b. Type 2 – Teaching Universities: Focus primarily on high quality teaching across disciplines and programmes, including undergraduate, masters, doctoral etc. these institutions will aspire to join the ranks of Type 1.
c. Type 3 – Colleges: Focus primarily on high quality teaching.
4. Liberal education and programmes/departments/schools of higher
education institutions: Programmes from all disciplines will be available for students from all disciplines.
5. Development of the new institutional architecture.
6. Fair and transparent system for determining public funding.
7. Central government funded higher education institutions to develop
into Type 1 institutions.
8. State level plans for new institutional architecture.
9. Support from the National Research Foundation.
10. Equal encouragement and empowerment for private higher education
Institutions.
11. Quality transformation of open and distance learning and expansion for access.
12. Simplified institutional categories, and streamlining university nomenclature:
The present complex nomenclature of HEIs in the country as 'deemed to be university', 'affiliating university', 'unitary university', and so on will be phased out. Universities will be characterised only as public, private, or private-aided; and as multidisciplinary research universities (Type 1) or comprehensive teaching universities (Type 2).
13. Degree-granting powers: All institutions of education and research, public as well as private, will be allowed to award degrees in their own names, irrespective of whether the word 'university' figures in their name or not. Universities will be distinguished from degree-granting colleges by the fact that they offer graduate programmes in a broad range of subjects, especially quality PhD programmes, and are of relatively larger sizes. By 2032, all higher educational qualifications – including all degrees and diplomas – shall be granted only by accredited (see Section 18.2) Type 1, 2, or 3 institutions.
14. Transforming affiliating universities: There will be no affiliating universities by the year 2032.
15. Missions Nalanda and Takshashila for catalysing the new institutional architecture: They will be launched in tandem in the year 2030 and have a common apex body The Mission Directorate.
Implications:
Overall the roadmap that has been laid out indicates that India seems to be heading towards an era of liberal education where students now can participate in learning across disciplines. In my perspective this is a good move bearing in mind the evolution that is taking place across industries as a result of the increased utilisation of artificial intelligence and technology. Humans will inevitably be required to develop structural thinking in order to stay relevant in the economy of the future and a step towards the multidisciplinary form of education is in my view a step in the right direction as far as the future of education goes in our country.
Reg No: 1910073
Name : Ashish G Wilson
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