HIGH HOPES YET GROUNDED

This is Nishita here, and if you have read my most of the blogs you would have noticed that majority of them spoke about India’s education system and what are the major revamps it badly requires. I also tried to specify how important it was to conserve the Sanskrit language through the medium of education in my article named “a mother forgotten”.  And I am very glad to share you the policy which got approved by the Union Cabinet covering the same points and extremely glad that someone has tried to make a change, although it has not become a law yet, nor has it received appropriate media coverage so I thought I should at least bring this to your attention. These are the few revamps the policy has in mind for our education system.

Education in the local language/mother tongue: Since children learn languages most quickly between 2-8 years, and multilingualism has great cognitive benefits for students, children will be immersed in three languages early on, from the Foundational Stage.

Exposure to Classical Languages of India: Every student in the country will take a fun course on “The Languages of India" sometime in Grades 6-8. For the enrichment of the children, and for the preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures, all students in all schools, public or private, will take at least two years of a classical language of India in Grades 6-8, with the option to continue through secondary education and university.

Physical Education: All students at all levels of school will have regular periods and opportunities to participate in physical activity and exercise, including sports, games, yoga, martial arts, dance, gardening, and more, in accordance with local availability of teachers and facilities.

National Research Foundation: A National Research Foundation will be established to grant competitive funding for outstanding research proposals across all disciplines, as determined by peer review and success of proposals.

Universal access to education: To reintegrating dropouts and ensure universal access to education, the NEP has set an objective to achieve access and participation in free and compulsory school education for all children in the age group of 3-18 years by 2030.

Although all these are the ones I found, everyone should know there are many more points, and yes, it does look quite a bit ambitious and that’s why I urge you to keep talking about this, let this not get scrapped like all our years of education which went in our schools and universities. There is a possibility of change and few of them are ready to do it for us! The best part I like about the policy is inclusion of martial arts, conservation of our classical languages due to which the people who are currently equipped with these skills and are low in demand will finally get what they deserve.

I really do hope this has a successful implementation everywhere in country.

   NISHITA PATIL