PANAJI
The Goa government is set to widen the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) from the academic year 2026–27 by covering Classes III, IV, V, VII and VIII, thereby extending the policy across the Balvatika, preparatory and middle stages, and partially into the secondary level.
However, the State has deferred the rollout of NEP at the Class XI level, citing the need to address academic and curricular concerns before implementation.
The Goa State Council for Education, Research and Training (SCERT) will implement NEP from Class I to VIII with new NCERT textbooks, while Classes IX and X will continue with the existing textbooks. The upcoming textbooks, aligned with those introduced for Class VI, will integrate the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into mainstream education with a focus on holistic child development.
Confirming the development, SCERT Director Meghana Shetgaonkar told The Goan that NEP for Classes I to VIII will be implemented with new textbooks from the coming academic year. “From the 2026–27 academic year, NEP will cover the Balvatika level, preparatory stage, middle stage and parts of the secondary stage. We have decided to defer implementation of NEP for Class XI as we need to be fully prepared academically before proceeding,” she said.
Goa has been implementing NEP in a phased manner. The foundational stage (Balvatika 1) was introduced in 2023–24, followed by Balvatika 2 and the secondary stage (Class IX) in 2024–25. In 2025–26, NEP was extended to the middle stage (Class VI) and Class X. Under NEP, the foundational stage covers ages 3–8, the preparatory stage 8–11, the middle stage 11–14, and the secondary stage 14–18 years.
The State aims to complete NEP implementation by 2030, with all grades covered by 2027–28, followed by two years dedicated to cluster formation and physical restructuring.
Shetgaonkar said the new textbooks will feature reduced content load, increased activity-based learning, projects and experiential tasks, ensuring stage-appropriate progression in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.
To ensure a smooth transition from the old curriculum, a three-week, largely activity-based bridge course will be conducted for teachers and students at the start of the new academic year.
