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.
HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW EDUCATION POLICY
·
Focus on
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) & Foundational Literacy and
Numeracy (FLN)
·
Curtailing
dropouts and ensuring universal access at all levels of school education
·
Learning
Should be Holistic, Integrated, Enjoyable, and Engaging
·
Teacher
Empowerment
·
Equitable
and Inclusive Education: Learning for All
·
Standard-setting
and Accreditation for School Education
·
Adoption
of pedagogically sound teaching & learning practices
·
Adoption
of technology in teaching, learning and assessments
THE NEW
5+3+3+4 ACADEMIC STRUCTURE
10+2 refers to
two years of schooling post grade 10. According to India’s new National
Education Policy (NEP) 2020, 10+2 schooling system in India is set to be
replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 system.
Here is the age-wise breakdown of the
different levels of the school education system based on the new education
policy 2020
5 YEARS OF
FOUNDATIONAL STAGE:
·
For ages: 3
to 8
·
For
classes: Pre-Primary, class 1, class 2
·
This stage
will focus on teaching in play-based or activity-based methods and on the
development of language skills.
3 YEARS OF
PREPARATORY STAGE:
·
For ages:
8 to 11
·
For
classes: 3 to 5
·
The focus
in the preparatory stage will remain on language development and numeracy
skills. Here, the method of teaching and learning would be play and
activity-based, and also include classroom interactions and the element of
discovery.
3 YEARS OF
MIDDLE STAGE:
·
For ages:
11 to 14
·
For
classes: 6 to 8
·
As per NEP
2020, this stage of school education will focus on critical learning
objectives, which is a big shift from the rote learning methods used in our
education system for years. This stage will work on experiential learning in
the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences and humanities.
4 YEARS OF
SECONDARY STAGE:
·
For ages:
14 to 18
·
For
classes: 9 to 12
·
This stage
will cover two phases: Classes 9 and 10, and classes 11 and 12. Concepts will
be covered in greater depth in this stage.