Nitish Kashyap

While Maharashtra gears up for implementing the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) fully across schools and colleges in the State from next year, many unsolved issues and entanglements which arise due to the Center’s ambitious plan, remain pending.

The State Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar announced last month that NEP in Maharashtra will be enforced from June next year. If this happens, Maharashtra will become the first State in the country to fully execute the Center’s educational policy.

A Steering Committee was formed by the State government in December last year to suggest recommendations to apply NEP in the State. Professor Nitin Karmalkar, former Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule University who chairs the Steering Committee has stated that NEP will be enacted this year itself in all State’s universities and colleges. Moreover, all autonomous colleges and universities were directed by the State government to adopt the said policy, establish a NEP implementation cell, and submit their report to the State government by April 30. Apart from the seemingly hasty decision of the new policy, which has such far reaching consequences, the constant changes being made to the said policy have left educationists wary.

While the policy encourages local languages to be the medium of instruction at least upto grade 5, there is no definitive decision or guideline along the language of instruction. For example, the scheme states, that schools should use local language “wherever possible” which leaves us with the status quo ie. the existing three language formula to continue.

The programme also asks educators to integrate “Indian knowledge system” covering subjects like yoga, Indian philosophy and adivasi/indigenous ways of learning in the syllabus. However, training the current educators in these disciplines who are already overburdened to teach the current basic syllabus remains a challenge. There is no specific mention of recruiting specialised teachers, trainers for these purposes.

Moreover, the idea of having ‘national textbooks’ which has been proposed under this programme, can be interpreted as an effort to over-centralise education. This can act as an impediment in smooth execution of the said policy. As education remains on the concurrent list, meaning both the Center and State can legislate on the subject. 

There seems to be an overlap between the importance given to class 12 board examinations as well as common universities entrance examinations after class 12, under the NEP. Crucially, funding by the Central government is linked to performance of the State under the said policy. This may actually result in low income and poor performing States struggling for funding from the Center, which will lead to their exclusion.

While the NEP aims to make it smoother for students, to simultaneously or independently pursue courses in different schemes. Concerns of students who come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds have not been taken into consideration. Since, different colleges coming under the same university have very different fee structures.  

The first university in Maharashtra aligned with the NEP is the Maharashtra State Skills University in Panvel is said to be launched in July this year according to the State government. Vice Chancellor Dr Apoorva Palkar said in a press conference, “That initially 2000 students will enroll and at full capacity there will be 10,000 students also a satellite campus will be up and running for Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Aurangabad district.” However, the foundation stone laying ceremony of this University was held in March this year and when Education World inquired with Dr Palkar about the possibility of the commencing of the same, she refused to answer the same stating that she was extremely busy and will only be able answer such questions next month.

Requesting anonymity, the Principal of an autonomous college in Mumbai told the Education World, “The NEP has many provisions which are seemingly rigid and overtly interfering. For instance, oversight frame works like School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF), Standards by SSSA (State School Standards Authority), monitoring by Department of Education and regular testing by SSC (Secondary School Certificate) board, there is an impression of too much oversight on the functioning of the school.”

Lastly, it is envisaged under the new policy, that public schools should become the most obvious and attractive choice for parents but in a contrarian move, the policy loses the criteria to set up private schools. This will only increase the number of low cost private schools which defeats the purpose of improving the standard of existing public schools.

Also Read: NEP 2020 to help students acquire relevant skills for jobs: Odisha Guv