The Modi-led Union Cabinet has approved the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on Wednesday through which it has unveiled the policy of what it has claimed would bring large-scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education corridors. This has been the nation's first education policy in 34 years, which has got major importance and attention across the country. 

The education policy has been approved by the Cabinet amid massive criticisms for the past one year against the recommendations from the opposition parties and from the educational states like Tamil Nadu, which voiced against the draft for the three language formula.  According to the reports, the new National Education Policy has framed a set of changes for both schools and colleges and these recommendations will be rolled out in phased intervals.

Here are the important and major highlights that you must know:

NEP for School Education:

The new policy has brought an unprecedented change in the pattern of school education in the country. Currently, school education has the pattern of 10+2 structure and the approved education policy repeals the current pattern and replaces it with the new pattern of 5+3+3+4 and in this new structure of curricula, the first 'five' years will be termed as the 'Foundation stage' which includes three years of pre-primary school/Anganwadis and classes 1 and 2. 

This foundation stage will be covering the age group between 3 and 8 will be covering the schooling of flexible, multi-level, play/ activity-based learning. The next 'three' years in the pattern would be the 'Preparatory stage' for classes 3 - 5 between the age group of 8-11. In this second stage, the students will be introduced to experiential learning of arts, social sciences, sciences, mathematics, and humanities.

The next 'three' years pattern will be termed as the 'Middle stage' which would be for classes 6-8, covering the age group of 11-14 and the middle stage pattern would be introducing the subject-oriented pedagogical and curricular style. The Final 'four years' in the pattern will be termed as the 'Secondary stage' from classes 9-12, covering ages 14-18 during which they would be getting covered over the subjects of critical thinking, greater flexibility, greater attention to life aspirations, and students choice of choosing the subjects.

Through inducting the pre-primary classes under the ambit of formal education, the new educational policy said that the formal education of a child will begin from the age of three with integrating the pre-primary classes in the schooling system and all students will be undergoing school examinations in the classes 3,5, and 8. The policy has asserted that students will be taught in their mother tongue or local language up to class 5 or till class 8.

The policy will be introducing vocational courses from class 6 and computer literacy will also be introduced in the early stages of schooling. Students will be starting to learn about coding from class 6. The students of class 10 and 12 will compulsorily appear for the board exams but the board examinations would be remodeled with holistic development. According to the reports, the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) will be formulating a new curriculum and methods of instruction and it would also develop a new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education 2020-21.

The Education policy recommends the state to rebuild the progress report cards in schools in a 360-degree approach. From the current system of displaying the marks of students the progress cards will become a multidimensional report card of the students' progress and it would include teacher assessment, peer assessment, and self-assessment. 

The National Education Policy asserted that no language will be imposed on any student. Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students including in the three-language formula meant for school education. Other classical languages and literature will also be available as options. 

NEP for Higher Education:

M.Phil programmes will be repealed and the National Testing Agency (NTA) will be conducting a common entrance test for admission to universities. The policy recommends the expansion of open and distance learning with graded autonomy to higher education institutions and broad frameworks on the tuition fee. Through the policy, the government would permit the well-ranked foreign universities to open its campuses in India and top Indian institutions will be encouraged to the global stage. 

The government will be bringing all the professional educations under the ambit of the higher education system. The NEP proposes the Undergraduate education for three to four years with multiple exit options and the Higher Education Commission of India will be established as the body of authority for the entire higher education apart from medical and legal education. 

The new National Education Policy will be replacing the previous policy that was formulated during the Rajiv Gandhi rule in 1986 and on Wednesday, the government has not only replaced Rajiv Gandhi's policy but also has replaced the name of the ministry. On Wednesday, the cabinet has also approved to rename the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to the Ministry of Education. The Center would be increasing public spending on education to nearly 6% of GDP from around 4%. The Center said it would expand access to higher education and achieve universal adult literacy before 2035.