Major Challenges in National Education Policy 2020

    After more than three decades, India approved a new educational policy announced on 29th July 2020 was hailed by former ISRO Chief Dr. K Kasturirangan, who headed the nine-member team that authored the draft 2019 aims to encourage education among citizens of India. Amendment in education policy is much needed and most welcomed but some challenges have also arisen. Educationists have welcomed the move but also remained unsure about how the government plans to implement such a system, especially in a diverse country like India.

Source: https://www.policeresults.com/new-education-policy-2020/

What are the challenges in the new National Education Policy?

1. Government approves plan to boost state spending on education to 6% of GDP

In 1964, the Kothari Commission had recommended 6% of GDP allocation on education. The government has set the goal in the past but failed to implement it. India ranks 62nd in total public expenditure on education as per student and measures of the quality of education in primary and secondary education. The country spent less than 3% of its total GDP on education in 2018-19 (Rs. 5.6 lakh crore) whereas Delhi education sector has the highest share of 26% of the total budget allocation in 2019-20 (Rs. 15,601 crore). This year India's GDP growth slows to 3.1% in the March quarter due to the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Then how is the government planning to raise the target of 6% of GDP on education? 

Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/panel-hike-edu-spend-to-20-of-public-expenditure-in-10-years/articleshow/69950757.cms

2. Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education and secondary school

The NEP is aiming to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% and 100% in secondary school by 2035 which is highly unrealistic. The total investment in research and innovation in India declined from 0.84% of GDP in 2008 to 0.6% in 2018 noting currently India has only 15 researchers in 1,00,000 of the population. 

Source: https://www.livemint.com/education/news/the-key-reforms-under-india-s-new-education-policy-11596123793480.html

3. Inclusive Education

Efforts will be made by the government to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs and the National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students. But what about students from the low-income general category? Every student with low income should be able to avail of the free ship offered by the government.

Source: interactioninstitute.org and madewithangus.com

4. Multi-Discipline Institutes

Learners can choose their learning trajectories and programs, and thereby choose their paths in life according to their talents and interests. Department in languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, art, Dance, Theatre, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure, and Applied Science, Sociology, Economics, Sports and other such subjects needed for a multidisciplinary, stimulating Indian Education and environment will be established and strengthened at HEIs across the country. Turning every institute into multidisciplinary will affect sector-specific core subjects. Both multidisciplinary and sector-specific institutes are necessary to avail of the subjects according to someone’s will and interest.

5. English is optional until class 8

In the global scenario, one does not need to stress more about the need for the English language. True, it all came due to colonization. Language acquisition happens at an early age. If students are communicating in their regional or mother tongue language till class 5, it will be very difficult for them to adopt the English language in the future. Along with regional language, English should be a medium of interaction from an early age as it offers a lot of opportunities for those who can use it. This language gives choice for future development and helps people to use the technological advantages of the modern world. The eminent schools will anyway not give up on English and the gap would be wider between influential and weaker sections.

Source: https://www.insightstoenglish.com/tips-insights/teaching-without-speaking

6. Different Committees 

Appropriate bodies, such as the proposed National Assessment Centre or PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic development), School Boards, National Test Agency, and other identified bodies will design and implement assessment frameworks. Also, NEP proposed different agencies playing various roles such as the Education department for policymaking, Directorate of Education for government school operation, Individual school regulatory authority for regulation of government and private school, Education Commission, NCERT, SCERT, Education Board. If these committees not engaged or integrated well, lack of effectiveness will come into the picture and unable to have unanimous decisions because of logrolling.