NEP 2020 is an important step that will change the face of the Indian educational system. It is due to this initiative that the market will transform significantly and the evolving needs of employers will be catered to effectively.
The introduction of the National Educational Policy 2020 has been a bold move that has revolutionised the Indian education industry. It is expected to improve the educational standards for students both in schools as well as in colleges. The transition of the market from a learning-based approach to a skill-based model has been attributed to the policy.
The proposal to introduce vocational education from sixth grade onwards and create a National Committee for the integration of vocational education (NCIVE) is viewed as a reform that will certainly take the Indian educational market to the zenith in the times to come.
NEP: A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
It is anticipated that the National Education Policy will not only reduce the social stigma associated with considering vocation as a career opportunity but will also provide students a plethora of promising career avenues.
The policy will play a vital role in equipping the manpower of the country to bring about a change, especially in educational practices, along with putting an emphasis on developing technical as well as soft skills amongst graduate and post-graduate students.
NEP 2020 focuses on employability and acknowledges the role of education in providing students with the right skillsets. The vision of the government via this initiative is to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which strives to ensure inclusive and equitable education as well as promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
BRIDGING THE TALENT SKILL GAP
The talent-skill gap exists at various levels and is significant. It is affecting the employability scenario in almost every sector. As per the International Labor Organization, there will be a skill deficit of 29 million by 2030, which will significantly affect the country’s GDP.
Due to this gap, businesses are unable to find and recruit talent that matches their expectations due to the lack of futuristic skills. The major reason for this is the inadequacies in our education system along with the companies not prioritizing on-job training. However, the National Education Policy 2020 is perceived to be a blessing in disguise in such a scenario that will help bridge this gap by providing students with industry-relevant skills so as to make them future-ready professionals.
HOLISTIC LEARNING
NEP promotes moving away from the conventional content-heavy and rote learning practice towards holistic learning. It instills a creative and multidisciplinary curriculum that focuses equally on other subjects such as humanities, sports, fitness, languages, culture, arts, etc. apart from Science, Mathematics, etc.
The National Education Policy 2020 also recognizes the importance of soft skills such as communication, team work, problem solving, decision making, analytical thinking, resiliency, etc. as imperative life skills.
The initiative works with an approach where academic knowledge is imparted. However, along with it, leadership skills are also inculcated amongst the students so that they can benefit ahead in their career trajectory.
OFFERING QUALITY EDUCATION
NEP 2020 allows foreign universities to set up their campuses and operate in India. This will help students have access to global quality education along with international exposure. They will be prepared for facing competition and be prepared to be at par with global standards. This will help them focus on shaping themselves as per the chosen career path right from the beginning.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
NEP 2020 has broken the shackles of subject choices being limited to the traditional domains of Science, Commerce and Humanities. It allows for cross sectional course selection and gives students the opportunity to enhance their core skills. The inclusion of vocational training is also being supported strongly by the National Education Policy 2020.
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 PAVING THE WAY FOR EXPERIENTIAL AND SKILL BASED LEARNING
As we are inching towards the fourth phase of the industrial revolution, employers are on the lookout for talent that possesses domain expertise along with digital literacy and industry-relevant skills. NEP 2020 is an important step that will change the face of the Indian educational system. It is due to this initiative that the market will transform significantly and the evolving needs of employers will be catered to effectively.
The National Educational Policy 2020 propagates experiential and skill-based learning. Putting forth such a disruptive initiative is indeed a courageous move by the Indian government that definitely deserves our appreciation. However, the fact of the matter is that implementing this strong vision is going to be a key challenge.
There are apprehensions but the initiative will certainly receive a positive response as time progresses.
By: Dr. Amrit Das