The All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) Meghalaya chapter on Thursday released the draft People’s Education Policy (PEP) 2025 in Shillong as an alternative to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to the committee, the draft PEP 2025 is in response to the central government’s imposition of NEP 2020 without adequate consultation or debate and could be detrimental to the education system.
The committee criticised the NEP stating that it was implemented without consideration for the concerns of stakeholders, including intellectuals, educationists, and students.
“The PEP 2025 aims to be a more inclusive and democratic policy, finalised through nationwide discussions and deliberations. It proposes a secular, scientific, democratic, and universal education system,” AISEC stated.
The committee said that the policy recommends allocating at least 10 per cent of the central budget and 20-25 per cent of state budgets for education and proposed making education a state subject, with the Indian Constitution amended accordingly.
Stating that the policy demands educational institutions in remote and inaccessible areas, they also said PEP 2025 advocates for free education for all children between 3 and 17 years old.
The AISEC said it plans to submit the final PEP 2025 to the central and state governments with a demand to implement it within a stipulated time frame.
