The Draft National Education policy 2019 in general and the impact of it in the domain of Psychology in particular

                                                                                                              Introduction

On 31 May 2019, the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) shared the draft National Education Policy (NEP) developed by a committee chaired by K. Kasturirangan, for public comment . A comprehensive education policy for India is on the anvil for the first time since 1986. Higher education aims to serve as a hub for developing ideas and innovations that enlighten individuals and help propel the country forward socially, culturally, artistically, scientifically, technologically, and economically. The aim of higher education must be to enable the development of an enlightened, socially conscious, knowledgeable, and skilled. It must provide students with broad-based multidisciplinary education and 21st century skills, while developing specialized knowledge with true disciplinary rigor. Higher education must build expertise that society will need over the next 25 years and beyond. Higher education must develop good, well-rounded and creative individuals, with intellectual curiosity, spirit of service and a strong ethical compass. India's current 800 universities and over 40,000 colleges will be consolidated into about 10,000-15,000 institutions of excellence to drive improvement in quality and expansion of capacity.

Major area of attention dealt in National education policy in general

1) A paradigm shift

All higher education will happen in multidisciplinary institutions with teaching programmes across disciplines and fields to ensure optimized resources, integration across disciplines and vibrant, large education communities. By this the new institutional architecture with large, well-resourced, vibrant multidisciplinary institutions for teaching and research that will significantly expand to its reach and capacity. Professional education will be an integral part of higher education. Substantial public investment will be made to expand and vitalize public higher education.  The drastic change, which will happen, is that all higher education institutions will either be universities or degree granting autonomous colleges - there will be no affiliating universities or affiliated colleges. The age-old practice of India's old form of education should be kept back in the form of liberal arts.

2) Integral dimension of education

A liberal arts education, as so beautifully described and practiced in India's past, enables one to truly develop both sides of the brain - both the creative side and the analytical side. A liberal and broad-based undergraduate education will also be accompanied by rigorous specialization in chosen disciplines or fields in order to develop deeper expertise in one or more subjects. Masters, doctoral, professional, and vocational programmes will also be significantly enhanced by being located in vibrant multidisciplinary institutions, by the breaking of silos, and via the overall liberal education approach.

The four-year Bachelor of Liberal Arts / Education will provide the full range of liberal education with choice of major and minors. The three-year programme will lead to a Bachelor's degree. Multiple exit options, with appropriate certification, will be available. Curriculum and pedagogy in higher education will move away from rote learning of facts and mechanical procedures which will help young people prepare to contribute both as active citizens of a democracy and as successful professionals in any field.

3) Support and recruitment criteria to the faculty

Higher education faculty must be valued and supported with excellent preparation and conducive working environments. Faculty recruitment will be on the basis of academic expertise and depth, on teaching capacities and dispositions for public service.

4) National research foundation

The National Research Foundation will catalyze and expand research and innovation in the country. The National Research Foundation will fund competitive peer - reviewed grant proposals of all types, across all disciplines.

5) Teacher education

All teacher education will happen in multidisciplinary institutions - teacher education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Good teachers are prepared and developed by good teacher educators- faculty of teacher education must be experts in diverse fields, both theoretical and practical.

6) Professional education

Professional education will be an integral part of the overall higher education system. The practice of setting up stand-alone universities for professional education will be discontinued. All institutions offering either professional or general education must organically evolve into institutions offering both seamlessly by 2030.

7) National higher education regulatory

The National Higher Education Regulatory Authority will be the only regulator for all higher education including professional education. All higher education qualifications in terms of learning outcomes shall be described by the National Higher Education Qualification Framework. Private and public institutions will be treated on par by the regulatory regime.

8) National educational technology forum

The National Educational Technology Forum will be a platform for
the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to improve learning, assessment, planning and administration.

9) Vocational education

Vocational education will be an integral part of school and higher education. All higher education institutions will offer vocational education courses and programmes. Lok Vidya - knowledge developed in India - will be an integral part of vocational education programmes.  

10) Adult education

A cadre of Adult Education Centre managers and instructors, as well as a large team of one-on-one tutors created through the National Adult Education Tutors Programme will be capacitated to deliver adult education. Community volunteers will be encouraged - each literate member of the community to teach at least one person to read will be a key strategy.

11) A National Institute to age-old languages

A National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit will be set up.

12) National Education Commission

A new apex body, the Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or National Education Commission, will be constituted. The Prime Minister will head it. The Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog will be responsible for developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating and revising the vision of education in the country. States may set up apex State level bodies called the Rajya Shiksha Aayog or the State Education Commission.  

The impact of national education policy in the domain of psychology in particular

·       Higher education policy says the need of counseling for the students, so psychologist will be getting job in schools and colleges.

·       Psychologist will be well sort out since this policy itself is a heavy load on the shoulders of 40000 colleges those will be reduced into to 15000.

·       Liberal education system that is suggested by NEP will provide more chance for psychologist to flourish in their fields.

·       Since researches are given funds new researches on psychology will come up for the well being of the people.

·       Universities and colleges will promote psychological researches since they also will gain name and fame along with funds.

·       Since funds are given from the government there will be adequate and proper researches for the well being of the ministry and for the state government will be happening.

·        It is to be noted that the National Research Foundation through awards and national seminars funds outstanding researches, which will trigger psychological researches also.

·       Online courses will provide a chance to study psychology and it will be of a great advantage for the society at large.

·       The stigma about psychology may change and people may recognize the need for counseling for well being

·       Student exchange and research collaboration will provide better quality psychologist for the future.

These are the major impacts of national education policy on the domain of psychology.

Conclusion

The draft National education policy has put forth lot of directions corrections and modifications with regard to its application in the field of education.  The prime aim of national education policy is to provide a better education in the whole field of education from childhood to adulthood. The quality of education is the sole aim of national education policy. Some ambitious projects such as moving to the four-year liberal arts model of undergraduate education, the removal of the MPhil degree, the closing of all affiliated colleges through conversion to universities or by autonomy, may be seen as the areas where further reflection is required. On the whole, the draft national education policy sounds good.

 

References

(2019). Retrieved 16 August 2019, from https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Draft_NEP_2019_EN_Revised.pdf

 

 

SOJAN PAUL

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