PM Narendra Modi (File photo)NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Friday said a new curriculum in sync with the new National Education Policy (NEP) will be in place by 2022, coinciding with the 75th year of Independence, which will be ‘forward-looking, future-ready and scientific’ and relieve school students of the ‘pressure of marksheet’.
Addressing the “School Education Conclave” organised by the ministry of education, the PM said the new curriculum will be learning-driven and promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and curiosity. It will reduce syllabus and make learning a fun-based and complete experience, he said. Modi lamented how marksheet-driven education had over-shadowed learning in the country. He said marksheet has now become like a “mental pressure sheet”. “Removing this stress from education is one of the main objectives of the NEP. The effort is that students should not be evaluated by just one examination, but based on various aspects of development like self-assessment, peer-to-peer assessment,” he said adding that NEP has proposed for a holistic report card which will incorporate a student’s unique potential, aptitude, attitude, skills, efficiency and competency.
Advocating teaching up to Class 5 in mother tongue, Modi said language is just a mode of study and not learning in itself.
“We should understand it scientifically. Language is a medium for education and not an education in itself. Therefore, in whatever language a child can learn should be the medium of instruction. We have to see whether the child is utilising most of the time dealing with the language rather than understanding the subject … in most countries, primary education is delivered through mother tongue,” said the PM, citing Japan, South Korea, Finland, Poland, Ireland etc.