For a change i thought i will read about a trending subject. So here are my thoughts on #NEP2020. To start with the basic difference illustrated in the picture below. Crucially ages 3-8 are brought under formal/governed education framework (1/n)

ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) is good. Specifically plan to bring even those in rural areas to have early access to education is really glad, provided the appropriate infrastructure is provided as well. #NEP2020 (2/n)

In general I see lots of visionary statements in the doc (which I personally agree with) and statements like the below. But in practice most of those are hard to achieve. As they strategy without execution is the noise before failure. Hope #NEP2020 doesn’t face that fate (3/n)

(4/n) For Art + Sport integration a . High time, the stressful mark obtaining environment is changed. Most adults look back their academic life with disdain – ruining why they spent so much time struggling and the irrelevance to their adult life.

(5/n) Mother tongue teaching emphasized in primary level in #NEP2020. Personally I disagree a bit. In our generation at-least, knowing English was a key global competitive advantage. I would advocate a hybrid approach – science, maths in English. Arts/History in local language.

(6/n) 3 language formula. We tamils have a difficult relationship with hindi (and some I justifiably agree) but nevertheless based on one’s career it may be necessary. And post-college most struggle to learn a new language. Little bit of hindi I learnt in school still helps me

So i support this in #NEP2020. And my wish is TN government establishes the bilateral relationship with many other states so that our youth get teaching opportunity in other states and tamil also spreads. But wishful thinking and unlikely to happen I suppose .

(7/n) Then a big paragraph on Sanskrit in #NEP2020. Again a touchy subject in TN. I personally have no idea about Sanskrit and its greatness – so cant comment. As long as it an option – I don’t mind (provided no backdoor/preferential treatment) It should not be opposed.

(8/n) Well they do promise other classical languages will also be widely promoted. Again how widely is the question and here the TN government needs to be proactive I suppose. #NEP2020

(9/n) Bagless days and vocational training are good. But until the culture in society changes these could be namesake exercises – I mean does society respect electricians/carpenters as much as it does engineer/doctors or even teachers? #NEP2020

I wonder why we don't focus on teaching students to dis-assemble and assemble their bicycle. Changing fuse. Cooking. The point is things they can apply in their everyday lives and be self dependent and don’t look at 'some things' as beneath them. #NEP2020

(10/n) And I suppose points like below worry the left. Justifiable perhaps. Again the god is in the details. Depends on what comes out… #NEP4NewIndia #NEP #NEP2020

(11/n) Not sure best of two is good idea in indian Society?At-least those who afford might pressure to take twice? By making exam easy stress wont go away. As long as the marks are of relevance to the next step (of getting into some premier college) – pressure will exist. DOT.

(12/n) Grade 3, 5 and 8 exams by appropriate authority. It says only for purpose of development – so on one will be failed essentially? I still think 3 is way too early for exam by an authority. #NEP #NEP4NewIndia #NEP2020

(13/n) NTA unified entrance exams. Ok great – if at all unified quality of education reaches across India!! Why the hell is then the flexibility to universities?? Doesn’t that open door for many other exams as well?? #NEP #NEP2020 #NEP4NewIndia

I think it would be better to have a single window system across india including private colleges I would argue at least for 75% of their seats (and 50% reserved for the local state students). #NEP #NEP4NewIndia #NEP2020

(14/n) “Once smartphones are available in all homes” – Is this a private organization strategy doc.?? My personal wish is to distribute kindle/tablet to all public students which has inbuilt books access via wifi in schools to relevant videos. This cannot be left to chance!! #NEP

(15/n) I suppose is the trigger for worry of closing down near-by schools. Well the grand vision requires lots of facilities. We need to find innovative ways to share – may be one big district school where other students visit once a week to share facilities like labs? #NEP

(16/n) Assuming below is true, not possible to have scale and quality simultaneously. Leverage technology. Instead of consolidation, use talented teachers to teach the same subject over video-conferencing to near-by schools and the local teacher also plays a facilitator? #NEP

(17/n) Well as long as private schools promise a quality/education content/methodology far more that government or poorer private schools, this wont change. Below is not a regulatory problem I think… #NEP #NEP4NewIndia #NEPisBrahmanism

(18/n) And the solution is to split the process across policy, operations and regulatory authorities? Well if they don’t work holistically it will be a disaster.But this is the job of the government to ensure coordination. #NEP #NEP4NewIndia

(19/n) Not sure what this means precisely… What is NAS is good and SAS is bad? The state regulatory authority will account for the NAS results of a school? Again it all comes down to in practice how these are followed I suppose #NEP4NewIndia #NewEducationPolicy

(20/n) Well page 34 finally remembers the target consumer of this service #NEP #NEP4NewIndia #NewEducationPolicy

(21/n) #NEP Promotes consolidation at higher education. I suppose good on one side as easier to ensure facilities and quality, but on the other side people who have got BE in not so equipped institutions also have later got job, learnt on the job and do well in life eventually.

So widespread HEI is the key i suppose. That said I don’t fully understand the fundamentally disadvantage of single stream college? I mean even in engineering I hardly learnt what other branch students learnt. So I am not sure of the practical benefit here. #NewEducationPolicy

Aspects on teacher education, etc. i skipped.

Overall a grand and acceptable vision, not much on execution yet. Nothing to oppose yet i feel, except the sanskrit/nalanda references concerns the liberals, but part of any ruling regime i think . #NEP #NewEducationPolicy