While we wholeheartedly welcome the salient features of NEP 2020 bringing the changes in our education system reviewing the National Education Policy after several decades, we ought to have prepared ourselves in the past four years to understand its depth for a successful transition and transformation of paradigm shift in pedagogy. That the CBSE likely to implement the NEP 2020 and National Credit Framework (NCFr) from the academic year 2024-25 is fraught with challenges from the start.
India is a vast country with CBSE schools spread across varied regions of different levels of economic and technological development. Although the CBSE has initiated the process of implementing NEP 2020 by sharing the digital documents and technology tools to prepare the educators for awareness and conscious efforts to take it forward, it is imperative to provide a face-to-face workshop lasting for at least two weeks by expert educators to school leaders and education practitioners. The apprehension is due to the lack of reflective practices on account of the failure of the CCE implementation in the past and resorting to go back to the old evaluation system.
Let us examine the challenges one by one for clarity and effective implementation of the NEP 2020 in particular to the final 4 years of school graduation.
Number one, the final four years of school from Class IX to XII graduation as per the 5+3+3+4 system is the journey for students to develop their portfolio development of different credit frameworks of flexible course of study lasting for six months and externally evaluated every six months as we do in reputed colleges and universities for UG courses. Instead, the credit framework is designed for a year and an external board examination will be held twice a year for classes IX, X, XI, and XII with uncertainty in dates.
Number two, the implementation of 3 language formulas with academic qualification in Class IX and X and 2 language formulas in Class XI and XII. Apart from English, kind of compulsory in most places, the students need to qualify in two languages native to India in Class IX and X and one in Class XI and XII. If English is offered as language and literature, then the other two must be offered for academic qualification as the language for acquisition level with ab initio or beginner’s level. There is no such course designed for academic qualification offering a language acquisition level. Of course, native Indian languages can be offered at the language and literature level and English can be offered at the acquisition level.
Number three, the assessment must be on portfolio development with eCoursework on all credits weighted 40% internally evaluated by the school teacher and externally moderated by the Board on sampling. The rest 60% of the weightage must be on external assessment (examination) evaluated by Board examiners. The evaluation and marking must be done for the credits lasting for six months.
Number four, the six-month credit course must be designed on concepts and skills integrated with the content in all subjects. For example, in Mathematics, the six months credit courses are such as Algebra 1, Algebra -2, Geometry -1, Geometry -2, Calculus -1, Calculus -2, Probability and Statistics -1, Probability and Statistics -2. Along similar lines, every subject must have credit courses lasting for six months as branches of the study of subjects.
Number five, the nature of assessments both internal and external (examinations) must be on subject-specific skills criteria evaluating the conceptual understanding.
The student’s achievement level and performance report must not only reflect the above-mentioned academic credit framework but also their profile attributes demonstrated under various activities designed by the school curriculum for their holistic development. Thus, the final four years of graduation in the school journey must be reflected with an enriching experience for an individual prepared for further education of UG study in Universities and colleges.
Shanmugam Paramasivan
Principal
DRS International School, Hyderabad
