Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday issued notification for implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in all educational institutions under School and Mass Education department.
“After careful consideration, in the interest of strengthening the educational system in the state, the government is pleased to order that the National Education Policy 2020, as issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, will be implemented in the State of Odisha,” the notification issued by department said.
The NEP will be implemented, aligning with the National Curriculum Framework while incorporating local context. “…National Curriculum Framework, with local contextualization, will be adopted as the State Curriculum Framework,” it added.
With this, Odisha will make a transition from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4 design In school education.
New Schooling Structure
As suggested by the NEP 2020, the new education system will follow a 5+3+3+4 education system where the students will spend 5 years (pre-primary and Grade 1-2) in strengthening their foundation, 3 years in the preparatory stage (Grade 3-5), 3 years in the middle stage (Grade 6-8) and rest 4 years (Grade 9-12) in the secondary stage.
The foundational stage will be for children aged 3 to 8 at Anganwadi/pre-school, Class 1 and Class 2 and emphasises on flexible, multilevel, play/activity-based learning and the curriculum and pedagogy of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The preparatory stage for children aged 8 to 11 will focus on activity and play-based pedagogical methods. It will also include interactive classroom learning to lay a solid groundwork on varied subjects. In addition, it will focus on reading, writing, speaking, physical education, art, languages, science, and mathematics. The middle stage will be for children aged 11 to 14, and will include an introduction to abstract subjects across different subjects. Furthermore, this stage of school education will incorporate experiential learning in science, mathematics, humanities, social sciences, arts, etc.
The final stage of the new schooling structure will be covered in two phases: Classes 9 and 10 and 11 and 12. Furthermore, the stage will include multidisciplinary education with a focus on greater critical thinking, flexibility and choice of subjects.
The school curriculum will include unique subjects, such as Coding and Computational skills, to enhance students’ preparedness for future challenges, it further stated.
The Exam Pattern
The examination system will witness a landmark shift and help to optimise student learning and development. For instance, the initiative reduces the pressure of high-stake examinations, enabling students to appear for board exams twice a year. Moreover, redesigning the board exams will allow teachers to test core competencies, helping to discourage coaching culture and rote memorisation.
Furthermore, NTA( National Testing Agency) will be integral in offering a high-quality aptitude test. And the tests will be for common subject exams in science, humanities, languages, arts and vocational subjects at least twice a year.
Stress On Mother Tongue
The policy has also highlighted the use of the mother tongue or local language as a primary medium of instruction till Class 5. After that, however, it has been recommended to continue its usage till Class 8 and beyond.
According to the three-language policy, all students will learn three languages which the states, regions and students themselves will choose. It also points out that two out of three languages ought to be native to India, and the other one will be a local language.
The rule applies to both private and public schools, which must facilitate high-quality textbooks available in local languages. In addition, the policy recommends teachers use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching and learning materials.
4-Yr UG In Odisha Soon
In November, the government had given the go-ahead to introduce the NEP in the state’s higher education system.
Under NEP-2020, a new curriculum will be introduced in all government universities and their affiliated colleges that come under the Higher Education department. In place of the regular three-year graduation, a four-year programme will be implemented under which, a student can earn a certificate, diploma, degree and degree honours after completion of each year.
It further stated that a credit framework has been established in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, which will allows students greater flexibility and a seven-year window to complete their degrees with options for multiple entry and exit points. The students will be able to earn credits through participation in skill development, internships, community service, extracurricular activities, as well as through NCC and NSS involvement.
The new courses have been designed, which are employment-oriented and tailored to meet industry needs, sources said.
The NEP promotes research and innovation through various schemes, practical-based learning and skill development through internships in industry, making the higher education sector qualitative, autonomous and inclusive.
