India's draft #NewEducationPolicy 71 page edition. The bits that stand out for me. #Thread
Solid para on qualifications on AnganwadiWorkers. Great! However, these programmes may be run through digital/distance mode using DTH channels &smart phones, allowing teachers to acquire ECCE qualifications with minimal disruption to their current work. Pragmatic, but not parity
ECCE to be introduced in Ashranshalas in phased manner. Great to see ECCE prioritized, but residential schools for tribal three-year-olds? Am I missing something?
All states/UTs to prepare implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary and middle schools by 2025, and closely monitor progress.
A good one- A pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1 will be ensured at the level of each school; areas having large numbers of socio-economically disadvantaged students will aim for a PTR of under 25:1.
Technological innovations to bridge the language gap between teachers and students. Hmm. Interesting thought, not sure how it would work.
Long Para on peer-tutoring and use of volunteers still remains. States to consider innovative models for this.
Good stuff on promoting reading including in local and state languages. National Book Promotion Policy. Establishment of school libraries that can serve the community after school hours.
All school children to undergo health check-ups. Breakfast still there.. BUT centralized kitchens be set up in urban areas and to the extent possible in rural clusters. What happens to the idea of the locally cooked meal ideally by a dalit cook?
Two sets of actions to bring out of school children back into school- a) setting up infrastructure by upgrading and enlarging existing schools, providing conveyances and/or hostels.Alternative and innovative education centres in collaboration with CSOs for migrant/dropouts.
b) tracking students/their learning levels. Counselors/social workers to be recruited. New text explaining that they are looking for qualified social workers.
This will require a strong channel and system of incentives for excellent teachers with knowledge of the local language to be deployed to areas where dropout rates are particularly high, as well as an overhaul of the curriculum to make it more engaging and useful for all students
OK. This is retained but expanded upon without necessarily making it better- reproducing it. @PrachiSrivas
3.6. To make it easier4 both governments as well as NGO philanthropic organisations to build schools,2encourage local variations on account of culture, geography, and demographics, &to allow alternative models of education, requirements for schools will be made less restrictive.
The focus will be to have less emphasis on input&greater emphasis on output potential concerning desired learning outcomes. Regulations on inputs will be limited to ensuring safety of children (both physical, psychological), access&inclusion, non-profit nature of schools, .....
attainment of minimum standards for learning outcomes. Other models for schools will also be piloted, such as public-philanthropic partnerships.
So- testing, RTE norms potentially relaxed, incentives for non-state schools, and PPPs. BUT education stays not for profit?
So- testing, RTE norms potentially relaxed, incentives for non-state schools, and PPPs. BUT education stays not for profit?
%+2+3=$. Reduce curriculum to make space for critical thinking. Experiential learning. Assessment to be linked to learning outcomes. Art-and Sport-Integrated approach. No hard separation between arts/sciences.
Each of the stages of education may consider moving to a semester system, shorter modules, etc to allow exposure to more subjects, wider exposure.
Three pages on multilingualism. Exposure to multiple stages from the Foundational stage. Continued emphasis on classical languages. Exposure to foreign languages at the secondary level. Everything would be innovative and experiential.
States may enter bilateral agreements to hire teachers in large numbers from each other,2satisfy 3-language formula in their respective states, to encourage study of Indian languages. Extensive use of tech for teaching,learning of different languages, popularise language learning
Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardised across the country, and National and State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment. Local sign languages will be respected and taught as well, where possible and relevant.
NCF to be created, revised and updated every 5-10 years.
Greater emphasis on formative assessment. Under the guidance of a National Assessment Centre. Holistic 360 degrees report cards that link home and school.
Board exams to be reformed to avoid coaching classes, "made 'easier'", made less high stakes, can be taken twice a year (one main and one chance for improvement)
All students will take school exams in Grades 3, 5, 8 conducted by appropriate authority. Exams to test achievement of basic learng outcomes, through assesment of core concepts,knowledge from national/local curricula, relevant higher-order skills. application not rote.
Results used only for developmental purposes of school system, including public disclosure by schools of their overall (anonymised) student outcomes, continuous monitoring/improvement of schooling system. Anonymity of individual test results to not judge individual students.
National Assessment Centre as a standard-setting Body, will advise state Boards.
Teachers' section reads a lot like previous draft. TET for teachers in private schools. Technology-based teacher- requirement planning& predictive forecasting exercise across India to assess expected teacher/subject vacancies over 2 decades. Teacher ed to dovetail with projection
State/UT Governts may adopt innovative formats, such as school complexes, rationalisation of schools (without in any way reducing accessibility for children), etc., for effective school governance, resource sharing, community building. Rest of para explains why complexes are good
5.12. To preventlarge amounts of time spent by teachers on non-teaching activities, teachers will not be engaged in work that is not directly related to teaching; teachers will not be involved in electioneering, cooking of midday meals, or other strenuous administrative tasks.
Each teacher will be expected to participate in at least, say, 50 hours of CPD opportunities every year for their own professional development, driven by their own needs and choice. Principals/Complex leaders to have 40 hrs modular leadership/mgt workshops, online development
Robust merit-based tenure system, Growth to be possible in their stage. Good thing.
National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) to be developed by 2022, by NCTE in consultation with NCERT, coordinated by NCERT,SCERTs,teachers from across levels, regions, expert organisations in teacher prep/dev, HEIs. Include expectation, role, competencies for lvl, rank
Will inform pre-service development programmes, adopted by states to determine teacher career management, tenure, CPD, salary increases, promotions, recognitions. Promotions and salary to be based on this appraisal. Standards to be reviewed in 2030/every 10 yrs/
Solid para on need for training teachers to deliver education to children with disabilities.
By 2030, minimum degree qualification for teaching will be 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree that teaches range of knowledge content and pedagogy, includes strong practicum training in the form of student-teaching at local schools.
The 2-year B.Ed. programmes will also be offered, by the same multidisciplinary institutions offering the 4-year integrated B.Ed., and will be intended only for those who have already obtained Bachelor’s Degrees in other specialised subjects.
Special shorter local teacher education programmes will also be available at BITEs, DIETs, or at school complexes themselves, so that eminent local persons can be hired to teach at schools or school complexes as ‘specialised instructors’
Tired of typing! Another big ticket reform by next year. 
SEZ. Gender-Inclusion Fund. Inclusion FUnd schemes for other SEDGs.
NEP to be fully in consonance with the RPWD Act 2016 and endorses it recommendations. Financial support to schools/complexes. Children have choice of regular, special schooling; home-based education.
Improvement on HBE.
Improvement on HBE.
School complexes- we have a timeline of 2025.
Space for communities to be engaged with planning. However, SDPs didn't quite work in the last decade- would be interesting to see what happens to this proposition.
Division of responsibilities of DoE: Department will make policies/monitoring of improvement, Directorate of education- run schools. State School Standards Authority (SSSA) to set standards/accreditation/self-audit/ address grievances. Framework for them to be developed by SCERT
Academic matters- SCERT (in consultation, collaboration with NCERT. WIll develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF). Lead change management process for reinvigoration of CRCs, BRCs, BITEs. DIETs to change the work culture in three years.
Public,private schools to be assessed on same criteria. Private philanthropic efforts for quality education to be encouraged. Overemphasis on inputs to be removed. Improved expectation of disclosure standards for private schools. Combating commercialization of education key
LOT of emphasis on MLE in Chapter 22 again, including the need to protect dying unscripted languages. Need to skill language teachers. Reads well.
MHRD to become MoE. CABE to be strengthened. Policy endorses that spending to reach 6% GDP at the earliest, 20% of all public expenditure over 10 yr period. Financial support not to be compromised for disadvantaged groups, quality. Simplified processes would improve fund flow.
Rejuvenation, active promotion, support for private philanthropic activity in the education sector. Public institutions receiving private philanthropic funds to not have funds cut as a result.
Reiterated education as a public good and non-commerical, not-for-profit sector.
Yearly joint reviews of the implementation of policy. By 2030-40 the entire policy would be in fully operational mode and a comprehensive review of its achievement. could be done
No mention of ICT materials etc should be open source. Again, as far as I can make out. @MartinHaus93
