Thread by @amitcg95

Delhi Education Min @msisodia today gave a detailed and balanced analysis of #NationalEducationPolicy #NEP2020 . He did it like a good national level, visionary opposition would do - good points, criticism and suggestions.

A thread: 1/n

Progressive, forward looking doc which recognizes the challenges and flaws of current system and talks of future needs. But 2 problems:
1. Failed to get free from pressure of old traditions and understanding
2. Silent or confused on how to achieve the goals stated in policy 2/n

Basic principles are good but how to take current system to needs of future is not stated.

MHRD renamed as Education Ministry. Good because HRD is a part of education and not vice versa. But changing name is not sufficient and policy fails to address the structural issues. 3/n

Good points:
1. Early childhood edu to be made mainstream. Intntl research shows that good education, guidance and nurturing to children of age 3-6 shows very good results in intellectual growth.
2. Breakfast apart from midday meal
3. Course choice options opened in school 4/n

4. Foundational learning to be in mother tongue is progressive step since energy would be spent more on mental growth.
5. 4 yr B.Ed and other grad options of 1-2 yr is also a good step
6. Regulatory bodies like National Edu Comm are good attempts but concerns about formation 5/n

Feel good points like inclusive education, easy to understand exams, practical approach have been talked about earlier also but good to have these points in #NEP2020 NEP.

Now coming to critical points:

1. Highly regulated - Multiplicity of bodies which will all conflict 6/n

2. Poorly funded - 6% of GDP has been the target since 1966 Kothari Commission and NEP repeats the same. But how will we do it. The current expenditure is 3% of GDP. A law to enforce this is required because no one except for 1-2 exceptions will do it. 7/n

3. No direct mention of funding.
4. Policy talks of RTE from Nursery to 12th instead of 1-8th. How will we do it? Policy says that we will examine later. 6 years in making- what was the leadership doing if there is no soln. 8/n

5. 2 models for early childhood proposed - Anganwadi and pre-primary. Policy talks of equality but how can Anganwadi with it's worker be equal to a highly trained teacher in pre-nursery of DPS. So a failed model

6. Community engagement to address teacher shortage:

9/n

Large no. of students are first gen learners. How will you find teachers amongst them. What about villages and rural areas?

7. Nation can progress when govt schools are so good that there is no compulsion to send a child to pvt schools.
Policy doesn't talk about it.

10/n

It rather promotes pvt edu. Wants to encourage pvt Philanthropic efforts. But even existing efforts are anyway Philanthropic (through trusts). But we know the reality. Even SC had to say - Schools have become teaching shops. 11/n

8. 4 yrs B.Ed is good to improve quality. But what about current 80 lakh teachers and their training to realize the vision of this policy. We know the failure of CCE and no detention policy which were good but failed bcs no teacher training took place. Finally rolled back

12/n

9. Policy talks of promotion of voc. Good. But that is being done even now. So why is it unsuccessful?
Bcs voc subjects doesn't get respect in higher edu system. For ex, in adm process of DU, voc subjects are not counted. So why will some one take voc ? Policy is silent.

13/n

10. Policy talks of easing board exam and giving 2 attempts. Is it needed?
The actual need is to evaluate what is taught. Understanding should be evaluated rather than rot learning. No point discussing easy and hard.

Policy fails here. 14/n

11. Policy talks of National Testing Agency (NTA) and common exam for higher edu adm. Then what is board required for?
Policy is confused in this regard. 15/n

A cursory look on Higher education and views thereupon.

1. Focus on making all institutes multidisciplinary. The current system has multidisciplinary inst. like DU and sector specific like IIT, DTU.

Both are required. Don't try to teach acting in IIT and engg in FTII. 16/n

Sector specific institutes are present all over the world. Don't destroy this system.

2. B.Voc: Policy talks of increasing. But students are not interested bcs these deg are not even recognized in recruitment rules of UPSC.

3. Sports missing in policy. 17/n

3 Suggestions:
1. Make law on funding. 6% of GDP mandatory. Just like a law on fiscal deficit is there (FRBM). Till then it is wishful thinking
2. National and international training of existing 80 lakh teachers to increase their exposure to best systems.

18/n

3. Don't do over regulation. Give autonomy to teachers and abolish inspector system. Give space to professionals.

@msisodia : Will write to centre to fix these problems since policy is going to be there for next 20-30 years.

@FromBhaskar @davender1979