Measuring Success: Evaluating the Impact of the NEP

The need to change outdated methodologies and the overall academic structure has been indicated for the longest time. Therefore, the launch of the NEP 2020 campaign was a significant move towards transforming the Indian education system.

The policy focuses on high-quality education, ease of accessibility, and accountability in education. The policy has been designed to identify and solve core challenges such as unequal accessibility to education, inadequate teacher training, and low learning outcomes.

Furthermore, a comprehensive and holistic approach is central to the policy and encourages critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Hence, it is only fitting to look at how it impacts the education system.

Impact of NEP 2020

1. Holistic Education

Division of streams and high favorability of science and commerce are the realities of senior higher secondary education. On the other hand, people refer to the arts or humanities as the last resort, associating them with being insignificant.

The policy introduced the 5+3+3+4 academic system, which led to a shift from the traditional 10+2 system to the following:

• Foundational Stage: The first five years cover the foundational stage, wherein core skills like literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills are areas of focus.
• Preparatory Stage: The next three years are crucial for preparing students and establishing a strong foundation in vital subjects. For instance, schools focus on subjects like mathematics, science, language, and the arts.
• Middle Stage: The middle stage of education is where students gain in-depth education in multiple subjects and disciplines.
• Secondary Stage: The secondary stage in the higher education system allows students to choose a particular stream or subject.

However, there is no hard separation between the streams, allowing students to choose a unique combination of subjects. Consequently, it helps them learn a wide variety of subjects and skills and undergo holistic development.

2. Emphasis on Arts and Humanities

STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is one of the most popular and primary academic modules. However, the sole emphasis of the module leads to intellectual and resource roadblocks.

Therefore, the incorporation of humanities subjects is a critical aspect of the policy. One of the fundamental reasons is that it will foster soft skills in students. For example, critical thinking, analysing, collaboration, good communication, resourcefulness, etc.

Besides, these skills are central to enhancing the overall capability of a person, making them ready to deal with varied situations. Also, they will become more adept at the workplace and succeed in identifying and solving issues.

Likewise, technology-based solutions are key to modern organisations and will continue to impact the future. Nevertheless, accurate implementation of these highly advanced solutions requires smart and ethical individuals.

That is where the humanities play a vital role by inculcating empathy, ethics, and moral values that enable people to make the right decisions.

3. Multilingual Education

The policy emphasises multilingual education by recommending the use of the mother tongue or native language as a medium of instruction. Furthermore, it indicates that the mother tongue will be the primary language of instruction until Grade 8 and beyond.

As a result, it will help students learn and grasp concepts better and enable them to understand the country’s diverse cultures and traditions. Also, they will gradually develop an inclusive and tolerant attitude towards other cultures and communities.

Furthermore, the policy highlights the importance of learning more than one language; therefore, multilingual education is a step towards that aim. It will improve their communication skills, enabling them to interact effectively with people from other cultures.

Besides, language acquisition skills are one of the in-demand competencies that employers look for in candidates. Hence, schools will also include foreign languages like Spanish, German, Latin, Japanese, etc.

4. Focus on vocational education

The learning and skill gap has been one of the contributing factors to unemployment in India, causing many young graduates to struggle. Hence, apart from incorporating outcome-based education, the National Education Policy stresses vocational education.

No wonder; the extension of vocational education is one of the central tenets of the policy that will have a significant impact, such as:

• Enhanced Employability

The expansion of vocational education will enable students to identify and develop in-demand skills, preparing them for a competitive job market. Moreover, learning specific competencies and skills enables them to face unique challenges.

• Accessibility to Skill Jobs

Increased availability of skilled jobs and employment opportunities are two of the positive outcomes that will reduce the unemployment issue. Consequently, job accessibility will increase in varied fields like manufacturing, construction, and information technology.

• Improved Connection Between Education and the Workforce

One of the crucial aims of the policy is to establish a better connection between education and the workforce. Hence, students receiving practical experiential training in real-world skills will help them understand the demands and challenges of the 21st-century workplace.

5. Effective teacher training and professional development

The role of teachers in enhancing students’s futures is as important as implementing the policy across the board. However, ineffective teacher training and qualifications lead to unproductive and flawed teaching delivery.

That is where the establishment of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be integral to preparing proficient teachers. Besides, it is a key move towards introducing major changes in teachers’s training and professional development. So, it will have a major impact, such as:

• Competent and qualified teachers

Training and development opportunities will improve the quality of teachers and ensure they learn relevant skills and knowledge. As a result, they will acquire the expertise and capability to handle classroom situations and teach effectively.

• Improved Student Learning Outcomes

Better teacher training and motivation initiatives enhance teachers’s capabilities, helping to improve student learning outcomes. Well-trained and motivated teachers succeed at providing quality education and helping students attain their goals.

6. Better Accessibility to Quality Education

Poor-quality education and a lack of infrastructure and proper academic opportunities are major issues that many students face across the country. Therefore, NEP 2020 strives to improve the accessibility of quality education.

In fact, students from disadvantaged groups are often at the receiving end of a lack of educational resources. Hence, the policy will make sure that all children from poor socio-economic backgrounds get access to appropriate educational facilities.

In addition, women and young girls from underrepresented and marginalised communities will receive equal educational opportunities. They will be able to pursue higher education, preparing them for varied career options.

7. Leveraging Technology

Technology significantly impacts the teaching and learning processes, and it will continue to do so in the future. The policy recommends the strategic integration of tech-based solutions in classroom sessions.

For instance, schools using digital resources, virtual learning tools, and interactive learning activities are examples of NEP-compliant practices. Besides, using such automated solutions enables teachers to identify different learning styles.

Some of the noteworthy initiatives in this context are as follows:

• National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT)

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) launched NMEICT as a way to promote the integration of technology in the education sector.

• SWAYAM

SWAYAM, aka Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds, is a government initiative that provides free online courses for students and professionals. Students can find courses in various fields, such as science, technology, the arts, etc.

• DIKSHA

DIKSHA, or Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a national digital infrastructure that has been designed to improve teachers’s education. Teachers across the country can access high-quality educational materials and resources.

8. Strategic Assessment and Evaluation System

Outdated examination procedures are incapable of assessing students' progress. In contrast, implementing better assessment mechanisms is instrumental in monitoring their growth. Incorporating tools like the LMS is useful in creating different kinds of tests and providing real-time feedback.

Consequently, it will transform the assessment system from traditional summative assessments to formative exams. Reliance on rote memorization will reduce drastically, and students will take an interest in their learning process.

Online tests and evaluations will assist teachers in identifying whether or not students have made any progress. Also, when exams become a part of regular classroom sessions, it reduces pressure.

The policy stresses the importance of making assessments more comprehensive, helping to assess students’ creativity, intelligence, and critical thinking. It will help to evaluate their overall abilities and potential.

9. Skill Development

The National Education Policy emphasises students’s skills through varied initiatives, including digital literacy and technological skills. For instance, sufficient knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual reality, etc.

Staying up-to-date with the latest tech solutions and innovations increases the chances of obtaining employment opportunities. Likewise, higher educational institutes will focus on entrepreneurial skills, encouraging them to pursue business ventures.