National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

What is National Education Policy 2020?

The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), approved by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of the new education system of India. It replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1986.

The vision of the policy is to build an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India by providing high-quality education to all, thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.

NEP 2020 Highlights for School Education

1. Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) & Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)
2. Curtailing dropouts and ensuring universal access at all levels of school education
3. Learning Should be Holistic, Integrated, Enjoyable, and Engaging
4. Teacher Empowerment
5. Equitable and Inclusive Education: Learning for All
6. Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education
7. Adoption of pedagogically sound teaching & learning practices
8. Adoption of technology in teaching, learning and assessments

New NEP 2020 Structure

According to India’s new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the 10+2 (10+2 refers to two years of schooling post grade 10) schooling system in India is set to be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 system.
Learn more about the 5+3+3+4 academic structure on our detailed page.
Here is the age-wise breakdown of the different levels of the school education system based on the new education policy 2020:

1. 5 years of Foundational Stage:

• For ages: 3 to 8
• For classes: Anganwadi/pre-school, class 1, class 2
• Focus: Play-based or activity-based methods and language development.

2. 3 years of Preparatory Stage:

• For ages: 8 to 11
• For classes: 3 to 5
• Focus: Language development, numeracy skills, play and activity-based learning, classroom interactions, and discovery.

3. 3 years of Middle Stage:

• For ages: 11 to 14
• For classes: 6 to 8
• Focus: Critical learning objectives, experiential learning in sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences, and humanities.

4. 4 years of Secondary Stage:

• For ages: 14 to 18
• For classes: 9 to 12
• Focus: In-depth coverage of concepts, two phases: Classes 9 and 10, and classes 11 and 12.

Transforming Exams

As per the National Education Policy 2020, Exams will also be made ‘easier’. They will test primarily core competencies to eliminate the “Coaching Culture”.

• Board Exams: Students will be allowed to take board exams twice in any given year.
• Exam Formats: Board exam questions to include both objective type (multiple-choice questions) and descriptive type.
• National Testing Agency (NTA): Offers a high-quality common aptitude test, as well as specialized common subject exams, at least twice every year.

THE 3 LANGUAGE POLICY

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has emphasised on the use of mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction till Class 5 while recommending its continuance till Class 8 and beyond. It recommends that all students will learn three languages in their school under the formula.

The three languages learned by children will be the choices of States, regions, and of course the students themselves. However, at least two of the three languages should be native to India, one of which is most likely to be the local/ regional language. The rule will apply to both private and public schools.

High-quality textbooks, including science, will be made available in home languages. In cases where home-language textbook material is not available, the language between the teachers and students will still remain the home language wherever possible.

The National Education Policy 2020 encourages teachers to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching-learning materials, with those students whose home language may be different from the medium of instruction.

NEP 2020 for Teachers

The New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) focuses significantly on the professional development of teachers. Recognising their crucial role, NEP 2020 proposes:

• 50 hours of annual training for teachers.
• Exposure to the latest pedagogical techniques.
• Enhanced understanding of digital tools.