The recent statements by the University and College Teachers Association in Goa (UGTAG) of the dangers of hasty implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a genuine concern, but the silence of other academic bodies in Goa, --such as the Principals’ Forum, the Academic Council and the Executive Council of Goa University, the guardians who have been entrusted with the responsibility of safe guarding and promoting the interests and concerns of the students --is a failure of their fiduciary responsibility and is unfortunate for students of Goa.
NEP 2020 is not any magic wand which would suddenly improve the quality of education. What seems to be happening is that there is an undue haste from the Education department which doesn’t seem to have imbibed the spirit of NEP 2020.
The NEP 2020 policy document makes it clear that NEP 2020, is not meant for overnight implementation, nor simultaneous implementation at the different stages of education, all at the same time. The NEP 2020 implementation should begin with ‘substantial increase in public investment in education by both the Central government and all State Governments. The Centre and the States should work together to increase the public investment in education sector to reach 6% of the GDP at the earliest. This is considered extremely critical for achieving the high-quality and equitable public education system (see para 26.6 of the policy document).’ To date no State government or even the Central government has taken any budgetary step to enhance the expenditure on education to the recommended 6% of the GDP.
The first of the goals of NEP 2020 is universal provisioning of quality early childhood development care and education for all children from the age of three years, to be achieved by 2030.
For this, the States should have a) stand-alone anganwadis b) anganwadis co-located with primary schools; c) pre-primary sections co-located with primary schools; and d) stand-alone pre-schools of adequate quality with necessary physical and academic infrastructure such as play material, teaching-learning material, barrier-free access to all indoor and outdoor spaces and separate toilets for boys and girls, for different ages of children; safe and comfortable school environment ensuring availability of appropriate accessories and facilities for children with special needs. Each and every primary school needs to be provided with ECCE or pre-school facility.
The second stage is the appointment of teachers for early childhood education. Qualified and trained teachers are to be recruited as per the need of schools and capacity building of teachers for pre-school needs to be given priority. It is necessary to decide on the teacher-pupil ratio that needs to be followed as a norm at the pre-school level for recruitment and deployment of teachers. The teachers are to be trained in creating a child friendly environment through activity-based teaching learning methods to attract these children to school. Play materials, books and other teaching learning material need to be provided as per the needs of the child.
How is the Government of Goa, claim to be implementing NEP 2020, without fulfilling these above-mentioned basic requirements?
Education must build character, enable learners to be ethical, rational, compassionate, and caring, while at the same time prepare them for gainful, fulfilling employment
The gap between the current state of learning outcomes and what is required must be bridged through undertaking major reforms that bring the highest quality, equity, and integrity into the system, from early childhood care and education through higher education
To achieve this, the teacher must be at the centre of the fundamental reforms in the education system. The New Education Policy must help, to re-establish teachers, at all levels, as the most respected and essential members of our society, government must do everything to empower teachers and help them to do their job as effectively as possible. The Government must help recruit the very best and brightest to enter the teaching profession at all levels, by ensuring livelihood, respect, dignity, and autonomy.
Without recruiting the required number of teachers at all levels, how could a government claim to implement NEP 2020? Para 27.2. of the policy documents mandates that “First, implementation of the spirit and intent of the Policy will be the most critical matter. Second, it is important to implement the policy initiatives in a phased manner, as each policy point has several steps, each of which requires the previous step to be implemented successfully.
Third, prioritization will be important in ensuring optimal sequencing of policy, thereby enabling a strong base. Fourth, comprehensiveness in implementation will be key, as this Policy is interconnected and holistic, only a full-fledged implementation, and not a piecemeal one, will ensure that the desired objectives are achieved. Fifth, since education is a concurrent subject, it will need careful planning, joint monitoring, and collaborative implementation between the Centre and States.
Sixth, timely infusion of requisite resources - human, infrastructural, and financial - at the Central and State levels will be crucial for the satisfactory execution of the Policy. Finally, careful analysis and review of the linkages between multiple parallel implementation steps will be necessary in order to ensure effective dovetailing of all initiatives. This will also include early investment in some of the specific actions (such as the setting up of early childhood care and education infrastructure) that will be imperative to ensuring a strong base and a smooth progression for all subsequent programmes and actions”. It is therefore, imperative that the government should start at the ‘starting point’ and prioritise, stage by stage and step by step.
Failure to prioritise will convert colleges and university departments in Goa to mere degree granting machines, double degree or triple degree. Without any real upgradation of knowledge or upskilling of the students, will create the dangers of mass unemployment for students of Goa. Any dilution of quality will be disaster for Goan students.
(The writer is a Professor of Law & an education consultant)