Karnataka to be the first state to implement National Education Policy, informs Deputy CM

In a bid to promote the National Education Policy,  the Karnataka government is bringing in administrative reforms and amendments to laws which are essential to implement the policy. Following this Karnataka would become the first state in the country to implement the policy, said Dr. CN Ashwath Narayan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. The NEP approved by the government last month replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.

Addressing the inaugural session of a five-day online workshop organised by the University of Bengaluru, Narayan apprised about the specific goals and a clear agenda. He further said that the administrative and legal steps would be taken as soon as the final recommendations are made.

"Highlights of the national education policy and its implementation." He said the Karnataka government is going ahead with specific goals and a clear agenda. A high-level task force was constituted immediately after the draft of the policy reached us and this committee has already held several meetings, he said.

"The committee has already come out with suggestions to implement the policy in a phased manner. Only the recommendations of the final stage are awaited. The administrative and legal steps would be taken as soon as the final recommendations are made," the deputy chief minister added.

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The National Education Policy

On July 29, the Centre unveiled reforms in the school education and higher education sector as a part of the new National Education Policy, devised after a gap of 34 years. This includes a new curriculum for early childhood care education, focus on literacy and numeracy and Gender Inclusion Fund.

Essentially, the 10+2 system has been divided into the 5+3+3+4 format. This implies 5 years of foundation stage- three years of primary school and Classes 1 and 2, two years of the preparatory stage- from Classes 3 to 5, the middle stage comprising Classes 6 to 8 and 4 years of the secondary stage- Classes 9-12. The schools shall not have a rigid separation between arts and sciences, curricular and extra-curricular, and vocational and academic education. 

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