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Blog: Reflection on the Indian New Education Policy by Mr. Venkat- MV Foundation

With the introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India, Mr. Venkat, the National Convenor of WNCB partner MV Foundation shared his views on what the policy lacks. While Mr. Venkat appreciates the inclusion of children who have changed their sex, that are from an underprivileged background, children with disabilities and children of migrated parents, the policy does not address the issue of child labour at all. He adds that the proposed skills to be taught to the children, like carpentry or plumbing, will take the country centuries back. Further, technological skills such as coding or aeronautics will only be accessible to children with an affluent background. The NEP also lacks clarity on improving the Anganwadi (rural child care centre) infrastructure and manpower in order to include more children under its scope. The same lack of clarity is also mirrored in the language to be used, whether to include regional languages or not.

More than 5 million people do not have basic education. The policy acknowledges that this number may double in the next five years. However, the NEP places the obligation of educating these children on the community and NGOs. As a campaigner for the right to education, Mr. Venkat says, “The new policy focuses not on the holistic development of children but developing them as per the needs of the market, which is just cheap labor.”

On a concluding note, he adds: “Children across the country should receive equal quality education. The government should provide schools with every facility within their neighbourhoods. Apart from this, there’s a need for the governments to realize that unless a policy states that every child has the right to study in their neighbourhood schools, fundamental changes will not be seen in the sphere of school education.”

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