Sudden NEP implementation in Karnataka leaves colleges struggling – Education News
Admissions in Karnataka universities and colleges have begun under the NEP, but experts have pointed out loopholes in the policy that could become exponential issues in the future.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 document begins with the words “Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development. Providing universal access to quality education is the key to India’s continued ascent, and leadership on the global stage in terms of economic growth, social justice and equality, scientific advancement, national integration, and cultural preservation.”
The policy was introduced in July 2020, and outlined a vision for a completely new, globalized education system in the country. It came 36 years after the last education policy was approved in 1986, by the Rajiv Gandhi-led government. Since then, technology has drastically transformed our world and the way we live, and the NEP 2020 aims to usher India into the 21st century, bringing its education on par with the rest of the world.
For higher education, the NEP has ideas of creating multidisciplinary university “clusters” in every district of the country, on par with ancient institutions such as Takshashila and Nalanda; stressing on more teaching in regional languages, making universities and courses more research-oriented, making all university courses four years long, and other such changes.
The Karnataka government in August announced that it will be the first state in India to implement the NEP from the current academic year, leaving colleges a little over a month before beginning admissions, which are currently underway, under the new policy.
This has caused massive confusion among colleges and universities in the state, as the methods of teaching and timetables were thrown off already by the pandemic. Added to this, colleges will have to adjust to a completely new way of functioning.
The key changes that the NEP in Karnataka will bring are doing away with the triple-major system prevalent in the state, creating multiple entry and exit points for students, making degrees four years long instead of three, making Kannada a compulsory language, and introducing a significant research component in the fourth year.
Though the academic year has not yet begun under the policy, critics have found loopholes within the document which might have serious consequences in the long term, especially for students from marginalised and economically poor sections. One such loophole is the multiple entry and exit options that the NEP provides.
As per this provision, students can choose to opt out of their studies at any given point, and receive certifications accordingly. However, while this may seem like a progressive step on paper, as it would allow those who cannot complete four years of education to still graduate with qualifications, it does not provide enough encouragement for the students to come back to the educational fold once they exit.
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