Shillong, May 11: Vidya Bharati Vidwad Parishad Shillong organized an Online Panel Discussion on “National Education Policy 2020 and possible strategies for its implementation,” on the 9th of May 2020.
The online discussion had a panel of distinguished participants including Shri Gobind Chandra Mahanta, Dr. Pawan Tiwari, Shri Rinomoh Sungoh, Dr. Kamal Jhunjhunwala, Prof. G. Singaiah, Shri Sameer Sarkar, Prof. Ayon Bhattacharjee, Prof. S.R. Joshi, Faculty from NEHU and NIT, Faculty from different colleges of Shillong, Principals and teaching fraternity of different schools of Meghalaya and Northeast among others.
The online discussion was moderated by Prof. Ayon Bhattacharjee from NIT Meghalaya who introduced to the participants the need for planning ways and means for effective implementation of NEP 2020 though the discussion of the NEP 2020 per se has been going on at different fora for quite some time.
Mr. Gobind Chandra Mahanta, All India Joint Organizing Secretary of Vidya Bharati elaborated on the Task Forces and Committees that are constituted by the central and state government starting with the rechristening of MHRD as Ministry of Education.
He highlighted the concept of samagrah shikska (holistic education) and pointed out that the aim of the policy was to transform India to a global superpower. He stressed on the participatory approach where academia can make a substantial contribution to the implementation of the New Education Policy 2020.
He emphasized on how important the teachers` training is necessary for effective output of the policy and implementations of the goals therein. He also informed that 16 countries were willing to adopt NEP 2020.
Dr. Pawan Tiwari, Northeast Joint Organizing Secretary of Vidya Bharati highlighted on the importance of augmenting the education infrastructure and encompassing the local needs while implementing the policy in a region like Northeast which has a large diversity of tribes and culture.
Dr. Kamal Jhunjhunwala highlighted on the need to bring together private and government schools in the region to uniformly implement the policy especially with reference to the first stage of 5+3+3+3+4 system of education as enshrined in NEP 2020.
He also emphasized the need for adequate books in mother tongue of the tribal population of the state. Mr. R. Sungoh, President, Vidya Bharati, Meghalaya emphasized on the relevance of training the trainers when it comes to teacher’s education as they can disseminate the training to the larger mass of teaching community.
Prof. G. Singaiah, Pro-VC of NEHU Tura campus, highlighted the need for incorporating the indigenous traditional knowledge in the new curriculum and pedagogy so that the wealth of traditional information does not get lost. There was a healthy discussion and queries that emerged from the participants were responded to by Shri Gobind Chandra Mahanta among others.
Prof. S.R. Joshi from NEHU Shillong, in his summary of the proceedings pointed out that developing the curriculum framework, language choice with reference to vernacular medium and training the teachers are important aspects of the policy in its entirety which the government has to start formalizing in order to initiate the implementation of NEP 2020 in a state like Meghalaya.
Various NGOs, institutions and societies can play a pro-active role is providing the needed support to the government for early implementation of NEP 2020. The panel discussion ended with a decision to provide suggestions and support as deemed proper and appropriate to assist the state government in going forward and materializing the aims of the new education policy.
