Anniversary of NEP-2020: Vidya Bharati’s role

– D. Ramakrishna Rao

Vidya Bharathi has been putting it’s all out efforts and providing unstinted support to the government at policy preparation stage of almost five years. Once the policy is out in public domain on July 29^th, 2020, it has its role carved out and tasks fixed at implementation level in the best interest of the country. Entire network across the country including all the stake holders were involved in this whole exercise.

Welcoming path breaking recommendations & making people comprehend: Having studied the NEP-20, we did welcome the initiatives and recommendations at the first instance. Later we were educating people how is it different and better from earlier policies. Because we felt that without people’s participation this implementation becomes a futile exercise.
Vidya Bharati’s stake holders are made to understand National Education Policy in detail: With 1.5 lakh teachers, about 50 lakh parents, no less than 10 lakhs alumni, ex-parents, big bunch of management members of around 25,000 Vidya Bharati institutions, it is our duty to make everybody understand the details of the policy for which thousands of webinars and online panel discussions were held across the country during the first two months.
Presenting our views on government & non-government platforms: We never missed any opportunity to present our nationalist view on governmental platforms viz., NCERT, CBSE, Ministry at centre including joint parliamentary committee. It was one to answer their queries and two to present our views. In this process number of our people are involved. We were given a chance to address Confederation of Indian Industry on some issues raised in NEP-20.
Rapport with government machinery: We were meeting almost every month with the ministry, especially the Secretary, School Education and Literacy by providing inputs in a big way including concept notes on different subjects. Of course, we never forget to deliver our Sishuvatika material, which is our domain and effort for the last four decades. Met ministers at centre and many of the states, central and state coordinating nodal agencies viz. NCERT, SCERT which are responsible for implementation were in regular contact by our vidwat parishad members, Researchers, office bearers and experts in different subjects.
Worked out templates for ECCE submitted: On 17^th January and 1^st April 2021, we have submitted inputs and worked out templates regarding ECCE with minute details. Improvised syllabus of ECCE for all 3 to 8 years was also attached. With our help only 3-month preparatory module for class I students Vidya Pravesh was made ready during 1^st week of August.

Role in preparing state curriculum frame work: As per the directives of NCERT, state curriculum frame work is to be prepared by incorporating and integrating the local and indigenous flavour from across the country through wider consultations for which SCERTs to take lead role by coordinating with nodal officers of NCERT. State has to form 25 focus groups and prepare position papers in those 25 identified areas by NCERT for developing State Curriculum Frameworks. Our people are putting efforts in this direction and helping both SCERT and DIETs.
Inputs for Bharateeya philosophical and psychological foundations: Inputs are available with Vidya Bharathi for only 4 out of the 25 focus areas. Hence, we prepared concept notes on those areas and supplied to SCERTS and DIETs. Workshops were held for training our resource persons on developing and preparing position papers and concept notes. Now that many of our educational administrators and academicians could develop self confidence in handling and facing high end government educational machinery.
Training for Anganwadi workers: Anganwadis are made a part of main stream education considering the importance of physical, mental and intellectual development at that particular age. Early childhood care now added education making it ECCE, for which training has been taken up Anganwadi workers in some states viz., Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, etc was handed over to Vidya Bharathi.
Technology use and digital education: Government is encouraging use of appropriate technology at all levels of education and bent upon establishing National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) for governing, administering and planning school education. It believes in hybrid, mixed and blended learning. Vidya Bharathi has started developing training centres across the country for end-to-end monitoring using latest ICT techniques.
As task force and steering committee members: Almost in all the states task forces, steering and sub-committees are formed in which our resource persons also find a place and actively monitoring the implementation activity. These members are having special workshops to update and up-skill themselves.
For NPST and mentoring mission: Our teams of Vidwat Parishad in Telangana sent detailed note on both national professional standards for teachers and national mentoring mission to NCTE at their request. Some of our principals and office bearers are members of the committee by NCTE for developing a strategy for NPST. Vidwat Parishad and our officer bearers are finding and searching out for quality mentors at all levels.
As resource persons for writing text books: In many of the states, our senior and just retired teachers are picked up as resource persons for writing text books. Vidya Bharathi experts are also helping the respective state governments as trainers.
Building bridges with DIETs and promoting Lokvidya: DIETs are ultimately to play an important role Vidya Bharathi has built bridges with them and playing very much a supportive role. We are identifying local artists and artisans to become master instructions in shcools.
Understanding CBSE publications as per NEP: On different concepts and terms used in the NEP, the CBSE undertook the responsibility of publishing many books for teachers, principals, educational administrators and parents. Art integration, experiential learning, value education, vocational education, IT applications, traditional games, teachers hand books on different subjects, toy-based learning, Artificial intelligence and integrated pedagogy, are some of the titles.
Teachers are being equipped: As per NEP requirements our teachers are being trained, empowered for which we did hold National level trainers’ workshop in Delhi on 6^th, 7^th, 8^th of July 2021 who in turn train 1500 master trainers across the country. This workshop has provided direction and clarification regarding NEP by the people who are actually working on these topics from NCERT, CBSE, Ministry of Education and other experts.
Vidya Bharathi prasikshana vyavastha is being relooked and reoriented: Our prasikshana vyavastha developed over almost seven decades of experience in school education is of course fool proof and could produce teachers who are highly motivated and inspiring students. Now as per NEP, teachers are to be empowered, up-skilled, reoriented and updated to meet global and national challenges during this 21^st

There are many more initiatives from our end, but a few were mentioned in this write up. We are here to supplement government’s activity of implementation as a responsible nationalist NGO, working in the field of education for the last 7 decades.

(Author has Retired Principal and National President of Vidya Bharati)

Anniversary of NEP-2020: Vidya Bharati’s role – Way Forward

As resource persons for writing text books: In many of the states, our senior and just retired teachers are picked up as resource persons for writing text books. Vidya Bharathi experts are also helping the respective state governments as trainers.

Building bridges with DIETs and promoting Lokvidya: DIETs are ultimately to play an important role Vidya Bharathi has built bridges with them and playing very much a supportive role. We are identifying local artists and artisans to become master instructions in shcools.

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