<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="gmail-clearfix gmail-title" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:30px;margin:0px 0px 10px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;zoom:1;color:rgb(0,0,0);line-height:36px;font-family:Arial">New education policy seeks to junk 10+2 format, ‘high-stakes’ exams</h1><h2 class="gmail-title2" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:16px;margin:10px 0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-style:italic;color:rgb(160,157,157);font-weight:500;line-height:22px;font-family:Arial">The policy recommends replacing the current 10+2 schooling format with a 5+3+3+4 structure.</h2><div class="gmail-clearfix gmail-publish_info" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:13px;margin:0px 0px 5px;outline:0px;padding:2px;vertical-align:baseline;zoom:1;line-height:1.4;color:rgb(126,126,126);font-family:Arial"><div class="gmail-publisher gmail-flt" style="background:transparent;font-size:11px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px;color:rgb(122,122,122)"><div class="gmail-author" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block">By <div class="gmail-split" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block"><div class="gmail-a_d eventDone" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block"><span style="background:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:16px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;color:rgb(130,130,130);width:82.375px"><a target="_blank" class="gmail-italic" rel="author" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/etreporter/author-Anubhuti%20Vishnoi-479240389.cms" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);text-decoration-line:none">Anubhuti Vishnoi</a></span></div></div></div>, ET Bureau<span class="gmail-msides5" style="background:transparent;margin:0px 5px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">|</span></div><div class="gmail-publish_on gmail-flt" style="background:transparent;font-size:11px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px;color:rgb(122,122,122)">Updated: Jun 01, 2019, 06.45 PM IST</div></div><div class="gmail-clearfix gmail-sharingBox gmail-shareVert" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12px;margin:10px 0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;zoom:1;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial"><a class="gmail-fb gmail-shareSprite" rel="nofollow" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -6px -206px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><a class="gmail-twt gmail-shareSprite" rel="nofollow" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -51px -206px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px 15px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><a class="gmail-in gmail-shareSprite" rel="nofollow" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -179px -252px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px 15px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><a class="gmail-wa gmail-shareSprite" rel="nofollow" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -224px -207px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px 15px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><a title="Share more" class="gmail-shareSprite gmail-shareMore" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -180px -207px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px 15px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><a title="Comments" class="gmail-shareSprite gmail-cmt" id="gmail-commentCountBtn" style="background:url("https://img.etimg.com/photo/65932364.cms") -134px -207px no-repeat;margin:2px 0px 0px 15px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:transparent;width:32px;height:32px;display:block;float:left"></a><div class="gmail-flt gmail-comment_count gmail-cmtDone" s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y as well as exposure to the liberal arts. <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The policy document — recommended by a nine-member committee headed by eminent scientist Dr Kasturirangan — calls for restructuring of both higher education and school education regulatory regimes and assessment/examination systems. It underlines the glory of ancient Indian universities of <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Nalanda" target="_blank" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(2,77,153);text-decoration-line:none">Nalanda</a> and Takshashila and their ‘liberal’ approach to education. It underlines the need to bring in the rich Indian culture, tradition and knowledge systems besides strong underpinnings of ‘ethics’, constitutional values and contribution to community or ‘seva’ in the education system. <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The committee also recommends a Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog chaired by the prime minister. It will have on board the Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, education minister and top academics. It also recommends that the HRD ministry be renamed the Ministry of Education. ET breaks down the details: <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><strong style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">AT SCHOOL LEVEL</strong> <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The policy recommends replacing the 10+2 format with a 5+3+3+4 structure. This implies five years of a ‘Foundational Stage’ that will include three years of pre-primary and classes 1and 2. It will be followed by three years of ‘Preparatory Stage’, three years of middle school and four years of secondary stage. <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">All students will take ‘state census examinations’ in grades 3, 5 and 8 where they would be tested on core concepts, knowledge and higher order skills. The grade 3 census examination, for instance, would test basic literacy, numeracy, and other foundational skills. Each year of the secondary stage will be divided into two semesters. Each student would take five to six subjects in each semester. <div id="gmail-div-clmb-ctn-208630-1" class="gmail-colombiaSuccess gmail-colombiaVideo gmail-colombiaAd" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0px auto 5px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;clear:both;height:370px;min-height:0px;float:left;width:643px"></div><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">To counter “the harmful effects of board and entrance examinations”, the panel recommends restructuring them to a ‘modular’ format allowing students to take the board examination in each subject at the end of the semester in which they take that subject. Students will be expected to take a total of at least 24 subject board examinations, or on average three a semester instead of final examinations. <br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><br style="background:transparent;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Language is a key focus of the policy which strongly recommends making the mother tongue the mode of instruction at least until class five and preferably till at least class eight. It says Sanskrit be offered at all levels of school and higher education as one of the optional languages on par with all Schedule 8 languages. All students will be asked to take at least two years of a classical language of India in classes 6-8, with the option to continue through secondary education and university. </div></div></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>