Quality education requires constant reinvestment

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is the starting point of the reforms in school education and it is imperative to get this done correctly in all aspects.

- REKHA DIXIT

Former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K. Kasturirangan was tasked with heading an eight-member panel to draft the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2017. With the changes that have taken place in education over the past decades, the existing policy was inadequate, so the new one seeks to reorient towards the new normal. Kasturirangan and Leena Chandran-Wadia, the member of the drafting committee, spoke to THE WEEK about the way forward. Excerpts:

Q/What is the cornerstone of NEP 2020?

A/The policy is an end-to-end roadmap for the country, flexible yet integrated, with a singular focus on quality education—quality educational institutions, curriculum and pedagogy, and teachers who are empowered with training and support.

Q/Are there any major recommendations by the committee that were not reflected in NEP 2020?

A/The policy in its final form reflects the recommendations of the committee, both in letter and spirit. Some details are different, of course, but as the policy went through major reviews by different groups of stakeholders from the Central and state governments, and eventually by the prime minister himself a few times, the fact that it is still preserved, speaks volumes about our efforts. We are satisfied and happy with the outcome.

Q/While most have welcomed the policy changes, they voice concerns over implementation. Your comments.