Union Minister of State for Education, Annapurna Devi on Wednesday said that States will not be pressurised to implement new education policy (NEP). Annapurna speaking to media persons at State BJP headquarters highlighted the features of the new education policy. Annapurna, the Koderma MP was on her maiden visit to State capital as part of Jan Ashirward Yatra.
She said, “The new education policy stresses on job oriented studies. The Centre will implement the new education policy only after broader consultation with State governments.” She further said that under the new education policy, there are provisions of vocational studies from class VI. “For the first time technical teaching (engineering) will be imparted to students in eleven different regional languages, which will automatically help in checking dropout rates of students in higher studies,” added Annapurna.
The new National Education Policy (NEP), launched by the Narendra Modi government last year, completed one year last month. Aimed at transforming India’s education system by 2040, the policy is a framework for elementary to higher education, as well as vocational training, in both rural and urban India.
The new education policy replaces, 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE) which was brought out in 1986. Prime Minister had said that the ‘National Education Policy is futuristic and as per global parameters’. According to the NEP 2020, the 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/pre-schooling.
Meanwhile, the Koderma MP as part of Jan Ashirwad Yatra heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inducting an OBC and woman in his cabinet. She said, “The Modi cabinet has representatives of 27 OBC, 12 SC and eight ST. For the first time such a large number of women have found a place in the union cabinet.”
Also present on the occasion, State BJP President Deepak Prakash said that the Jan Ashirward Yatra aims to reconnect the masses as it will pass through nine districts and five Lok Sabha constituencies. The union minister during four days of Jan Ashirwad Yatra will address 473 small public meetings.