Madhya Pradesh government has launched the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. With this, it has become the second state in the country to implement the policy after Karnataka. According to the official statement, the government intends to implement NEP-2020 in all the regions of the state, which includes 16 government universities and 40 private universities, within four years.
The Central government launched NEP on July 29, 2020. On its first anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched SAFAL (STRUCTURED Assessment For Analysing Learning), a competency-based assessment for grades 3, 5, and 8 introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
NEP-2020, which will replace the National Policy on Education-1986, is an inclusive framework focusing on the elementary-level of education to higher education in the country. NEP-20202 has a target of 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GEER), in school education by 2030.
In a significant shift from the 1986 policy, which pushed for a 10 +2 structure of school education, the new NEP pitches for a “5+3+3+4” design corresponding to the age groups 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle), and 14-18 (secondary). This brings early childhood education (also known as pre-school education for children of ages 3 to 5) under the ambit of formal schooling. The mid-day meal programme will be extended to pre-school children. The NEP says students until Class 5 should be taught in their mother tongue or regional language.
The policy also proposes phasing out of all institutions offering single streams and that all universities and colleges must aim to become multidisciplinary by 2040.
