PANAJI
One technique coaches sometimes adopt to teach beginners to swim is to throw them directly into the pool without having taught them anything at all. This seemingly is what the Pramod Sawant government has done with its decision to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) for class IX in the current academic year: abrupt and in an authoritarian manner.
The academic year already on and running, officials led by the hardworking bureaucrat, Prasad Lolayenkar, IAS, who is the Education Secretary, are now running pillar to post, literally, from Pernem to Canacona, to ensure that Goa's school education system comprising hundreds of schools, thousands of teachers and the students, stay afloat in the unknown waters of the new NEP system of education: activity based, completely different methodology of assessment and much more.
Lolayenkar, the man at the helm, however, is confident that the gigantic leap taken to overhaul the school education system and modernise it, will end well.
"It's just that there are apprehensions among the teachers and school managements based on misconceptions about the NEP," Lolayenkar said when asked if there were any serious issues being faced by schools and the teaching community in this transition to the NEP-based system from the old.
The department is arranging training, will also provide resource persons for the new inter-disciplinary and extra-curricular subjects. Infrastructure for laboratories will also be provided to schools who cannot cope, Lolayenkar adds.
NEP: What’s it all about?
The policy embarks on an uncharted course to modify the very structure of the school education system apparently aimed at making it acceptable universally -- nationally and globally too, comparable with formal education systems in western countries.
Instead of the hitherto 10-plus-two school system, the NEP introduces an entirely new four-stage 5+3+3+4 year system.
The first of the four NEP stages is the ‘Foundational’ stage which includes three years of pre-school and two years (Grades 1 & 2). Implementation of this stage had begun in Goa from the last (2023-24) academic year.
The second is the three-year ‘Preparatory’ stage, comprising grades 3 to 5 and covering ages 8-11 of the child. It is followed by the Middle stage’ from grades 6 to 8; and finally the ‘Secondary’ stage covering grades 9 to 12 in two phases (9 and 10 in the first while 11 and 12 in the second) from which the student enters the University education system in undergraduate Colleges and then higher up;
Like the preparatory stage, Goa implemented NEP in University education and undergraduate colleges, last year itself offering options of a three-year degree programme and a four-year degree programme, the latter giving students exit and entry options at the end and start of each of the four years.
Anxiety, skepticism
among managements
The NEP as a policy may be a welcome move, what with the teacher-student interface in the old system tending to lay emphasis on examinations and the learn-by-rote technique, making academic versatility of the student a victim.
However, the abrupt manner in which the government has implemented it this year at the Secondary level (Class IX this year) has left a wave of anxiety and skepticism among school managements and a wide section of the teaching community. The officialdom may be unwilling to admit it, but there is an unarguably palpable sense of uncertainty and tentativeness among Goa’s school academia and management officials, who are the ones who ultimately manage the day-to-day delivery of education to the students.
Most of these doubts emanate from the ground realities in the schools. Many have inadequate resources, including financial, human and infrastructural, and several officials of school managements we spoke to admitted that lack of adequately trained teachers to tackle some of the new areas the curriculum under NEP encompasses, is their main challenge.
"Why are the training regimens being implemented now after the decision to implement NEP is taken?," a principal of a prominent city school The Goan spoke to said, making an argument that training teachers should have taken place last year if the government was pre-determined to implement NEP at the secondary level this year.
Unwilling to be identified fearing that his school may face the brunt from the authorities, the principal also expressed doubts whether these short-term training programmes crammed in two-three weeks would suffice.
Of concern, according to him, is the new system of progress card assessment of students individually. "Thorough training of teachers on how to assess students under the new system and write their progress cards is a must. If not done properly and objectively, it can bring to naught the very purpose of the change," he said.
Inadequate engagement?
The State government's decision to implement the NEP at the foundational (pre-primary) stage last year should have alerted schools of its intention to implement it at the higher level.
Also, district level consultation with principals and managements was indeed held over the last one year. But these weren't exhaustive and were woefully inadequate as a prelude to implement such a revolutionary change in the school education system, argued yet another manager of a school which also operates a higher secondary school.
According to him, the education department should have organised specifically designed consultation processes for managements, principals and teachers, separately.
Finally, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Whether Goa's school education ecosystem rises to the occasion as the current academic year progresses and manages to navigate this gigantic leap and benefit the ultimate target of it all -- the community of students in class IX this year -- is an answer we will get only in March-April when it all ends.
