PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the State government will implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for Std IX from the academic year 2024-25.
“Today a meeting was held to discuss how to implement NEP in Goa. Decision has been taken that NEP will be implemented from Std IX. Three new subjects will be introduced in view of this – Vocational Studies, Interdisciplinary and Art. It has been decided to provide training for vocational courses, where there are no teachers,” Sawant said.
“The teaching for these courses will commence only from August after giving due training to the teachers. There will be a problem for two months as there are no teachers. Syllabus of interdisciplinary courses will be prepared and provided to the schools. Art teachers will be appointed through SCERT,” he added.
The Chief Minister also said that the Education Secretary and Director of Higher Education “will brief school headmasters properly”. “Everybody is requested to extend their cooperation. If NEP is implemented from this year, then it will help it in the implementation in the higher classes,” Sawant said.
The Chief Minister said the meeting discussed the issue of primary, secondary and higher secondary schools and it was decided that the recruitment of 180 teachers will be fast tracked.
“It has been decided to make SCERT an autonomous body, he said, adding, “Priority will be given to solve the issues which have not been solved yet.”
The National Education Policy (NEP), released in July 2020, focuses not only on education but also gives equal importance to the overall development of students, which includes skill development and personality development.
In February this year, the Centre had issued a notice to all States/UTs to fix six years as the minimum age for admission to Class I from the 2024-25 academic year, in line with NEP 2020 and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. However, the Directorate of Education had said that it will seek relaxation from the Centre on the minimum age for admission to Class I.