The National Education Policy or NEP 2020 marks a transformation that modernizes the country's existing education policy with futuristic, ambitious and generational reforms to meet 21st-century skills.
In its essence, the NEP underlines the principle of creating a transformation framework that shifts the focus from conventional rote-learning to a more inquiry-based, project-led education ecosystem. The main objective of the National Education Policy is to help students enhance their learning outcomes and facilitate their holistic development.
In this blog, we explore some of the key ways the NEP 2020 will change the traditional curriculum, impact the future of coding, and help students in the future.
The NEP will replace the traditional 10+2 school learning system with a 5+3+3+4 structure corresponding to different age groups. This implies that a student must complete 12 years of schooling, preceded by three years of mandatory pre-schooling experience.
To implement this change at the grassroots, the NEP aims to restructure the content, curriculum, and pedagogies as per the NCF (National Curriculum Framework).
The NEP 2020 will shift the focus of assessments from merely academic grades to higher-order skills such as critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and idea-generation to create higher performance standards demonstrated through varying degrees of competency.
The NEP recognises the importance of technology in bridging the language barrier between teachers and students, creating digital and ed-tech libraries, popularising language learning, and ensuring greater access to education. It has also proposed that coding for kids be introduced in school curriculums as one of the important skills to develop.
The idea behind integrating technology with the learning and teaching process for better learning outcomes has led to the introduction of coding for kids as a subject as early as the 6th grade. It also recognises the use of technology such as Artificial Intelligence to a personalised learning experience based on individual requirements.
Another significant move proposed by the NEP is to introduce vocational education from the 6th grade onwards, along with the creation of a National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education (NCIVE).
The idea is to minimize the social stigma associated with taking up a vocation as a career and expose students to various career paths, including different entrepreneurial ventures.
In terms of technology, here are some of the reasons why the NEP’s decision to introduce coding at a young age is something to cheer for -
- It will help improve problem-solving skills in children.
- It will make the young learners ready for a future that relies primarily on digital tools for all tasks.
- Coding helps students develop an analytical mindset, problem-solving attitude and creativity. Overall, it has a very positive effect on developing brains.
- Learning to code early allows students to showcase their skills at competitive programming exams and competitions, such as International Olympiads in Informatics, and opens up a whole world of possibilities.
- Teaching coding from as early as the 6th grade will help the country develop better engineers who will bring in innovative ideas and solutions.
- Students with a robust knowledge of coding since their formative years will find it much easier to familiarise themselves with new-age technologies. This will also ensure better employability in the future.
- Now, one can also enroll in one of the multiple online coding classes. Learning coding at a young age will make education future-proof and give students much better prospects at finding a job in a digital world.
The NEP brings in various adaptive changes and unique motivations to strengthen the Indian education system and prepare the creators of tomorrow with holistic knowledge in a practical sense.
The NEP will help the future generation in the following ways -
Since the new education policy has greatly emphasized digital literacy, e-learning, and new-age technologies, it will help bring new learning channels beyond just traditional classroom learning.
Whether it is with online courses and modules, new apps, satellite-based TV channels, and more, it will help diversify the scope of education and make the curriculum more flexible. This will result in students having the option to choose their courses, educational trajectories, and careers based on their aptitude and interests.
The NEP 2020 will help inculcate various future-ready qualities such as competitiveness with disruptive tech, flexibility, and the ability to build a skilled workforce that can handle the new & advanced technologies of the future.
To Wrap Up
While the NEP focuses on multiple aspects, including revamping the current curriculum and the need for early childhood care, one of the key focuses of the policy remains the interplay of education and technology. And this is why including coding in the curriculum from an early age is a significant step in the right direction.
Coding is expected to become a highly sought-after and in-demand skill by the time today's youngsters are graduates in the real world. To prepare and equip them adequately with the necessary skills is the best approach.
The NEP, with its monumental reforms, is going to be a major step forward in building a coding culture in India, especially for the future generation. Apart from bringing in a range of positive changes, it will also help students unlock their true potential as coders and creators of tomorrow.
