The National Education Policy 2020 made a big noise among the Gen Y and Z.
For years we have boasted of having one of the youngest population in the world but have done little to cater to their biggest need i.e. Education. However it’s all set to change with the adoption of NEP 2020 (fingers crossed). While we were low-key sad that policy makers are still ignorant about prom-nights, we were thrilled (on behalf of the startup ecosystem) to learn about the following objectives that NEP intends to uphold:
Policy - No separation between arts & sciences, curricular & extra-curricular and VOCATIONAL & academic streams.
Our Take - An elaborate emphasis on Vocational streams comes as a huge relief to the youth who have for long, been pushed into academics due to no realistic alternative. However, the fact that most Higher Education Institutions do not have specialized faculty for vocational training, open doors to a plethora of opportunities for Edtech players to collaborate and offer joint degree/certificate programs.
Policy -
Change the pedagogy by moving away from rote-learning based systems currently in place to more activity-based, experiential learning methodology, with an increased emphasis on choice for students in the secondary grades.
Developing higher order cognitive skills, 21st century skills, mathematical and computational thinking, critical thinking skills.
Our Take - The transition to activity-based learning will depend on the pace with which school administrations will be able to adapt to the change. Leaders of Edtech startups and associated teachers are sitting with some vital know-how and experience in this space. This will create opportunities for consultancy and strategic partnerships. At the same time, it will also lead to higher acceptance of the unconventional curriculum of Edtechs.
Policy -
Moving towards establishment of Collaborative and Resource-efficient school complexes.
Building State Level Child Tracking Systems, efficient EMIS System with real time data analytics; Identification of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) within the state and developing alternative methods of schooling to meet their education needs.
Our Take - Enterprise tech and Edtech startups working as B2B players will play a pivotal role in implementation of these policies.
We believe that the startup ecosystem that is essentially empowered by Tech will have a huge role to play in the successful implementation of the NEP 2020. One of the objectives reads, “Greater focus on online education and Open Distance Learning (ODL) as a key means to improve access, equity, inclusion.” This in itself is evidence of the Policy makers’ recognition of the Edtech space and their capability to facilitate change.
And not just a handful but a score of startups will get the opportunity to make an impact. Here's why:
Education falls in the concurrent list of the Constitution which means that even though the Centre can define a macro level policy, the States will get a significant level of independence in the implementation of the policy. Which means that every state is a new opportunity for startups to collaborate and facilitate change.
An extract from NEP 2020 reads, “Schools will have the autonomy to adopt student-friendly curriculum and pedagogical standards.” This means that even though the State may devise a macro level implementation plan, each school still gets the independence to tread down its own lane. Therefore, each school is a new opportunity for startups to again, collaborate and facilitate change.
This article is a part of the August'20 edition of our Startup Newsletter. Here's the complete publication:
