Parliamentarian – July 2019

JULY 2019 l PARLIAMENTARIAN 83

Th e Draft NEP has dwelled
considerably on the importance of
Early Childhood Care and Education
(ECCE). It talks about how more than
85 per cent of a child’s cumulative
brain development happens before the
age of 6 and an investment of ₹1 in
ECCE yields a return of ₹10. Th e draft
proposes to bring the three years of
pre-primary and the two years of
Grades 1 and 2 into a composite unit
with “a single curricular and
pedagogical phase of play and
discovery-based learning” between
the ages of 3 and 8 years. It also
provides a comprehensive framework
of promoting ECCE through a

network of Anganwadis and pre-

primary schools with active support

from primary schools.

It proposes to bring the ECCE

component under HRD ministry so

that curricular and pedagogical

aspects are taken care of. Dr Venita

Kaul, an ECCE expert and Professor

Emerita at Ambedkar University says,

“If implemented well, this can have a

positive impact on children’s learning

as it would ensure a play-based,

developmentally appropriate

curriculum for children up to not just

6 but 8 years, which would give them

a stronger foundation.”

Th e draft recommends bringing

the ECE under the RTE Act, thus

extending the ambit of ‘free and

compulsory education’ to children

above 3 years of age.

teaching them

Th e committee has dared to

acknowledge the severe learning crisis

which is plaguing our country today.

One of the major reasons for such

pathetic learning levels is the weaker

foundational literacy and numeracy

in our students, which completely

kills their interest in learning and

ultimately results in dropouts.

Th e report says that ‘attaining

foundational literacy and numeracy

for all children must become an

‘immediate national mission’. It

suggests a slew of measures to tackle

this national crisis – expansion of

midday meal programme to include

breakfast, National Tutors

Programme, Remedial Instruction

Aides Programme, etc.

Th e draft relies heavily on parental

and community engagement, but

doesn’t provide a clear roadmap to

implement such measures.

Th e NEP recommends that a

5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical

structure based on the cognitive and

socio-emotional developmental stages

of children, should replace the current

10+2 model. It wants the three years

of pre-school (ages 3-6) to be clubbed

with Grades 1 and 2 (up to age 8) and

made into a single pedagogical unit

called the ‘Foundational Stage’.

Grades 3-5 (ages 8-11) will be called

the Preparatory Stage, followed by a

Middle Stage of Grades 6-8 (ages 11-

14), and fi nally a Secondary Stage of

Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18). Th is has

been welcomed by many educationists.

elusive Burden

Th e recent spurt in the suicide cases

of students highlights the excessive

burden of education being faced by

oTHer HigHLigHTs of THe drafT Nep

1. FoundAtionAl literACY And numerACY: Th ere will be
   special attention paid to early language and mathematics in Grades
   1-5. Th e Policy aims to ensure that every student in Grade 5 and
   beyond must achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025.


2. univerSAl ACCeSS: Th e Policy aims to achieve 100% Gross
   enrolment ratio for all school education by 2030 through various
   measures.


3. eQuitAble And inCluSive eduCAtion: Th e Policy has
   several concerted initiatives to ensure that no child loses any
   opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth
   or background. Special education zones will also be set up to focus
   on this.


4. SChool ComPleXeS: Government schools will be reorganised
   into units called school complexes, which will consist of one
   secondary school (Grades 9-12) and all other nearby schools that
   off er education from pre-primary till Grade 8.


5. teACher eduCAtion: teacher preparation programmes will
   be rigorous and will take place in multidisciplinary higher education
   institutions. Th e 4-year integrated bachelor of education off ered at
   multidisciplinary institutions would be the main way of becoming
   a teacher. Substandard and dysfunctional teacher education
   institutes will be shut down.


6. voCAtionAl eduCAtion: All school students
   will receive vocational education in at least one
   vocation during Grades 9 to 12. Th ey will receive
   exposure to vocations in more than one sector during
   Grades 6 to 8. Policy aims to provide access
   to vocational education to at least 50% of all learners
   by 2025.