Statsguru: Is NEP 2020 a solution to India's core problems with education?

The National Statistical Office's 2017-18 report on education shows that less than 50% students get education for free after Class 8

India modified its vision towards better education through the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020), released late July. It proposes to change the structure of pre-graduate education by doing two things: Begin curricular education at the age of three and then, by grouping education till Class 12 in four categories.

The current model can be described by school education up to Class 10, and then a “+2” level that prepares a student for higher education. The new model proposes a foundational stage up to Class 2, a preparatory stage between Class 3 and 5, a middle stage between Class 6 and 8, and secondary stage from Class 9 till Class 12 (chart 1).

It also mentions qualitative changes such as preference to local languages at lower levels, and the abolition of programmes such as the Master of Philosophy at the higher levels. But the core of problems with education in India lie elsewhere, such as the following.

The NEP 2020 promotes “rationalisation” of schools, citing facts like these: 15 per cent of upper primary schools in India have less than 30 children attending. But students, especially after Class 8, need to travel long distances to attend school/college even now (chart 2). Reducing the number of schools may put children further apart.

The National Statistical Office’s 2017-18 report on education shows that less than 50 per cent students get education for free after Class 8 (chart 3). The NEP 2020 talks about curbing commercialisation of education. While more than two-thirds of primary schoolchildren have access to government-funded education, the proportion reduces to half at higher levels (chart 4).

Not that private education has inherent faults, but its cost variance with government funded education is disproportionately skewed. Medical education is, on average, three times costlier in a private college than in a government-funded college. At lower levels, the fee difference is starker (chart 5).

Physical distance and financial problems are key reasons cited by students for discontinuing education.

StatsGuru is a weekly feature. Every Monday, Business Standard guides you through the numbers you need to know to make sense of the headlines                      Compiled by BS Research Bureau