PANAJI
Stepping up preparations for the next phase of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has formed two committees to oversee the implementation of NEP reforms at the higher secondary level from the next academic year.
SCERT has divided the secondary stage into two phases — Classes IX and X, and Classes XI and XII. One committee has been set up to prepare the Goa State Curriculum Framework for the Secondary Stage and draft an action plan for introducing NEP in Class XI from the academic year 2027-28. A second committee will study the curriculum and implementation of NCERT-based textbooks for Class IX from the same academic year.
SCERT Director Meghana Shetgaonkar said the council is preparing a comprehensive roadmap and expects to issue detailed guidelines to all higher secondary schools by September. “There is a detailed action plan that we are working on. By September, guidelines on the assessment pattern, rubrics and other NEP-related curriculum aspects for Class XI will be shared with all higher secondary institutions,” she said.
Under the new framework, students entering Class XI from 2027-28 will no longer be limited to the traditional Science, Commerce or Arts streams. Instead, they will have greater flexibility to choose subjects in line with the NEP 2020 framework.
Shetgaonkar said the transition would take place in phases, with NEP being extended to Class XII from the 2028-29 academic year. This will ensure continuity for students who begin studying under the new curriculum in Class XI.
In school education, the State will introduce NCERT-based textbooks for Class IX from the next academic year. The revised textbooks will be introduced for Class X in 2028-29, allowing a smooth transition for students.
Although NEP has already been implemented for Classes IX and X, students are still using the existing textbooks. The introduction of NCERT textbooks aims to align classroom learning with the policy’s competency-based approach. “The secondary stage under NEP 2020 requires us to move beyond rigid academic streams and provide students with greater flexibility in subject choices. This transition requires careful planning,” Shetgaonkar had earlier said.
Goa has been implementing NEP in phases since 2023-24, beginning with Balvatika-I. The policy was extended to Classes VI, IX and X during 2025-26, and to Classes I, II, IV, V, VII and VIII in 2026-27. At present, Classes I to VIII follow the new NCERT curriculum.
