New Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Its Implementation on Foundational Education at the Ground Level

Echoing the initiatives of the Department of School Education on the New Education Policy (NEP) and the observation made on its effectiveness especially with the policy of Foundational Education at the ground level. On the day of the dedication of PM Shri Schools on 29th July, 2026 by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon'ble Minister of Education, India highlighted how the achievements were made so far with the New Education Policy throughout the country in these five years of NEP 2020. Along with the rest of the country, Nagaland is giving its best to incorporate and implement the New Education Policy 2020 from training to curricular development and monitoring of schools. In the curricular development at the foundational level and above, we can see State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) at the forefront marking a historic movement and has played a catalytic role. We are all aware that whatever the Ministry of Education (MoE) has initiated at the central level our state has shouldered its responsibility to achieve its maximum outcome from the Directorate to the schools. There is a huge shift of responsibility from the teachers with the change in the New Education Policy. The education system is about to experience an enormous change in the progress and development of government schools. Though the public demand for government schools may vary from region to region, we can see many positive outcomes in rural schools promoting and advocating for government schools with the change in its policies, commitment and efforts of the government. If the same vigour continues with its strong zeal and determination to transform our government schools, then the demand for private schools will naturally decline especially in rural areas.

The school curriculum and education provided should be aligned: There are still many teachers practicing the old ways of teaching and learning. If teachers continue to stand firmly facing the students and explain the lesson without the students’ involvement or taking part, then our education policy introduced will be of no use again. The teachers should not just explain the text and give notes to the students for study. The teaching that is taking place in everyday classrooms and the curriculum anticipated should weave together as expected in the lesson plans. We are living in a high-tech world where everything we need is on our finger tips. The latest curriculum is also easily available if we browse through the website. But the catching point is how many of our educators and teachers visit those websites and educational apps like Diksha, Gurushala or Abhyaas App regularly. We can see and understand through interaction with our teachers that only those passionate teachers will try to understand the latest curriculum and information disseminated. The rest will be on their own trying to complete their syllabus with their best intention aimed for excellent results and academic performance like the past.

Education is not only about achieving academic excellence and earning a reputation. When we strive for academic excellence alone, we are not giving importance to nurture the young minds and talents of the students in need. A few students will be left unattended even though they need personal attention in their personal growth and development. Today's education is more about learning through experience, connecting to their real-life experience and in the context of the child. Every child needs individual attention as all the children are not the same. Without proper teaching and training on how to speak, listen, read, write, or perform simple arithmetic the child will be devoid of so many basic foundational needs and thereby creates a huge vacuum or learning gap in the child's learning. It is rather not justified to test or assess the students when we do not provide enough space for teaching and learning.

Most of the teachers are failing in diagnostic areas, it is only through prognosis and diagnosis we can address individual needs of the students. Academic excellence will no longer help a child to be a successful person or the person we expect of them. While focusing on academic excellence, we forget to train and nurture a child in some of the important skills like soft skills, good moral values, communicating, writing, socializing, emotional values, and vocational skills which are equally important. Growing up, our focus was more on academic performance and good results rather than on individual growth and development. This leads to only rote memorization without understanding and the quality of education remaining compromised.

Training provided is not sufficient: As per NEP 2020, every teacher is mandatory to complete 50 hours of CPD- Continuous Professional Development every year. Our state Department of School Education, Nagaland, Samagra Shiksha and NECTAR has provided several refresher courses and training to our in-service teachers.

Initially, during the past 4-5 years, several training on foundational levels were given like Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), NIPUN BHARAT and VIDYA PRAVESH. However, as we can see all the teachers do not take it in the same manner. Only few teachers take it to the class room and leverage their teaching and learning. The majority needs constant guidance and support during their journey. So, the turning point is if a good resource person can continuously give constant support directly to the teachers at the school level we can expect some dramatic changes in the next few years’ time. If left unattended and let them on their own, there is a high tendency of falling back to its original track.

At the state level, the need for training and preparation may shift to the Preparatory Stage and Middle Stage but at no point of time should the Foundational Stage be neglected. Teachers teaching at the Preparatory stage should be given utmost concern and in continuous mode till the teachers are well adapted with the new system. If the foundation is well built, the students will have no problem in catching up at a higher level or in other sense they can learn to read, write and perform arithmetic on their own. This is the very objective of NIPUN BHARAT. There should not be any compromise in the quality of education at the Preparatory stage.

When a child goes to higher classes it becomes much easier for the teachers at the middle stage and secondary stage to connect with their learning. Also, when the pedagogy used at the Preparatory stage is Activity Based Method or Learning by Doing, the same method of teaching gets replicated and becomes easily adaptable and familiar when they reach higher classes.

Assessment unlike the past: In the past, most of the assessment was class test, weekly test, midterm examination and end term (or Final examination). Both the teacher and parents assessed the students’ performance based on the marks scored rather than the Holistic Assessment we have at present. In the areas of assessment, parents and communities need to be sensitised on the Holistic Report Card and Achievement Report Card. Holistic Report Card (HPC) and Achievement Report Card (ARC) is for Preparatory stage and PARKH is for Middle stage and secondary stage (PARKH yet to be implemented). Many parents and community members are still ignorant of the latest assessment incorporated in the education system. They do not know why examinations were not conducted in the Pre-primary section. Parents do not understand the HPC report cards and ARC report cards so they were not so happy about it.

Digitisation of Assessment has already begun in the lower section. This has become quite easier for the person in authority to monitor the progress and achievements of the students and schools. Students can easily access their assessments report cards and certificates from the APAAR which is yet to be fully implemented. Teachers cannot shy away from digital learning and inability to navigate through apps and portals. There will come a time when digital literacy is a must for teachers and those without digital knowledge will have to give up their profession.

Changes after NECTAR Project: The NECTAR project has face lifted almost all the Government schools by improving its facilities and numerous trainings imparted at different levels to all the stakeholders in the Education Department. It would rather be impossible for the School Education Department to come up to this extent without the NECTAR project. Community engagement and participation became more prominent with the coming of NECTAR project. The government schools were painted beautifully inside and outside which became a symbol of pride for those students studying in government schools. Collaborative teaching and learning will soon play a major role in re-shaping the class room with students engaged in so many activities while learning.

Community’s ownership: The data in a few schools showed increased enrolment comparing the past few years after NEP 2020 and its policies implemented. This increase in enrolment indicates the shift interest in government schools by the public especially in rural areas. Even the village and community leaders after seeing the difference in these few years’ time, vogue for government schools. However, it will take some time to prove absolutely that government schools are the best school in the state. People will soon reconsider the need to take their wards back to their own villages for their education. Children receiving quality education is important but most importantly, the interest taken by parents and the initiative of the village community to provide quality education will go far more than that. To make our government schools a quality provider schools lie not only in the hands of the government but the community and the village.

The government has already provided a lot in the functioning of the government schools yet the public had not taken cognizance of it. Surely there will be so many shortcomings and lapses in the functioning and facilities of the government schools but the village community can come forward and take responsibility for a short while. The public should not wait for the school to show good result as good result will take time to show up. It is not a matter of one or two years. The government schools will not fail if there is proper coordination and communication with the government where on top of that the government does not fail the schools in addressing the necessary requirements in the earliest possible time.

Recognition to performing schools: Will the government continue to support our government schools in the same manner as it is progressing till now? Indeed, our government may not be able to support extensively all the schools except those performing schools. To stand tall among other schools, without sufficient resources the dream may not come true. There is lack of resources both in physical and material, so accordingly mapping can be made and provided accordingly.

The materials provided should be strictly scrutinized before issuing and the quality of the material should be exceptionally good and not compromised on any ground. Those schools receiving bonus from the government side should take an exemplary step in building a role mode school. The idea of introducing a BEACON school was such a brilliant step initiated by Samagra Shiksha.

The quality of our state's education should not be withheld and cannot be compromised based on any reason thereof. What is in the policy needs to be implemented with full vigour and enthusiasm. We cannot continue to accept or allow people to use the phrase that 'the same old thing will happen again; it will never change' attitude as it destroys people's mentality. Our students' futures are extremely vital considering building a robust society and a developed country.

India's Vikshit Bharat has a vision of declaring India fully literate and developed country by 2047. The resources spent on school education should not be considered a waste, as it is an investment for future generations. If India wants a developed nation, education should be the first step.

(This write-up is based on observation and interaction with schools)

Kutsholo Tsuhah

Teacher and mentor