The Meghalaya government appears to be in two minds as far as implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in colleges in the State is concerned.
It may be mentioned that out of 43 colleges affiliated to NEHU, 33 colleges have expressed that they are not ready to implement the NEP this year. Even, teachers of NEHU are also calling for postponing the implementation till next year.
The Director of Higher and Technical Education in a statement issued today informed that the Education Department held a State Level Consultation on NEP 2020 with NEHU and principals of all colleges in Meghalaya on May 25, 2023 at Yojana Bhawan Auditorium, Main Secretariat.
According to him, the heads of institutions deliberated on the possibility and challenges of implementing the recommendations of NEP 2020 in the academic year 2023-24.
At the meeting, the affiliated colleges clarified that as the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes has just been introduced by NEHU, the same will not be able to be implemented in the academic session 2023-24 as sensitisation of teachers and students, preparation of prospectus in line with NEP 2020 and adoption of new Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Programmes have not been met by the colleges.
They therefore requested the State government to consider a one year extension for implementing the new curriculum framework in colleges.
The colleges have also assured that by the academic session 2024-25 they will be able to adopt the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes, keeping in consideration to plan and prepare in one year’s time the requirement of additional infrastructures and faculties from the second year with the addition of vocational courses as recommended by NEP 2020.
The Director of Higher and Technical Education also informed that in order to successfully implement the recommendations of NEP 2020, the Education Department through the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education proposes to host numerous workshops for higher educational institutions in the State on the themes and action points as pointed by Ministry of Education in order to provide appropriate capacity building for implementing the NEP 2020.
He also said that in order to facilitate and ease implementation of NEP 2020 at the institutional level, the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education has taken the initiative to share notification, guidelines of the Central government, State government and University Grants Commission (UGC) on action points recommended that can be implemented such as adoption of UGC guidelines on Institutional Development Plan, adoption of Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), guideline for translation of books into Indian languages, and Indian knowledge system side by side.
He also requested the higher educational institutions in the State to visit the University Grants Commission portal frequently in order to access first-hand information on regulations and guidelines on implementation of action points recommended under NEP 2020 in higher educational institutions.
“The higher educational institutions in Meghalaya are also encouraged to sensitise teachers and students at the institutional level through appropriate capacity building programme, counselling and dissemination of information, IEC materials on implementation of NEP 2020 through respective prospectus and posters so that the objective and understanding of the recommendations of the NEP 2020 is reached out to the maximum stakeholders,” the official said.
Further, the Director of Higher and Technical Education said that the State government has recently constituted the State Education Commission to recommend concrete solutions and strategic intervention and policy decisions for ushering reforms in the school and higher education system from the perspective of NEP 2020 and fulfilling its various principles and articulation and update the Meghalaya State Education Policy in line with NEP 2020 apart from the other assigned roles and responsibilities.
“The Education Department will closely monitor the implementation of NEP 2020 in the State by forging a synergic relationship among stakeholders of higher education institutions in one roof in order to attain a holistic approach while implementing the NEP 2020 in the State,” he said.
