HYDERABAD: The New Education Policy (NEP) may take time to get implemented in Telangana due to practical challenges. The NEP has been five years in the making, but might take a few more years for execution in the State.
An official from the State Higher Education Department said, “The policy is likely to transform the education system in a positive way. But its implementation will take time. First, we have to study the policy comprehensively and look out for what might work out the best for our State, and then make suggestions for changes in it to the Central government.”
“In any case, funding will be an issue for higher education. If there is both financial support from State and Central governments and technical support from the State government, then the education sector will be in good shape,” the official added.
Meanwhile, associations working on education rights in the State have raised some specific objections and suggestions to the policy. Telangana Prantha Upadhyaya Sangam opined that promotion of mother tongues in curriculums should be extended up to Class VIII, instead of Class V, as is currently stipulated.
Students’ Federation of India, Telangana opposed the adoption of NEP, saying that its centralised nature favours privatisation of higher education. Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation said that the policy is promoting private school education.
All the associations noted that the country’s spending on education is below the recommendations of the Kothari Commission of the 1960s. The Commission had recommended it to be six per cent of the GDP, but it is still at just 4.6 per cent, the associations pointed out.
Long-awaited policy
The New Education Policy (NEP) was five years in the making, and is aimed at a major overhaul of the education system. It proposes a 5+3+3+4 format instead of the current 10+2 format, and is meant to provide greater flexibility and choices to students