The New Education Policy

Approved on July 29, 2021, the New Education Policy (NEP) is likely to have a profound impact on the lives of children across the nation and in extension, on the future of India. The policy fights shy of our traditional system of schooling and instead provides a framework modelled on the western educational structure, one which is known to bear fruit. Although a country as diverse and young as India warrants an intricately laid out framework for its education system, a role which the NEP undoubtedly fulfils, I shall centre this piece on the economic influence of the policy.

The most crucial aspect of the policy is the dilution in the importance of board exams and the addition of vocational training to the curriculum. The issue that parents in rural areas have with the schools is that there is no immediate benefit of their children sitting in a classroom for hours on end. However, the inclusion of vocational training will ensure that children learn skills such as woodwork and clothes-making which can yield tangible and immediate benefits in the form of money. Not only will this allow students to get an insight into their prospective careers, but it will also increase the likelihood of rural areas developing due to an educated workforce. The policy also deviates from a system wherein students were obligated to opt for a particular stream and instead, allows an amalgam of subjects to be chosen paving the way for a more holistic learning experience. Furthermore, it will empower students to learn an array of skills including research, critical thinking, and communication from the varied subjects they opt for, consequently, increasing the prospects of them obtaining employment. In addition to reducing unemployment, the work environment will become more productive and conducive to innovation on account of the more qualified employees.

The NEP brings systematic alterations to colleges as well through the offering of multiple entry and exit points which provide students with the opportunity to move between courses and pursue fields which interest them. Through this, the government attempts to introduce a level of flexibility and dynamism to the educational system and eliminate the element of rigidity which governs colleges. Allowing students to specialize in fields which they adore and craft their own paths forward will allow collaboration and ideation to take place within our society. The soft power of our nation will increase tremendously, due to a better quality of life because of increased education, which will ultimately benefit the economy in the form of tourism, foreign direct investment, and establishment of improved infrastructure. My sole grouse, if any, with the policy is the proposed rise in the spending on education. Currently, the government spends 4.6% of India’s GDP on education however, as per the NEP, the government will increase the spending to 6% of our GDP, a substantial change. Although many argue for the necessity of this change, it will eat into the expenditure on other equally important fields. To put this into perspective, India spent a meagre 1.28% of its GDP on healthcare in 2019, 0.12% shy of the proposed increase in education spending. Nevertheless, the New Education Policy lays out a much- needed transformation to our educational structure; one that is sure to benefit generations to come.