New Education Policy 2020 5 3 3 4 Structure

1. New Education Policy 2020 5+3+3+4 Structure New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is said to bring transformation to the Indian Education System. Over the years, nothing more than the school syllabus has changed in our education system. Resulting in a dire need for reform in the existing education system. In 2020, the cabinet paved the path and introduced NEP, which became the topic of debate for the longest time. This is the first time in the 21st century that the education system of India saw such a drastic change, that too straight after 34 years. This policy comprises- 3 years of Anganwadi/ pre-school followed by 12 years of school replacing the old 10+2 policy. NEP’s Division The division of NEP is based on the cognitive-development stages in a child. The division is made in descending order and is shown below- Secondary Stage- 4 years Age 14 to 18- Class 9 to 12 Middle Stage- 3 years Age 11 to 14- Class 6 to 8 Preparatory Stage- 3 years

2. Age 8 to 11- Class 3 to 5 Foundational Stage- 5 years Age 3 to 6- 3 years (Anganwadi/ Pre School/ Balvatika) Age 6 to 8- 2 years (Class 1 and 2) What does NEP Hold for Students? Curriculum Reduced The sole concept of introducing the National Education Policy is to focus and evaluate real-life knowledge in place of age-old learning and board exams that would be of low stake now. Students from class 6 onwards would be learning to code. And there would be no difference in Arts and Science, Curricular and Extracurricular Activities, Vocational and Academic stream. Multilingual Promotion NEP suggested that till grade 5, mother tongue would be the medium of instruction in schools across the country. MHRD, which was renamed to the Ministry of Education under NEP, tweeted that the medium of instruction till grade 8 (preferably) and beyond would be the mother-tongue/ home language/ regional language/ local language. Students would be introduced to varying languages while emphasising the mother tongue from the Foundational Stage. Technology in Education Usage and integration of technology will be encouraged to enhance various educational aspects. Efforts will be made for the development of technology and empowering educators.

3. Under Graduate Courses would Come with Multiple Exit Polls A digital academic bank of credits for storing the (academic) credits from different Higher Education Institutions will be introduced. It would be so that the degrees from the HEI can be rewarded considering the account credits earned. Also, as per the National Education Policy 2020, NTA would conduct Common Entrance Exam for admission to HEIs. NEPs Agenda The agenda behind the new National Education Policy is to increase the span of the Right to Education Act that will now onwards include the ages 3 to 18. It also aimed at organizing the total school education period in the Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE)/ pre-school level. It is to bring more accessibility, accountability, affordability and universalization, along with better quality education. The Foundational Stage is for 5 years, as the age group in this stage is said to have the most developing mind. If a kid gets the best quality of education and lessons at this stage, he would be most wise. Also, it is assumed that as the norms of COVID19 are lifted, NEP will regulate across India on a faster note. Meanwhile, Meghalaya would be the first state to get under the influence of NEP since its inception. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank stated that by 2030, the minimum education qualification for teaching would be a 4 year integrated B.Ed. Course. He also mentioned that the cabinet has no such plans to revise the reservation. Overall, with the implementation of NEP across the nation, we can await a breathtaking change in the kind of education our kids receive. Not just that, the

4. amount of intelligence the coming generation would have in their initial years would help them shape their future from a very young age.