You may argue, debate and criticise to wits end the appropriateness of the Pramod Sawant government's decision to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) from the upcoming academic year. It's June 2023 already and there is no turning back on the decision, even if many institutions in the State, whether at the lower school level or the higher, undergraduate colleges, may not be ready and their managements remain sceptical.
"We have to make the start and overcome the difficulties as we face them. If say we postpone it (NEP implementation) by a year, we will be in the same situation of scepticism and uncertainty in June 2024 as well," says Dr Vithal Tilvi, (Professor and head of R&D) at the Directorate of Higher Education, when confronted with the profound inertia among academicians, principals and managements of colleges across Goa.
One among the team of accomplished academicians in the department of higher education overseeing the NEP implementation, Dr Tilvi believes several of the apprehensions cropping up in the minds of academicians and principals are not insurmountable.
"As the difficulties come up, they will have to be confronted and overcome in real-time. The challenge is for the faculty, who will have to rise to the occasion," Dr Tilve said, adding that the DHE is assisting by introducing a 'faculty enrichment internship programme'.
Under this programme, non-doctorate faculty from colleges across Goa will be deputed to top institutes of the country such as IITs, IIMs and IISC for teaching methodology, research and assessment methods training.
"They will be at these institutes undergoing the training for the duration of a whole semester," Dr Tilve said.
NEP: What's different?
The policy, which makes sweeping changes in the very structure to internationalise and make formal education compatible with American and other western systems, dumps the existing two-stage 10-plus-two school system for a four-stage 5+3+3+4 year system.
The four stages the NEP proposes are: '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 'Secondary' stage covering grades 9 to 12 in two phases (9 and 10 in the first while 11 and 12 in the second).
In higher undergraduate level colleges, the NEP provides options of a three-year degree programme and a four-year degree programme, the latter giving the students exit and entry options at the end and start of each of the four years.
The three-year degree programme is the same as it was in the old system but it is the four-year course that's new and offers the students multiple entry and exit options and a 'honours' degree comprising a total of 160 credits at 40 credits a year.
The difference between the three-year and four-year courses is that in the case of the former, students seeking to take a master's degree will have to pursue a two-year programme whereas those with the honours, four-year degree will earn a master's in a year. Also, the four-year honours degree holders can directly pursue a PhD without having to earn a master's, provided they have scored 75% in all four years of the degree programme.
Flexibility, inter-disciplinary choice of subjects
The new scheme of education at the undergraduate level also provides flexibility in the choice of subjects, that is a wider combination of subjects broadly categorised into five disciplines -- 1) Natural and physical sciences; 2) Mathematics, statistics and computer applications; 3) Library, information and media science; 4) Commerce and management and 5) Humanities and social sciences.
For instance, if a student chooses Chemistry as his major subject in pursuit of a BSc degree but changes his mind in the second year, the pupil can do so without losing a year. However, he/she will have to choose to major either in a minor subject from the 'natural and physical sciences' discipline or the multi-disciplinary subject he chose from outside his discipline in the first year.
Also, a student will have the choice to discontinue the UG programme after a year with a certificate or after two years with a diploma and return to complete the entire three or four-year degree later but within seven years of discontinuing.
Holistic, skill-based education
The compulsion to choose one subject from the discipline (stream) other than their own, like Science students opting for a subject from humanities, will help them get acquainted with other subjects.
"It would offer them a wholesome perspective of life, make them more open towards what is happening around and equip them to tackle life's challenges better," says an assistant professor from a South Goa college.
"If you do not get a job in your field of study, then you will not be lost because you would have developed skills and enhanced personal growth in the non-major subject making you employable in that other field," the professor states.
The NEP framework will also ensure fewer if not entirely eliminate dropouts. Also, the pressure of studying for ranks, competitiveness and being ahead all the time will be eliminated, the professor adds.
Managements worried, fear inadequacies to deliver
The NEP may look sound and even revolutionary for the undergraduate education system on paper. The team in-charge of its implementation at the DHE is also gung-ho. But the proverbial straw that could break the camel's back, however, may be the all-pervasive sense of uncertainty, confusion and tentativeness palpable among Goa's academia and officials running and managing the colleges across Goa.
Inadequate resources, including financial, human and infrastructural, are at the root of this scepticism. Senior management officials of some prominent colleges in Goa we contacted said lack of teachers and infrastructure are the main challenges they foresee in their day-to-day operations under the new NEP regime.
According to the Principal of a prominent college, consultative sessions and training programmes are being arranged only now and that too crammed over a short period at the eleventh hour.
"To tell you the truth, we are even more confused now. We are staring at uncertainty. I am very apprehensive about it," the Principal said, although he was unwilling to be identified fearing retribution from the government authorities.
The NEP stipulates that a student can choose an optional subject even if it is not being taught in the educational institute he is admitted. The college has to then tie up with another college which teaches that subject.
The college officials admit that in such a scenario, managing the logistics, preparing time-tables and practically implementing them will be a herculean task even if the government's proposal of forming 'college clusters' to collaborate is executed.
College clusters to meet inadequacies
The DHE's NEP team has formed clusters of neighbourhood colleges on a geographical criterion, intended to ensure sharing of resources such as infrastructure and also human resources.
Dr Tilve, however, said these college clusters are yet to be formalised. He also said formal agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU) will have to be entered into between colleges to share resources.
Some protocols will also have to be put in place to grant students of one college access to facilities and resources of another within the cluster to carry out academic activities, he added.
Policy adopted without meaningful engagement?
Although the government, both at the Centre before adopting the policy and in Goa before deciding to implement it, did hold consultation processes, many pointed out that it wasn't exhaustive enough.
Also, not all sections of stakeholders were represented in these consultations, particularly marginalized communities, student bodies and teachers’ organisations.
As is by now symptomatic of the BJP government at the Centre, due process was bypassed while introducing the NEP in 2020, at a time when the entire educational system of the country was struggling with schools and colleges physically closed due to the pandemic. Even Parliament was bypassed as were the State governments, from whom no inputs were taken.
Here in Goa too, consultations have been superficial and have had little to no bearing on the government's decision to implement the NEP from this academic year.
College managments are in fact livid that the government failed to hold consultations either with them or the teacher-academic community and the authorities are now shoving the NEP implementation down their throats.
So is Goa and its higher education edifice ready to take such a gigantic leap and offer the ultimate beneficiary -- the student community -- a smooth ride during the transition to the new NEP stipulated system?
The government is optimistic. Managements and academia aren't as enthusiastic. And as the new academic year will begin to unfold soon, uncertainty looms in the college corridors.
