Centre unveils NEP implementation plan

SARTHAQ has been developed through a wide and intensive consultative process with States and UTs, a statement said

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Thursday released the implementation plan for the national education policy (NEP) that aims at achieving uniform standards in learning outcomes and governance across public and private schools.

The NEP implementation plan titled 'Students' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement through Quality Education' (SARTHAQ)' focuses on achieving 304 outcomes through 297 tasks through well-defined activities built on existing structures instead of creating new structures.

“States and UTs have been given the flexibility to adapt this plan with local contextualization and also modify as per their needs and requirements,”an official statement said.

SARTHAQ envisages reforms in curriculum with new national and state curriculum frameworks for school education, early childhood care and education (ECCE), teacher education and adult education.

It also aims at increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), transition rate and retention rate at all levels and reduction in drop outs and out of school children.

The NEP also seeks to ensure access to quality ECCE and Universal Acquisition of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by Grade 3; improvement in learning outcomes at all stages with emphasis on teaching and learning through mother tongue/local/regional languages in the early years.

SARTHAQ has been developed through a wide and intensive consultative process with States and UTs, Autonomous bodies and suggestions received from all stakeholders; around 7177 suggestions/inputs were received from them, an official statement said.

The implementation plan also seeks to achieve integration of vocational education, sports, arts, knowledge of India, 21st century skills, values of citizenship, awareness of environment conservation, in the curriculum at all stages.

It also aims to introduce experiential learning at all stages and adopt innovative pedagogies by teachers in classroom transactions.

The implementation plan also seeks to reform the manner in which board exams and various entrance tests are conducted.