NIP...

Indian politicians are adept in giving sensational news to media (shocks to the common man). They never get tired and media too.

NIP is something I noticed in news recently. Educational policies are undergoing changes and this news was published with fancy words like, after n number of years, much awaited changes are being brought into Indian educational system on par with International standards. (a quick thought - I.S.I. can be changed to International Standards of India).

I was excited. Just like majority of students, I too hated the school, home work etc. (later years only I came to know that much worse form of tortures are waiting for you in the name of work place. Anyway, I was eager to know the changes because n number of years should have given plenty of experience to policy makers.

To my dismay, n number of years didn't ''teach'' the policy makers the appropriate knowledge. I couldn't find much that could elevate us to International standards (or, did they press 'down' button of elevator?)

My mind didn't accept. Because my knowledge is very very less when compared with intelligentsia. There must be 'hidden' catalysts that will take the next generation higher and higher. 

Therefore, I didn't want to bother about those catalysts and chose to limit my analysis with simple points which even my mind can understand!

1. Three language system: Few people say that this is to make us learn Hindi. I have no objections there. Hey, if we can learn Tamil and it's grammar then learning Hindi shouldn't be a problem.

Wait...Recently I read a news that many students failed in Hindi subject in Utter Pradesh.! Hindi is mother tongue of UP people.  Failing certainly can not be the fault of the language but it may be due to teaching.   

Yes, and there's an action plan. Training the teachers. But my mind flashed few doubts. Set aside the question of who is going to train the trainers, who will train the teachers...my big doubt is, from what level to what level teachers are going to be trained? Only the school teachers or the college professors too? Because whatever input the professors were getting is going to change. Now, they have to change their processing to get international level of output product. Though the devil inside my mind is glad and very sarcastically welcomes the plan of re engineering entire teaching group (including IIT), the logical question here is how could this be possible. We are not only creating a screw tightened students, but also teachers. Hmm...Is it worth a try?

2. Regional language learning: I honestly welcome it. Regional language will be the mother tongue of majority people and time and again, the true intelligent people have contended to make the children learn in mother tongue, up to a certain class level. This is what happens in most, if not all, developed countries.

Again, this was the case earlier. Who changed it? We changed schools into English mediums and now you want to go back? How torturous this will be for children and teachers! Even in Chennai corporation schools, English mediums were introduced and all of a sudden why do you want to change international commodity into a regional commodity?

I'll give you an example. 

"ஒரு பொருளின் மீது செயல்படும் ஒவ்வொரு புறவிசைக்கும், அந்த விசைக்கு சமமானதும், எதிர்த்திசையிலும் அமைந்த எதிர் விசை உருவாகும். புறவிசை ஒரு பொருளின் மீதும் எதிர்விசை மற்றொரு பொருளின்மீதும் செயல்படுவதால் ஒன்றையொன்று இழக்கச் செய்வதில்லை. அதாவது புறவிசையும், எதிவிசையும் ஒரே பொருளில் உருவாவதில்லை." 

Do you understand the above definition? It is very common and widely used (even in few Tamil movies) definition. It is Newton's third law of motion!! In case if you did understand the above, congratulations... you're eligible to join school of future. 

3. There is one fascinating point I noted. Kudos to them for that exciting change. It is similar to changing test cricket to 20/20. Numbers are hard to remember - it goes something like this. 5+3+3+4+x

Why 20/20? Doesn't it sound like 5 fielders standing out of circle or 5 should stand inside circle - I mean batting power play, bowling power play, spectators power play (a new app 'shakti khel' is getting ready, by which  spectators can install app and vote for power play). 

Not only that, kids will have Entry/Exit option too. Well, my science master need not take the trouble to shout - 'Bharath, get out of class!' Now I will have option to raise my hand and say, 'Sir, I don't feel like  doing anything this year. I'll come back next year.' And he will have to say, 'as you wish, Bharath. Take care!' 

Isn't it exciting! It is like having - life lines options in ''who wants to be a graduate''

And I can foresee uninteresting points like, foreign universities coming in, educational cost going up, Educational loans, fathers going mad etc. Aah...Writing about them is like watching an award movie.

Let's wait for NIP to kick start.

ps: If you feel NIP sounds like NEP, it is purely coincidental (Yes, such rare coincidences happen).

And don't forget to thank them for not naming it Regressive Educational Policy (REP). Because then this rare coincidence would have formed Indian education for all, as,

RIP

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Thanks,

R.Bharath Ram

01/08/2020