4 STAGES EXPLAINED
1) Three years of pre-school and two years (Grades 1 & 2) of primary
2) Grades 3 to 5 and covering ages 8-11 of the child
3) Middle stage from grades 6 to 8
4) Secondary stage covering grades 9 to 12 in two phases
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PANAJI: Dozens of members of Goa's teaching community, including chairs of the various Boards of Studies (BoS) got a lowdown on the recently adopted National Education Policy (NEP) at a webinar hosted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBS&HSE) on Wednesday.
The policy makes sweeping structural changes in formal education dumping the current system and adapting to a 5+3+3+4 system.
Over 50 teachers, including several BoS chairs of the Board besides the chairman and Secretary participated in the over two-hour workshop conducted by Dr Gopal Pradhan of the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
Dr Pradhan touched on each of the stages including pre-school, school and up to undergraduate components of the new education system which is being proposed to be implemented from the next academic year beginning in June 2021.
An elaborate power-point presentation by Dr Pradhan explained the four stages: the foundational stage which includes three years of pre-school and two years (Grades 1 & 2) of primary; preparatory stage comprising grades 3 to 5 and covering ages 8-11 of the child; middle stage from grades 6 to 8 and the secondary stage covering grades 9 to 12 in two phases (9 and 10 in the first while 11 and 12 in the second).
"The main thrust of curriculum and pedagogy reform across all stages will be to move the education system towards real understanding and learning how to learn as against the culture of rote learning" Dr Pradhan highlighted.
The goal, he emphasized, is to build character and create holistic individuals equipped with key 21st century skills.
Specific skills and values will be identified for integration at each stage of learning, he added.
The workshop held via the online mode also included a Q&A session where participating academicians got many of their doubts over the NEP cleared by Dr Pradhan.
