New education policy is children-friendly, says Vasudha Kamat

The policy draft panel member says the document is extensive and has given a lot of thought on quality education.

Pune: The New Education Policy (NEP) approved by the Union cabinet on Wednesday is based on the draft prepared by an eight-member committee led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan. Professor Vasudha Kamat, former vice-chancellor of SNDT University [Mumbai] and one of the members of the committee, speaks extensively about NEP and her experience while working in the committee that was formed in 2017.

Professor Vasudha Kamat, former vice-chancellor of SNDT University [Mumbai], is one of the members of NEP draft panel. (HT PHOTO)

Reactions on the announcement of NEP and the ministry’s name change?

Change in the name of ministry is important, because human resource development is a part of education. Education is beyond human resource development, as it covers many other aspects; hence we suggested a change in the name of the ministry from HRD to education. We interacted and discussed with many people related to higher and school education while drafting the policy. So, it is the country’s policy and the credit goes to all citizens who have made their contributions. I think the policy document is extensive and has given a lot of thought on quality education. We also suggested that the Right to Education (RTE) should be extended from age 3 to 18. A lot of changes have been suggested in NEP till 2030 and we look forward to its implementations. The new education policy is children-friendly. You open any page and will find that our central thrust is on children’s learning without being burdensome.

Your experience on working in the committee

I am fortunate to be a part of this committee. Working with Dr Kasturirangan is a learning experience as he is a great leader and inspiration. The way he led the committee comprising educators from different backgrounds was commendable as we were working on focus points and strengths. He motivated us to share our experiences.

What are the important changes in NEP?

There are several highlights of the policy, one of which is “New Pedagogical and curricular structure”. We discarded the current 10 + 2 structure in school and junior college. We suggested that education should start at age three and anganwadi workers are presently teaching these children. As per the draft, each student should be taught by Bachelor of Education (BEd) teachers. We have suggested a modified new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18. To reduce Class 10 and 12 exam stress, under the new structure, students of Classes 9 to 12 can appear for any three subjects. I think it will be a great game changer in education field.

In higher education, we have suggested to discard the “affiliated” system. We have 40,000 affiliated colleges, 11,000 standalone institutions and 900 universities in the country. We suggested that these colleges should be accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and become autonomous. All universities should be multi-disciplinary and vocational and professional education should be given equal weightage.

The Covid situation has shifted education more towards online learning and it is also reflected in NEP. What would you say about it?

We have one of the chapters in the policy draft called “educational technology”. It means education comes first and technology to support it. So, learning is the central idea. Lot of tools are available today and people are opting for online learning, but learning should be the central idea. We have suggested how technology can be used for various purposes, including training, assessment and management. Technology infrastructure will be strengthened to help education reach the remote parts of the country. It will happen phase-wise and, by 2025, we hope that technology and facilities will reach all the students of our country.