BENGALURU: While textbooks are to be completely revised at the school education level, the state higher education sector is also set to see major changes in the coming year following the Assembly session.
Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar confirmed that the state would go ahead with reconsidering the National Education Policy at the state level and implement a State Education Policy (SEP). The confirmation comes following meetings held with several stakeholders in the state, including vice-chancellors, academicians, educationists and student leaders.
Sources within the education department told this newspaper that the changes could come following the Assembly session, which is to take place from July 3 to July 14.
“A committee, including educationists, academicians and stakeholders, will be formed to look through NEP. If there are policies they agree with, those will remain the same, but if they suggest changes, these will be incorporated,” they said. The committee would submit a report on the changes needed to be made to the policy in the state, following which the government would take a final call. However, discussions are still being held.
As NEP hasn’t been implemented at the school level, there will not be any changes in schools apart from textbook revisions. However, as there is no clarity on what exactly the changes are being asked for in NEP, these could be as small as changes in the syllabus to as major as reversing the four-year undergraduate degrees and multiple exit and entry options.
Sudhakar said that the issue of rolling back NEP had been considered carefully, as opinions on its implementation were varied. During a meeting with vice-chancellors across the state, the minister said most were in favour of the policy but faced issues with parts of it. Meanwhile, educationists and academicians spoke against the policy, stating that while it may have good intentions, the policy itself was implemented hastily and in an undemocratic way.
Currently, NEP is in its third academic year of implementation, having been implemented in universities and colleges in 2021 under the BJP government.
“While the policy was implemented two years ago, it has faced drawbacks as preparations were not done properly. A lot of students were also affected by its quick implementation. With the state policy, we will implement it in a way that does not affect students and will also focus on making them industry-ready,” the minister said.