The reforms and policies announced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 evoked mixed responses from the city’s teaching community and educationists. Welcoming the initiative such as teaching in mother tongue till Class 5, less academic pressure in their initial years in school, more focus on research, some educationists said that government needs to hire more teachers, boost infrastructure to implement this policy and allowing global institutes to set up campuses in India to increase competition.
Appreciating the Centre for announcing the new education policy, Vandna Shahi, principal of BCM School, Dugri, said, “The new education policy has a futuristic approach, more emphasis on 21st-century skills, application of core concepts to be evaluated so rote learning discouraged, learning outcomes and competencies-based pedagogy and vocational subjects from Class 6 will help in skills development. It is a great step of bringing ECE level into the system and making it joyful till Class 2, this will reduce the burden on children.”
A teacher at Malwa Senior Secondary School, Model Gram, Parambir Singh, said, “This policy will improve understanding of concepts. Allowing students to choose their own subjects based on their talent and interest in Class 8 to 11, is a welcome step as this way equal emphasis can be laid on all subjects. But to implement this policy there is a need to have more teachers and infrastructure at schools and colleges level.”
Dharam Singh Sandhu, principal of Satish Chander Dhawan Government College said, “It is a great step by the ministry and the multiple exit/entry and the credit bank will give students a lot of flexibility in getting educated and earning degrees while they are working. In the policy, it is also stated that universities need to be research intensive, enterprising and multidisciplinary and colleges can focus on academic study. The step of allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India will no doubt increase competition among the institutes but the government needs to keep a check that the institutions are focusing on providing education to students, instead of turning out into business institutions.”
{{/usCountry}}Dharam Singh Sandhu, principal of Satish Chander Dhawan Government College said, “It is a great step by the ministry and the multiple exit/entry and the credit bank will give students a lot of flexibility in getting educated and earning degrees while they are working. In the policy, it is also stated that universities need to be research intensive, enterprising and multidisciplinary and colleges can focus on academic study. The step of allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India will no doubt increase competition among the institutes but the government needs to keep a check that the institutions are focusing on providing education to students, instead of turning out into business institutions.”
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