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Formal education to start at age 3, Draft NEP 2019


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 10, 2019: Speaking during a discussion on the draft of the National Education Policy 2019, organised by Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP) at Canara First Grade College on June 9, Sunday; Prof M K Shridhar, member of the Committee to draft National Education Policy 2019, said that the three language policy was recommended for implementation right from the beginning, three years of basic education.

 

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Presently, the 15 years of education system, spread from elementary to colleges, is divided into 10 + 2 + 3. In the draft National Education Policy 2019, the combination of 15 years had conceptualised in 5 + 3 + 3 + 4 pattern, from pre-primary to 12th standard.

Thus the basic formal education begins at an age of three years instead of five years, he added.

“A child’s brain attains 80% development at the age of six years. It is in this age that the child attains individuality. Therefore, the education should be informal in nature from three to eight years of age. Learning of languages should be given preference in this age and it aids in the creative development of the child,” he said.

Degree education  :  Observing a missing link between school education and university education, Shridhar said that even though there are 3.6 crore undergraduates, the undergraduate education is the most neglected part.

To address this, the classification of subject streams into Arts, Commerce and Science, should be done away with.

The students should enjoy the liberty to choose the subjects of their interests, irrespective of subject streams. Under this pattern, One can learn Physics and Economics simultaneously. Also, in the new scheme, the degree education may be extended to four years, along with an offer of lateral entry.

“The country had implemented National Education Policies earlier in 1968 and 1986. For the past three decades, the system of education was running without an updated policy. Considering the fact that a lot many things had changed during these years, the new policy of 2019 should be futuristic,” Shridhar stressed.

Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof P S Yedapadithaya said that the new education policy is expected to bring a transformation rather than a mere change.

“We have to give a serious thought on the draft of National Education Policy 2019 at a time when the phrase ‘Quality of Education’ is misused and abused. ABVP State Committee Vice President Rohinaksha Shirlalu was present.