UT News Service | IMPHAL, JULY 30: Manipur Education minister Dr. Thokchom Radheshyam on Thursday welcomed the Union Cabinet approval of the National Education Policy, (NEP) 2020 and expressed that the Government of Manipur will implement the policy in the state in full spirit for the betterment of education. The minister was speaking during the media briefing held at the Conference Hall, SSA Babupara in Imphal.
Highlighting the importance of the NEP, 2020, the minister said that the NEP, 2020 is the first Education Policy of the 21st century that will be replacing the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 to make way for large scale reforms in both school and higher education sectors of the state and country at large. He also said that the policy based on five pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability will help in transforming India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower.
Dr Radheshyam then said that once the policy is implemented in the state it will bring positive change and infrastructural advancement in the education sector and will help in reducing the number of students pursuing higher education outside the state. He also stated that the children of the state have enormous talents and potential and the NEP, 2020 will become a tool to nurture them to their full potential. “Manipur is known for its rich art and vibrant culture and there is a huge scope for nurturing the art and culture as per the policy”, he added.
The Education minister then said that the NEP, 2020 is very important for reformation of education and urged the people to understand it so that the potentials and capabilities of the young minds could be brought out to the maximum with the implementation of the policy.
Dr. Th. Radhehsyam then stressed that every child is born with their own unique innate talents and with the implementation of the policy, it will help in developing these qualities and potentials of the young minds with the flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education, among others.
He then said that the policy for the first time will also accommodate 3 years of Pre-Primary. The mode of communication for learning – teaching as of upto grade 5 will now have to be carried out through home/local language and preferably for students of upto grade 8.
He also said that the Centre and the states will work together to increase the public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP which was below 3%. He then expressed that an increase in financing of education will help in overall development of infrastructure of the education sector especially in addressing the shortages of teachers.
