National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• Education is critical for achieving human potential, equity, and national progress.
• India aims to provide high-quality education to its large youth population for its future success.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDG4, calls for inclusive and equitable education for all by 2030.
• Rapid global changes require a skilled workforce with mathematics, computer science, and multidisciplinary abilities.
• Education should emphasize critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and adaptability.
• Curriculum should be holistic, integrated, enjoyable, and include arts, humanities, sports, languages, culture and values.
• Major reforms are needed to bridge the gap between current learning outcomes and future requirements.
• India aims to establish an education system that is second to none by 2040, regardless of socioeconomic background.
• The National Education Policy 2020 aims to create a new education structure aligned with 21st-century goals and Indian values.
• Education should develop cognitive, social, ethical, and emotional capacities.
• Ancient Indian knowledge and philosophy should guide the education system.
• The pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and truth are considered the highest human goals.
• The aim of education is complete realization and liberation of the self.
• Teachers are at the center of education reform and must be respected and empowered.
• The policy provides quality education to all students, irrespective of their place of residence, with a focus on marginalized groups.
• It incorporates local and global needs while respecting diversity and culture.
• Knowledge of India, strong ethics, national pride, self-confidence, cooperation, and integration are considered critical.
• Previous policies focused on access and equity, with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 as a major development.
• Education should develop rational thought, compassion, courage, resilience, and creative imagination.
• The aim is to produce engaged, productive, and contributing citizens.
• Educational institutions should provide a safe, stimulating environment with a wide range of learning experiences and resources.
• Seamless integration and coordination across institutions and stages of education are necessary.
• Recognize, identify, and foster the unique capabilities of each student.
• Prioritize foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3.
• Emphasize flexibility in learning trajectories, eliminating hard separations between arts and sciences or vocational and academic streams.
• Promote multidisciplinary and holistic education, conceptual understanding, creativity, and critical thinking.
• Instill ethics, human values, and Constitutional values.
• Promote multilingualism, life skills, and regular formative assessment.
• Utilize technology extensively and respect diversity and local contexts.
• Ensure full equity and inclusion, synergy in curriculum, and empowerment of teachers and faculty.
• Establish a light but tight regulatory framework, outstanding research, and continuous review of progress.
• Emphasize rootedness and pride in India, considering education a public service and a basic right, and substantial investment in a strong public education system.
• This policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that transforms India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society.
• The curriculum and pedagogy should develop respect for Fundamental Duties and awareness of roles and responsibilities.
• The vision is to instill pride in being Indian and support responsible commitment to human rights and sustainable development.

School Education Structure

• The policy modifies the 10+2 structure to a 5+3+3+4 system.
• The new structure covers ages 3-18.
• The Foundational Stage: 3 years of preschool/Anganwadi and 2 years of primary school (Grades 1-2), covering ages 3-8.
• The Preparatory Stage: Grades 3-5, covering ages 8-11.
• The Middle Stage: Grades 6-8, covering ages 11-14.
• The Secondary Stage: Grades 9-12 (two phases: 9-10 and 11-12), covering ages 14-18.

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

• Aims to provide a strong foundation for overall learning, development, and well-being.
• ECCE includes children aged 3-6, who are not currently covered in the 10+2 structure.
• 85% of brain development occurs before age 6, emphasizing the importance of early care and stimulation.
• Quality ECCE is not available to many young children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care, and education is necessary by 2030.
• ECCE elements: flexible, multi-faceted, multi-level, play-based, activity-based, and inquiry-based learning.
• ECCE includes alphabets, languages, numbers, counting, colors, shapes, indoor and outdoor play, puzzles, drawing, painting, craft, drama, music and movement.
• Development of social capacities, sensitivity, good behavior, courtesy, ethics, cleanliness, teamwork, and cooperation are part of ECCE.
• A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to age 8 will be developed by NCERT.
• Sub-frameworks for 0-3 and 3-8 year-olds will be aligned with guidelines, research, and best practices.
• Numerous rich local traditions of India developed will be incorporated.
• Parents and early childhood care and education institutions will have a suitable guiding framework.
• The overarching goal is universal access to high-quality ECCE across the country.
• Special attention is given to socio-economically disadvantaged districts and locations.
• Delivery of ECCE: stand-alone Anganwadis, Anganwadis co-located with primary schools, pre-primary schools/sections co-located with primary schools, and stand-alone pre-schools.
• Workers/teachers would be specially trained in the curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE
• Anganwadi Centres will be strengthened with infrastructure, equipment, and trained workers/teachers.
• They will have ventilation, design, and an enriched learning environment.
• Children will take activity-filled tours to local primary schools to make transitions smooth.
• Anganwadis shall be integrated into school complexes/clusters.
• Anganwadi children, parents, and teachers will be invited to attend school/school complex programs.
• Prior to age 5, every child will move to a Preparatory Class or Balavatika with an ECCE-qualified teacher.
• Preparatory Class learning will be based primarily on play-based learning, with a focus on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities and early literacy and numeracy.
• The mid-day meal program will be extended to the Preparatory Classes in primary schools.
• Health check-ups and growth monitoring available in the Anganwadi system will be extended to Preparatory Class students.
• Current Anganwadi workers/teachers will be trained through a systematic effort by NCERT to prepare high-quality ECCE teachers.
• Workers/teachers with 10+2 and above qualifications will be given a 6-month certificate program in ECCE; those with lower qualifications will be given a one-year diploma program.
• Programs may be run through digital/distance mode using DTH channels and smartphones.
• ECCE training of Anganwadi workers/teachers will be mentored by Cluster Resource Centres of the School Education Department, which shall hold monthly contact classes.
• State Governments shall prepare cadres of professionally qualified educators for early childhood care and education through stage-specific professional training, mentoring mechanisms, and career mapping.
• Necessary facilities will be created for the initial professional preparation of these educators and their Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
• ECCE will also be introduced in Ashramshalas in tribal-dominated areas and in all formats of alternative schooling in a phased manner.
• Responsibility for ECCE curriculum and pedagogy will lie with MHRD to ensure its continuity from pre-primary school through primary school and to ensure due attention to foundational aspects.
• Planning and implementation: Ministries of HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal Affairs.
• A special joint task force will be constituted for continuous guidance of the smooth integration of early childhood care and education into school education.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

• The ability to read and write, and perform basic operations with numbers is a necessary foundation for future learning.
• A large proportion of elementary school students have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Attaining foundational literacy and numeracy for all children will become an urgent national mission.
• Every student should attain foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3, and the rest of this Policy will become relevant for students only if this learning requirement is first achieved.
• This will be achieved in primary school by 2025.
• A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be set up by the MHRD on priority.
• Teacher vacancies will be filled at the earliest, especially in disadvantaged areas and areas with large pupil-to-teacher ratios or high rates of illiteracy.
• Attention will be given to employing local teachers or those with familiarity with local languages.
• Under 30:1 for pupil teacher ratio and under 25:1 for socio-economically disadvantaged students.
• There will be an increased focus on foundational literacy and numeracy, and generally, on reading, writing, speaking, counting, arithmetic, and mathematical thinking.
• Specific hours daily and regular events over the year will be dedicated to these.
• Teacher preparation and early grade curriculum will be redesigned.
• Interm 3 month play based school preparation mo