Reimagining Education: Policy, Practice & Progress

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NEP 2020 commences its 65 page saga with the lines, “Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development”. This is so very correct, and should be the lode stone for the direction the whole nation should take as far as education is concerned. The document then follows in its second paragraph with a profound statement, “Such a lofty goal will require the entire education system to be reconfigured to support and foster learning, so that all of the critical targets and goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved.” The essence lies in its implementation. Yet, the document devotes just two and a half pages to the matter. Reimagining education, its policy, practice and its progress should be our modern day goal.

The hesitation to enhance the contents in the action plan is possibly due to the fact that most of the implementation has to happen at the state level. It is here that school leaders can lead the change by taking the initiative. After all, it was Mahatma Gandhi who once said famously, “be the change that you want.”

The NEP can be used as a reference for initiating the changes needed at the school level. In the years to come, our students will judge us for the way we prepared them to meet the challenges they face. Hence, it is incumbent upon school leaders to bring in the change.

Our Approach

At the Tashi Namgyal Academy, we have merged classes 1 and 2 with the Pre-primary section and integrated the foundational level under the HM of the pre-primary section. Consequently, the play way method of learning continues till Class 2 and keeps the children enthused. In fact, children then demand the continuation of that method of learning and even the “old school” teachers of the primary level are forced to change their way of teaching.

The old teachers adapt to experiential learning easily. Another change we have made is the removal of textbooks from the class rooms. Sometimes, textbooks constrict teaching and learning styles significantly. Their presence in the classrooms force a straitjacketed approach. Also, the knowledge often remains confined to what the book provides. Removing textbooks has made the teachers more creative and students more forthcoming about asking questions.

Learning not Teaching

Teaching is a creative profession. Teachers have to use all their creativity to enable children to learn. Very often we forget that the very purpose of schools is to impart learning and not teaching. The system of education that has evolved over time focuses on “teaching” whereas what is needed is a focus on “learning.” This is what the NEP is looking for. How do we achieve this? It involves change in the orientation of teachers - exactly what NEP 2020 demands. Now, this change can easily be brought about by good leadership. 

The first thing that a leader needs to do is to provide a platform for training on the method of teaching. There are many resource people available for this. Boards like the CISCE provide formal training in this area. Training alone is inadequate, hence it requires the personal involvement of the school leaders who have to provide the irreplaceable personal example. So, the leaders or a select in-house team can take classes in the presence of other teachers so that they grasp the changes that they need to make in their own orientation.

Armed Forces & Learning Spaces

The Military is a government organisation which can easily provide the leadership for such change. Armed Forces Officers are selected for their well evolved leadership qualities, and this skill gets enhanced during their service lives as they are continuously at leadership positions. The Indian Military has well established systems in place for continuously honing leadership skills. The army instils discipline, devotion and tenacity, all of which can be harnessed to adapt to the field of education. School managements should look at utilising military veterans to guide their schools into the future. There is no need to be wary of “military discipline” because we are aware that it is not what is needed to guide a school. The innate leadership qualities army veterans possess are capable of bringing in positive change anywhere. 

The senior classes of 9 to 12 can be the real challenge, though. Here, the central boards do not give much leeway, and schools do not take chances fearing that their actions can affect the performance of the students in turn bearing an impact on their future. However, with the increasing importance of JEE, NEET, CUET and CLAT, it is time for the boards to introduce some flexibility.

Conclusion

Lastly, educational institutions expect much from the policy makers. The most compelling issue is a need for a serious revisit of the syllabus. Currently, a child learns much more than what he can ingest. If the children have to exercise the option of mixing subjects of their choice, we need to reduce the vastness of the syllabus and look at the depth of whatever they are learning. Also, we should shift the emphasis to civics as a subject. Children need to be prepared to be good citizens of the future and hence they need to develop a good knowledge of laws, rules and the ethos behind our laws. It is only when they have such awareness that they can truly contribute to the growth of the society and nation.