Pragya is an altruistic and responsible young woman, enrolled in Grade 12 at The Heritage School, Rohini. A community-minded youth leader, Pragya has experience in organizing initiatives to improve her neighbourhood. She is passionate about global affairs and hopes to pursue this field for her undergraduate education.
Abstract
The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with its strong emphasis on multilingual education can have a profound impact on promoting diversity in India’s public education landscape. The policy’s guidelines around integrating multilingualism into the education system aims to contribute towards inclusivity, cultural preservation, and enhanced learning experiences for all Indian students. This research article explores how public school education can be modified to cater to the diverse needs of students in India with a focused approach towards multilingualism in school curriculums. It recommends following the guidelines of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to achieve these objectives.
I. Introduction
The purpose of education is to provide children with a strong knowledge base and set of skills that enhance their tangible, employable abilities. They should also be empowered to become a responsible and contributing member of their communities and their country. With these goals in mind, the Indian school education landscape, characterized by its rich diversity and complex history has undergone several transformations. Over several decades, these transformations have led to the introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP) in 2020.
The New Education Policy (NEP-20), instituted on 29 July 2020, introduced a new foundation for the education system – the first of its kind in 34 years. This much-needed reformation was delivered to elevate the level of education offered to learners in India. Firstly, the government has stated its desire to conduct a complete overhaul of the public-school education system to cater to an ever-changing technological and globalized world (Tilak, 2012). Secondly, there is an increasing need to provide knowledge and skill sets concurrently to children with diverse backgrounds and socio-economic status. The guidelines have been formulated bearing in mind the Indian government’s Right to Education Act, 2009 which makes education accessible to every child in India. The Act contains within it the goal of providing free and compulsory education to children aged between 3-18 years (Mohanty, Panda, Pal, Menken and Garcia, 2010).
II. Brief Overview of the Indian School Education System
One can identify two different types of schools in India. The first category is government or public schools which are funded by the government. They are the most feasible option for many students in India, with a high percentage of students attending government schools. Although more affordable and accessible, they are often found lacking the infrastructure, resources, and quality of education provided by private schools (Hornberger and Vaish, 2009).
The latter category of schools is privately funded by the parents of children attending them and run independent of the government. Private schools often cater to the diverse and varying market needs of the educational sphere in India (Roy, 2020). As institutions, they have more autonomy in terms of curriculum design and teaching methods. Consequently, they are often seen to offer better infrastructure, resources, and quality of education. As they are influenced by market forces, private schools can be expensive and unaffordable to lower socio-economic households in India.
The New Education Policy (NEP 2020) emerged as the first holistic, inclusive, and participatory initiative aimed at reforming the outdated Indian education system. Seeing how over 47 million students were recorded dropping out by the 10th standard, this came as an extremely crucial overhaul; the number inspiring the likes of Justice JS Verma Commission, and the Education Commission to revise the education policy in place (Petrovic and Majumdar, 2010).
III. Multilingualism in Indian School Curriculums
The NEP 2020 is most beneficial for reforming the public-school education system in India. The guidelines focus on maintaining key learning elements of the current curriculum, while introducing a comparatively reduced rote-learning syllabus by stressing skills that include critical thinking and practical learning. The guidelines encourage the use of components such as empirical research, experiences, practical lessons, and stakeholder feedback for moving towards a move progressive, liberal school curriculum (NEP, 2020).
The NEP 2020 of India incorporates several key aspects that encourage multilingualism, reflecting a significant shift in the educational approach towards embracing linguistic diversity. This section of the research paper will analyze these specific aspects and discuss how they are expected to foster diversity and inclusivity in education.
Firstly, the NEP 2020 recommends that the medium of instruction up to at least Grade 5, preferably till Grade 8, should be the mother tongue or local language. This is based on evidence that children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their home language. This approach is expected to reduce the linguistic barriers to education, especially for students from non-Hindi and non-English speaking backgrounds, thereby promoting inclusivity.
Secondly, the policy reiterates the three-language formula, ensuring that students have the opportunity to learn three languages in their school curriculum. Importantly, it stipulates that no language will be imposed on any student, allowing for greater flexibility and respect for regional languages. By encouraging proficiency in regional languages, along with Hindi and English, the policy aims to foster national unity and mutual understanding among students of different linguistic backgrounds.
Furthermore, the NEP 2020 emphasizes the importance of classical languages like Sanskrit and local tribal languages. Schools and higher education institutions will offer courses on these languages, promoting their revival and preservation. This focus aids in preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage, fostering a sense of pride and deepening students’ understanding of diverse cultures.
To augment these changes, a major revamp should also be brought about in the exam and evaluation sector. The NEP recommends adopting a more holistic approach to gauge the child’s understanding and skill-level instead of a single theory paper per academic session that only assesses rote-memorization abilities. Increasingly, higher education institutions and workplaces have started valuing a well-rounded personality over just performing well academically (Hornberger and Vaish, 2009). In this regard, the NEP encourages the introduction of reforms in school assessment systems to make it more competency based. This would promote learning and development for every student and reduce the high-stakes aspects of high school public examinations.
The NEP recommends ways to incorporate and assess multiple aspects of a child’s abilities. The shift would be towards promoting critical and creative thinking aligned to the 21st century in classrooms, normalizing educational solutions like polls, research-based questions, skill-based quizzes, etc. (Tilak, 2012). Along with the development of these units, there would also be a comprehensive feedback system in place that conducts both state and national level surveys to monitor the learning outcomes and accordingly incorporate changes in the system.
The NEP 2020 further includes scope for students to be able to take pauses in their education instead of exiting it entirely, allowing mid-term dropouts to have the option of completing after a break. For instance, there is scope for 4-year programs to be undertaken in brackets of a 1-year for a certificate, 2 years for a diploma or 3 years for a bachelor’s degree (Kumar, 2021).
IV. Policy Recommendations
For the goals of the NEP 2020 to be achieved in all their intentions, intensive training for teachers in language pedagogy, particularly for teaching in bilingual or multilingual settings must be provided. This includes the creation of high-quality bilingual textbooks and teaching-learning materials (Kumar, Prakash and Singh, 2021). Well-trained teachers are crucial for effective multilingual education, ensuring that students from various linguistic backgrounds are taught effectively and inclusively.
The NEP 2020 also suggests changes in assessment methods, allowing students to take exams in their home language wherever possible. This is a significant step away from the dominance of English and Hindi in public school examinations (Mohanty, 2008). This reform will level the playing field for students from diverse linguistic backgrounds, ensuring that language is not a barrier to demonstrating their understanding and knowledge in assessments.
Additionally, technology can play a role in promoting multilingualism in education. Initiatives like digital platforms and online resources in multiple languages can facilitate access to educational materials across different languages. AI-Powered Language Learning Apps that use artificial intelligence to adapt to each student’s learning pace could offer lessons in multiple Indian languages. Another example is that of Virtual Reality (VR) Language Immersion, which can simulate immersive environments where students can practice different languages in real-life scenarios. Finally, a speech recognition software for language practice can provide instant feedback on language proficiency and fluency, allowing students to correct their mistakes in real-time (Meganathan, 2015). Hence, technological innovations in education can play a vital role in reaching students in remote areas, ensuring that language and geography does not limit access to quality learning modules.
An ideal educational institution that implements all or most of these recommendations could be a metropolitan city school in Hyderabad with students from diverse linguistic backgrounds, including Telugu, Urdu, and English speakers. This school would offer a choice between Telugu, Urdu, and English as the first language, with the other two languages taught as second and third languages. Training teachers in multilingual pedagogies. The outcome of such a school would be increased linguistic tolerance and cultural exchange among students. Students would gain proficiency in three languages, enhancing their cognitive flexibility and future career prospects (Dash, 2000).
V. Conclusion
The historical evolution of the Indian education system reflects a journey from traditional, culturally rooted methods to a system influenced by colonial policies, and finally to an approach seeking to integrate global best practices while reaffirming its commitment to India’s diverse heritage. The NEP 2020 stands at this juncture, promising a significant transformation in addressing the contemporary educational needs of a diverse and pluralistic society. With its emphasis on multilingualism, the NEP 2020 guidelines represent a progressive step towards an education system that not only acknowledges but also celebrates linguistic diversity. By integrating these aspects, the government’s policy aims to create an inclusive educational environment where every student feels represented and valued, irrespective of their linguistic background (Mohanty, Panda, Pal, Menken and Garcia, 2010). This approach is expected to enhance cognitive development, cultural empathy, and national cohesion, thereby contributing significantly to the richness and diversity of Indian education.
VI. References
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– Kumar, Alok. “New education policy (NEP) 2020: A roadmap for India 2.0.” University of South Florida M3 Center Publishing 3, no. 2021 (2021): 36.
– Kumar, Kishore, Ajai Prakash, and Krishanveer Singh. “How National Education Policy 2020 can be a lodestar to transform future generation in India.” Journal of Public Affairs 21, no. 3 (2021): e2500.
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– Petrovic, John, and Sikharini Majumdar. “Language planning for equal educational opportunity in multilingual states: The case of India.” International Multilingual Research Journal 4, no. 1 (2010): 1-19.
– Roy, S. (2020, August 4). “National Education Policy NEP 2020: Key points you need to know.” Awesome India. https://www.awesomeindia.in/national-education-policy-nep-2020/
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