“7 Enhancements in Education for Teachers and Adults”
A glimpse into the New Education Policy, 2020 — Series 3/4
Besides the schools and higher education institutions, the New Education Policy 2020 also revamps the structures of the Educational programs for teachers as well as other adults.
The third part of this series “A Glimpse into the NEP, 2020” focuses on the Education of Teachers and Adults.
1. Four-year B.Ed. programs would be introduced with meritorious scholarships across the country. Two-year B.Ed. programs would also be introduced for students who have completed their Bachelor’s and wish to pursue teaching. Shorter certificate courses would also be available for further specialization.
2. Incentives would be given and the teachers would be trained thoroughly for the new curriculum and the reformed pedagogy. The schools would also be equipped with the required infrastructure, drinking water, various facilities like computing devices and libraries, and clean spaces in general.
3. ‘School complexes’, suggested by The NEP 2020, would help in sharing resources and building a community of teachers. Strong relationships would build among the schools in the complex and a great knowledge base of the teachers would be established.
Those teachers specifically trained in vocational or abstract skills would then operate in such complexes, thereby working collectively with various schools.
4. Teachers would not be involved in non-teaching related activities like cooking mid-day meals or electioneering so that they can invest their full potential in educating the students. They would also be given opportunities for Continuous Professional Development.
5. This policy seeks to increase not only literacy but the availability of education throughout the country to both, the children and the adults. Adult Education is thus recommended, through the use of schools in the evenings, making a separate curriculum and training the educators accordingly. Social workers working for this motive would also be encouraged.
6. The NEP 2020 highlights the need for the promotion of our culture and heritage. Almost 200 Indian languages have become ‘endangered’, and according to UNESCO, this policy has urged all the educational institutes to make the students more aware through organizing programs, seminars, introducing interactive classes, etc.
7. It has also suggested the higher educational institutes to introduce courses around Interpreting Languages and Art, Conservation of Artefacts, and imparting technical skills like graphic design that would help in conserving our culture and increase awareness.
A web portal is also to be created to form a highly comprehensive collection of our heritage through documenting languages, capturing artifacts, etc. by encouraging the citizens of the country to send in videos or photographs for the same.
