SHILLONG, SEP 15: The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) and Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) on Friday asked the NEHU vice chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla to reconsider the premature implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“We strongly urge the Vice-Chancellor to reconsider the premature implementation and collaborate for a smoother, more thought-out transition to the NEP 2020,” NEHUTA president Prof Lakhon Kma and MCTA general secretary Dr AW Rani said in a joint statement issued here.
Allaying fears regarding the educational pathway in the state, the statement said the narrative of the state and students losing out if NEP 2020 is not implemented has conditioned the belief of some sections of the community particularly the heads of institutions to unconditionally accept NEP 2020.
“Should the NEP 2020 not be implemented in Meghalaya in 2023, students and parents must understand that the present educational framework remains robust and valid. Students will continue to receive their education under the 3-year undergraduate program, a system that has served generations and remains relevant. This framework remains legitimate and will continue to do so for as long as Meghalaya does not transit to the NEP. There are many universities including the Central Universities that have not implemented the NEP in 2023,” it said.
Furthermore, the NEHUTA and MCTA said that students aspiring for postgraduate studies should be reassured that admissions to PG programs will still be based on CUET. This process remains unaffected by the status of NEP’s implementation in the state.
“Concerning the current NEP’s status in colleges, there exist legitimate concerns over its hasty and potentially flawed inception. It is worthy to note that the decision to introduce the NEP 2020 in colleges stands on shaky grounds, being procedurally flawed”.
The two associations said that crucially, it has not received approval from the Academic Council of NEHU.
“This omission poses a significant question on the legitimacy of the degrees that might be awarded under this precipitate version of the NEP 2020.”
The statement said it is essential to emphasize that neither NEHUTA nor MCTA is against the spirit and aims of the NEP 2020.
“Our concerns lie with the impulsive execution without adequately preparing our esteemed educators and affiliated colleges,” he added.
The two associations said that till date the full syllabus remains unavailable.
“There’s a glaring lack of training or orientation sessions for our educators and administrators about NEP’s nuances.Clear guidelines on administering new courses introduced by the NEP are absent. Our educators have yet to familiarize themselves with key components like the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). The approach towards question formulation, assessment methods, and overall pedagogy remains ambiguous,” they said.
The associations said additionally, the unforeseen notification has left many of our colleges scrambling, with some struggling to procure essential reading materials for the newly introduced courses. This could exacerbate challenges for parents, with a looming possibility of fee hikes.
They said that the implementation of the NEP will exponentially raise the UNIT COST OF EDUCATION which will have a huge impact on parents particularly those from the lower income groups. Though the NEP emphasised on INTERNSHIP but till date the preparation for such internships is still in the dark.
“In conclusion, our primary concern is the potential compromise on the quality of education. Students stand to bear the brunt of these hasty decisions, making their academic journey under NEP 2020 less of an enlightening experience and more of a travesty and uncertainty,” the associations said while adding it is critical for legally conscious and educationally conscious members of the State to ruminate on the above points portraying the factual position of the implementation of NEP 2020 in Meghalaya.
By our Reporter
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