India’s National Education Policy, 2020: Merging Cognitive with Creative

AI-driven system maps learning

In July 2020, the Indian govt introduced a new National Education Policy (NEP) which proposed extensive changes to India’s existing educational framework. The overarching theme is to tap the creative potential of every student. 

The current education system stresses the need of creation of a structure which looks at each student individually; a system which not only intelligently assesses academic strengths and weaknesses, but more importantly identifies inherent interest, learning preference, and creative and critical thinking abilities. 

The NEP makes an attempt to focus on the merging of 2 major aspects of a student’s development: cognitive and creative. The emphasis is on experiential learning and critical thinking

The NEP promises “no hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams, etc. in order to eliminate harmful hierarchies among, and silos between different areas of learning;”

Highlighting the importance of the uniqueness of every student, the NEP asks schools to recognize, identify and foster the unique capabilities of each student in both academic and non-academic spheres.

However, with about 230 million students enrolled in school, this may seem like a Herculean task spread over 14 years (K-12). Even if a school decided to do this using traditional methods of written and oral exams, homework, and workshops, it would require a large group of extremely dedicated and motivated teaching and management staff to put in multiple extra hours to maintain and update such a system. Not only this, but it would also require frequent PTA meetings, and extremely dedicated and informed parents to relay information when the student develops new extracurricular interests, begins to resent certain subjects, or shows particular interest in tampering with household electronics. And let’s not forget the large administrative support such a manually maintained and updated “uniqueness tracker” would require.  

It is safe to say that something like this would fail unless it is backed by technology in a big way. The NEP also recommends “extensive use of technology in teaching and learning”. Instead of looking at technology as merely a computer with an Internet connection to teach online, it can be seen as a tool to intelligently diagnose learning patterns and inherent talents, boost productivity, and master skills. 

Myelin is one such technology platform which attempts to achieve the guidelines and vision set by NEP. It is a single-point solution to manage and propel students’ academic and allied success. 

Myelin’s AI-driven system maps learning patterns including the medium of learning which the student responds to the best, subject (and extra-curricular) the student can easily master and discover his/her interests and abilities. Intelligent reports with in-depth analysis and subjective recommendations which can replace traditional marks-based report cards. Myelin promotes healthy parental involvement by acting as an easy channel communication channel between them and the teachers. In addition, Myelin harmoniously blends into any school’s functioning enabling optimized operations for every member of the school from the management to external vendors.

2020’s NEP sets an encouraging benchmark for schools to aspire to and is the step in the right direction, but its success hinges on the efficacy of its implementation!

Dheeraj Nayyar

Head of Global Alliances and Growth @Zenworks Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 

myelin is a one-stop communication channel for all the stakeholders of a school to communicate effectively. Using an AI engine, it derives actionable insights from the various forms of communication to drive student and school success. The platform helps schools make data-driven decisions to strengthen Governance and achieve learning effectiveness

https://myelin.co.in

My Good School - Where Passion Meets Education

A BOOK FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLING.

This book is for parents to select the school for their child, as the choice can have a lifelong impact on the growth and personality of the child.

A guide for you to look beyond that high-rise building and those perfectly manicured lawns—to go deeper in your search for your good school. It will encourage you to observe, question, and evaluate, and choose a school that will truly prepare your child for a life beyond the campus, a life beyond theory, a life beyond algebra.

This book will help educators, school administrators and management to build and rebuild such institutions and change the future of learning.

Enriched with the knowledge, experience and, most importantly, the wisdom of The Doon School alumnus and school improvement coach Sandeep Dutt, this book will encourage conversations around our education system and help shape the future of education in the world.

THREE KEYS

• The author, Sandeep Dutt, is an alumnus of the Doon School and he has decades-long experience of working with schools to improve their outlook in qualitative terms.

• With the New Education Policy coming in, education has again become a focus area for our country.

• This book caters to a wide audience—from parents to teachers to school management.

Inside the book

Section I The What, the Why and the How of Teaching

1. Why go to school?
2. Quality in education
3. How your child learns the best
4. Performance scores must be honest
5. People, process and outcomes
6. Choice of curriculum
7. Building schools with quality
8. Fun in learning, learning is fun
9. Life is parenting
10. An eager child or an enthusiastic teacher?
11. Why teachers are averse to change

Section II Redefining Education and Learning

1. Reading at the heart of education
2. Innovation and design
3. The art of writing in school
4. The Annual Day at school
5. Schools must provide knowledge, not mere information
6. Value of liberal arts education
7. Humanity must learn humanities
8. New teaching and learning approaches
9. Freedom to perform

Section III Lessons for Life

1. What education does
2. School bell: The first lesson in time management
3. Going to school
4. Learning: From isolation to collaboration
5. Teachers travel with you all your life
6. Personal and social development at school
7. Real-world learning
8. Today is the day when you define for yourself

Section IV School Leadership

1. Leadership begins and ends at the top
2. Principal as the chief learning leader
3. Student leader: Mentor or monitor?
4. Smart teachers make smart classes
5. Conclusion: My Good School—where passion meets education

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SANDEEP DUTT is a school coach, bookseller, runner, mountaineer and social entrepreneur. His work for the International Award for Young People (IAYP) has been widely acknowledged all over the world. As a social entrepreneur, Sandeep works to empower young people and has been a mentor for many. His mission is to ‘help schools deliver better’ with a focus on building professional learning communities at schools. Find out more about the author https://sdutt.com/

Get. your author-signed copies only from The English  Book Depot

ISBN 978-93-90547-40-1
Price Rs 295.00 - By Post, Free Delivery in India only

All earning from the book will go the Learning Forward India Foundation

Pay with

RP Devgan: Draft NEP 2019

Draft Education Policy 2019

Finally, there is a deep concern for falling numbers among Science Research Scholars.

In a Nation where the majority of students studying Science at the Secondary level study it with no passion or love for it but just because certain careers demand it.No wonder there is a shortage of Research Scholars, it is inevitable. We have to change the way Science is taught at the Middle School level.

To make students curious and excited Science has to be taken from the Classrooms to the laboratories and Outdoors. At present, it is all theory and no application. By the time Children reach the Higher Secondary level, there should be a fair amount of students who show a passion for it, passion enough to commit themselves for Higher studies and eventually Research.

If Education is to have any chance of giving to the Society intelligent, compassionate and considerate human beings then the thousands of Institutes thriving on Tuitions must go, be banned. Kota is a great example as are the Major Private Institutions preparing students for IITs and Medical Colleges. These Institutions have started targetting children from Class 6 by offering them Scholarships.

It's just the opposite of holistic education a child needs. It's dose after dose, day in and day out of theory in packed classrooms. Children don't get to see the light of day.No reading, no exercise but just making a beeline to qualify for the entrance examination. We have started producing neurotic Children who have no childhood. Many children who cannot take the pressure and stress get into a depression and the thought of failure drives some to suicide.

It's about time the Government does something to stop this tuition racket and its mercenaries running it.

Mr Rajinder Pal Devgan, Chairman of Learning Forward India. 
Email rpdevgan@gmail.com

Draft New Education Policy - 19 key changes

INDIA TODAY

From compulsory BEd as a minimum qualification for teaching to the duration of Under-graduation in India, National Educational Policy Chairman Dr Kasturirangan introduced changes before the HRD ministry.

The draft of National Educational Policy has been submitted to the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' and Minister of State for HRD, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre in New Delhi by Committee led by the Chairman Dr. Kasturirangan on Friday May 31, 2019 in the presence of R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary Department of Higher Education and Rina Ray, Secretary Department of School Education & Literacy and other senior officials of the Ministry.

Aim of National Educational Policy

• To equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge
• To eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry
• The Draft National Education Policy, 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability.

Background work

For this, the MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, multi-stakeholder, multi-pronged, bottom-up people-centric, inclusive, participatory consultation process.

The extensive consultations were undertaken across multiple levels of online, expert and thematic, and from the grassroots ranging from the village, block, urban local bodies, district, state, zonal and the national level, provided an opportunity to every citizen to engage in this massive exercise.

Several in-person and in-depth deliberations across a wide spectrum of stakeholders were held.

Subsequently, a 'Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy' under the Chairmanship of Late TSR Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, was constituted, which submitted its report in May 2016. Based on this report, the ministry prepared 'Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016'.

Changes

1. The committee has proposed to rename MHRD as Ministry of Education (MoE).

2. In school education, a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part of school education is proposed.

3. The committee also recommends Extension of Right to Education Act 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18. A 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure based on cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages of children: Foundational Stage (age 3-8 yrs): 3 years of pre-primary plus Grades 1-2; Preparatory Stage (8-11 years): Grades 3-5; Middle Stage (11-14 years): Grades 6-8; and Secondary Stage (14-18 years): Grades 9-12.
Schools will be re-organized into school complexes.

4. It also seeks to reduce the content load in the school education curriculum.

5. There will be no hard separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extracurricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc will be curricular.

6. It promotes active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities: and life skills, including 21st-century skills.

7. The committee proposes for massive transformation in teacher education by shutting down sub-standard teacher education institutions and moving all teacher preparation/education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities/colleges.

8. The 4-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. the programme will eventually be the minimum degree qualification for teachers.

9. In higher education, a restructuring of higher education institutions with three types of higher education institutions is proposed-

Type 1: Focused on world-class research and high-quality teaching

Type 2: Focused on high-quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research;

Type 3: High-quality teaching focused on undergraduate education. This will be driven by two Missions -Mission Nalanda & Mission Takshashila.

10. There will be re-structuring of Undergraduate programs (e.g. BSc, BA, BCom, BVoc) of 3 or 4 years duration and having multiple exits and entry options.

11. A new apex body Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog is proposed to enable a holistic and integrated implementation of all educational initiatives and programmatic interventions and to coordinate efforts between the Centre and states.

12. The National Research Foundation, an apex body is proposed for creating a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

13. The four functions of standard setting, Funding, Accreditation and Regulation to be separated and conducted by independent bodies: National Higher Education Regulatory Authority as the only regulator for all higher education including professional education.

14. Creation of accreditation eco-system led by revamped NAAC.

15. Professional Standard Setting Bodies for each area of professional education and UGC to transform to Higher Education Grants Commission (HEGC).

16. The private and public institutions will be treated on par and education will remain a 'not for profit' activity.

17. Several new policy initiatives for promoting the internationalization of higher education, strengthening quality open and distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and regional gaps in education outcomes were also recommended.

18. Promotion of Indian and classical languages and setting up three new National Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit.

19. Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) has been recommended.

The path-breaking reforms recommended will bring about a paradigm shift by equipping our students, teachers and educational institutions with the right competencies and capabilities and also create an enabling and reinvigorated educational eco-system for a vibrant new India.

Original post: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/hrd-ministry-drafts-new-national-educational-policy-19-changes-recommended-1540190-2019-06-01

Link courtesy Mr Rajinder Pal Devgan, Chairman Learning Forward India.

Oh! Education!

Sitting here in India at the fag end of 2017, what do I experience within myself when I think of the state of education in our country today? Do I feel elevated, excited or thrilled? No, I don't, with an emphatic 'no'. A certain dullness and boredom fills my mind resulting in a big yawn!

Keeping an allowance for my extreme views, education today means endless drudgery and slavish slogging both for students as well as teachers through the length and breadth of our country barring isolated pockets of excellence here and there. Teachers' role is limited to purveying information in various disciplines which students are supposed to mug word for word and get it out of their systems during the exam. They need not be original in their approach or show any signs of really having understood the underlying concepts or having reacted to the course content in their own individual way! The best answers are those which are a verbatim reproduction of the text. So much for the thrill of learning!

While I don't have much of an idea about the state of our professional courses, some of which charge hefty fees, the above situation prevails in most of the state and privately run primary, secondary and senior secondary schools in our country. But exceptions are always there depending on individual motivation. We humans are like animals in many ways and our lives mostly revolve around seeking creature comforts for ourselves. But since we are gifted with a brain and, more importantly, a will, we are not content with satisfying our earthly desires and basic urges. We all look for something deeper, something more thrilling, more meaningful and challenging in our everyday existence! And here is where education comes in!

Education is a quest into the unknown with its thrill of discovery, peace of understanding and awakening of realisation! It gifts us with a new vision and a new perspective on the world. Do our lessons as taught by our teachers tease or challenge us, or draw us out enough to throw and plunge ourselves headlong into the depths of the unknown and experience the thrill of exploration? I am sorry, but in most cases the teacher lays bare the entire course content and application thereof to the pupil and all that the student has to do is to commit it to memory and know it forward and backward. We leave nothing to the inquisitive genius of the pupil.

There is no thrill of discovery, or the excitement of exploration, or the fulfilment of having overcome a challenge and learnt something new through the dint of one's painstaking effort and application. Such is the state of education in a country which is not tired of drumming its old glory and tom-tomming about our ancient centres of learning like Nalanda and Taxila and our pioneering work in the field of Mathematics, medicine, surgery and astronomy! 'सा विद्या या विमुक्तये' - True knowledge is an acquisition of the mind that liberates us. Liberates us of what? True knowledge sets us free of our bondage and breaks the shackles and fetters that impede our progress. What is it that keeps us in bondage and what are our chains?

As teachers do we seek and experience comfort in following a pattern of educational learning and teaching given to us several generations ago? Do we encourage questions and queries from our students, or our lessons are mostly one way traffic where we just deliver the course content? Are our lessons interactive enough where students also contribute by offering their own inputs and comments? Do we encourage original thinking in our classes, or spurn any deviation from the established pattern? Do we treat any original thinking and questions as a sign of revolt and nip it in the bud? Are our classes vibrant sessions of give and take of ideas between the teacher and the pupils or a monotonous drone by the teacher with the best students even only passive listeners? It is here in our day to day classes where we give confidence and self assurance to our children by allowing them to think on their own, or put shackles and fetters around their minds by restricting free flow of ideas, thus stunting their growth. What goes by the name of educational instruction in most of our schools today is the dry, uninteresting and unexciting delivery of the syllabus. How can this sort of education liberate us?

'Knowledge, our light' is the beautiful motto of The Doon School, though not expressed in so many words. And how true it is! What is knowledge? What darkness does it dispel as a source of light? Can good education help us become free of our superstitions? Has our education empowered us to think on own? Has our education equipped us to think in an organised, logical and rational manner? Has it enlivened our imagination so as to enable us to step into other people's shoes, empathise with them and share in their cares and concerns? Has our education made us good citizens who understand their responsibility towards their society and their fellow citizens?

Has our education broadened our thinking and vision to step out of 'the narrow domestic walls' of the faith we were born and brought up in and acknowledge and accommodate other faiths as only different paths leading to the same destination! Besides academics which is only a narrow slice of education does our education sensitise or refine our faculties to enable us to appreciate a beautiful poem, a painting, a symphony or a 'raaga' and so on and so forth? Or after having completed fourteen years of schooling do we know little else beyond the syllabus that we mugged for our unending tests and exams? Did our school help us develop some skill of hand or eye or cultivate in us any genuine and abiding interest in our life? If it didn't it failed to impart real education and failed in its duty by us. Did our school teach us that a difference of opinion is normal and nothing to be afraid of while enforced conformity is a sign of regressive and retrograde thinking? Did our school teach us that civilised humans settle their differences through debates and discussions rather than fisticuffs? If it didn't it failed in its duty!

What is the role of a teacher or a guru? Before the teacher takes up his first lesson he should ask himself whether he likes his profession and has a genuine interest in the growth and advancement of the young learners under his charge? He has to lead them by the hand and has to have great energy and enthusiasm to be able to lead his charges by personal example. If the teacher is a learner himself he is surely going to enjoy himself and bound to succeed as a teacher. As the Vedic prayer goes- ऊँ सहनाववतु सहनौ भुनक्तु सहवीर्यं करवावहै तेजस्विना वधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै । ऊँ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ।। (May that Brahma (ब्रम्ह) protect us both- teacher and disciple; May that Brahma nourish us both; May we work in harmony with great vigour; May our study be illuminating and fruitful; May we not hate or be envious of each other; Let peace abound everywhere!).......An ideal prayer for the teacher as well as the learner!

For those of us who have been or are in the teaching profession 'learning' should be the operative word, the prime concern and passion, for both of us, teachers as well students, are on a common quest of knowledge, knowledge that will help us overcome our ignorance and inborn prejudices and evolve as better humans. For that to happen we have to keep the windows and doors of our minds and hearts wide open and allow a constant flow of fresh ideas! 'आ नो भद्रा: क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वत:' (Let noble thoughts come to us from every side!) goes another Vedic Prayer and how appropriate for us all!

UC Pande

Principal, Great English Teacher and a wonderful Mentor! 

His email address is ucpande3@gmail.com

Policy and Governance Update - CSF EdMonitor via

Policy and Governance The Department of School Education and Literacy, under the HRD Ministry, said the decision to use the Aadhaar number as an identification document for receiving benefits under various school-related schemes needs more deliberation. So far, the centre has identified 31 schemes where the Aadhaar number can be used as identification for providing various benefits. The Union HRD Ministry has planned to include more information about the electoral process in school syllabus.The commission aims to focus on more than 60 per cent of the future voters ( 15 to 17-year-olds) to teach them about the importance of their democratic rights. The poll panel has also suggested NCERT to develop a booklet on elections till the introduction of new curriculum. The Education Department of Rajasthan has decided to merge anganwadis or pre-schools into government schools for providing better facilities to students. In the first phase, around 13,000 anganwadis will be merged with schools at every gram panchayat. The move is being taken to improve the poor learning outcomes—reading letters and alphabets being recorded by students in primary classes.

Educators In the third year, the Delhi government will run a leadership programme by focusing on developing qualitative learning outcomes for students, by building Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya in every zone, and sending teachers to Finland for training. The government is also planning to build school of excellence in every zone which would have an ambience and environment like the private schools. The ‘Mile Banche Madhya Pradesh’ programme in Madhya Pradesh has received an overwhelming response with over 1.26 lakh volunteers. The volunteers registered for the programme will play the role of a ‘teacher’ in government-run schools on February 18. They will motivate children in primary and middle schools to cultivate the habit of reading by browsing through various interesting books along with textbooks.

Edtech The Primary and Secondary Education Department Minister, Tanveer Sait said the Integrated Computer Training Programme’s phase III has been completely scrapped and the new proposal will be implemented in the coming academic year. The IT@School Programme will be emulated in the state with government teachers and principals being trained in teaching computers. The Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar, Jammu & Kashmir motivated the master trainers for e-learning under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA). Training centres are being established at all the 220 smart classrooms across 22 districts of the state covering the targeted 34000 teachers in two months. DISCLAIMER: This document is being furnished to you for your information. You may choose to reproduce or redistribute this report for non-commercial purposes in part or in full to any other person with due acknowledgement of Central Square Foundation (CSF). The opinions expressed in articles contained in the CSF EdMonitor are solely those of their respective authors and, as such, are not necessarily endorsed by CSF.  CSF makes every effort to use reliable and comprehensive information, but does not represent that the contents of the report are accurate or complete. CSF is an independent, not-for-profit organization. This document has been prepared without regard to the objectives or opinions of those who may receive it. Copyright © 2017 Central Square Foundation, All rights reserved.

India's National Youth Policy-2014

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for introduction of the National Youth Policy-2014 (NYP-2014), replacing NYP-2003 currently in force.

The vision of NYP-2014 is to empower youth to achieve their full potential, and through them enable India to find its rightful place in the community of nations. For achieving this vision, the Policy identifies five well-defined objectives and 11 priority areas and suggests policy interventions in each priority area. The priority areas are education, skill development and employment, entrepreneurship, health and healthy lifestyle, sports, promotion of social values, community engagement, participation in politics and governance, youth engagement, inclusion and social justice.

The focused approach on youth development and empowerment involving all stakeholders, as envisaged in NYP-2014, would result in development of an educated and healthy young population, who are not only economically productive, but are also socially responsible citizens contributing to the task of nation-building.

It will cover the entire country catering the needs of all youth in the age-group of 15-29 years, which constitutes 27.5 per cent of the population according to Census-2011, that is about 33 crore persons.It will replace NYP-2003, to take care of developments since 2003 and future policy imperatives.

The NYP-2014 proposes broad policy interventions for the youth consistent with the 12thPlan priorities and does not propose any specific programme/ scheme, having financial implications. All concerned Ministries/ Department would be requested to bring focus on youth issues within the framework of their plans/ programmes/ schemes etc.

Background:

India is one of the youngest nations in the world and is expected to have a very favourable demographic profile in the near future. This is a great opportunity as well as a challenge. NYP-2014 seeks to suggest a framework for appropriate policy interventions by Government and non-Government stakeholders, to empower the youth to enable them to realize their full potential as also to contribute to the progress of the nation.

Useful link http://www.youthpolicy.org/nationalyouthpolicies/