What does PM SHRI mean exactly? As part of the centrally funded PM SHRI Schools initiative, 14,500 schools will be renovated in states and union territories to reflect the key components of the NEP, 2020. The PM Schools for Rising India. At a conference the Ministry of Education held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in June, the proposal was first discussed with the education ministers of the states and UTs. The PM SHRI will serve as “NEP labs,” even if there are excellent schools like Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas. NEP characteristics: The National Education Plan envisions a curriculum structure and teaching approach organised into basic, preparatory, intermediate, and secondary levels (NEP). Play-based learning will be used in the early years (preschool and grades I and II). Brief reading material and structured classroom teaching will be provided throughout the preparation stage (III–V). Middle school students will be introduced to subject teachers (VI-VIII). There won’t be a clear distinction between the arts, sciences, or other fields at the secondary level (IX–XII). What distinguishes PM SHRI schools from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas or Kendriya Vidyalayas? Both Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are wholly supported by the Union government through Central Sector Schemes, and both are overseen by the Ministry of Education of the Center. Unlike JNVs, which were created to support gifted students in rural portions of the nation, KVs mostly serve children of Union government personnel stationed in states and UTs. In contrast, compared to current institutions supported by the Center, governments, UTs, and neighbourhood organisations, PM SHRI schools will be an upgrade. Therefore, KVs, JNVs, state governments, or even municipal corporations could manage PM SHRI schools. Where will the schools that PM SHRI will operate be situated? Despite claims that the PM SHRI schools will also “provide mentorship” to other schools nearby, the Center has not yet made the list of the schools that have been selected for this reason public. These institutions will have access to contemporary resources like labs, smart classrooms, libraries, sporting equipment, art studios, etc. Additionally, it will be built using energy-efficient materials, recycle garbage, conserve water, and integrate curricula for an organic way of life. What is a centrally sponsored scheme? A programme that is centrally funded is one in which the federal government and the states/union territories normally split the costs of implementation 60:40. The noon meal programme and PM Awas Yojana are two instances of centrally backed programmes (PM Poshan). The Center’s contribution may be close to 90% for the Northeastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and UTs without legislatures.
National Education policy 2020
National Education Policy 2020 has been announced on 29.07.2020. The National Education Policy 2020 proposes various reforms in school education as well as higher education including technical education. A number of action points/activities for implementation in school education as well as higher education are mentioned in the National Education Policy 2020. NEP, 2020 aim to increase the GER to 100% in preschool to secondary level by 2030 whereas GER in Higher Education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035 Salient Features of NEP 2020 Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12; Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years; New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4); No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams; Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy; Emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages; The medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. Assessment reforms – Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired; Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development); Equitable and inclusive education – Special emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs); A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups; Robust and transparent processes for recruitment of teachers and merit based performance; Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters; 13. Setting up of State School Standards Authority (SSSA); 14. Exposure of vocational education in school and higher education system; Increasing GER in higher education to 50%; 16. Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options; NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs; Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit; 19. Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs); Setting up of National Research Foundation (NRF); 21. ‘Light but Tight’ regulation; Single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education sector including teacher education and excluding medical and legal education- the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)-with independent bodies for standard setting- the General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC); Expansion of open and distance learning to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER). Internationalization of Education Professional Education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, or institutions in these or other fields, will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions. Teacher Education – 4-year integrated stage-specific, subject- specific Bachelor of Education Establishing a National Mission for Mentoring. Creation of an autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education. Achieving 100% youth and adult literacy. Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher education. All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a ‘not for profit’ entity. The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest. Strengthening of the Central Advisory Board of Education to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on quality education.