How Private-Public Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement is key to the success of NEP 2020
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the third post-independence policy focusing on the Indian education system, aims to reform the present education system in India and create an education framework and eco-system which is career oriented, futuristic, globally competitive and meaningful. The first NEP (which was primarily influenced by the progressive Kothari commission of 1964-66) was published in 1968, and the second (which was revised in 1992), in 1986.
The NEP 2020 aims to recuperate the ailing school system of India through concerted and targeted measures that will improve both quality and growth. Most importantly, the NEP 2020 policy document foresees a transformation from an inputs-based approach to an outcomes-based approach. The recommendations on this front are mainly directions, and a lot will depend on how the stakeholders and government chooses to implement them, however.
It is true that the Policy does a remarkable job at targeting some obvious gaps in the Indian schooling system, however it lacks certain important factors to address the issues of the private sector, which is a very important contributor in providing quality education in rural and urban parts at a reasonable cost.
Firstly, a substantial number of students are already enrolled in private schools: 43.18% of students attended private schools in 2016-17, which translates to around 80 million students out of India’s school-going population of around 185 million.
Secondly, the increase in the number of private schools was four to five times the increase in the number of government schools for the period 2010-11 to 2014-15.
Thirdly, the total enrolment in government schools decreased by 11.1 million in that period, while enrolment in private schools increased by 16 million. Ministry of Education (formerly HRD) data additionally shows that student enrolment figures in government schools saw a dip from 19.9 crore in 2011-12 to 18.9 crore in 2016-17. The migration of students out from government schools rendered many such schools unviable to run. 24,000 government schools have been closed in just three states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, highlighting the severity of this issue.
The regulatory framework and procedure for starting and operationalising a private school in India is still considered very tedious, however, and it is often difficult to get the necessary approvals and legal and statutory clearance. Flexibility in operating is also an important issue of concern for private universities starting out. Stakeholders still need extra help to delivery good schools that deliver a world class education.
Research indicates that it requires a substantial investment of about ₹5-10 crore, as well as a sizeable plot of land, to establish and operationalize a K-12 school in India. It might take anywhere from ₹30 lakhs to ₹1.2 crore to establish a highly rated pre-school.
To achieve the objectives of the NEP 2020 and create a globally competitive education framework, it is necessary that there is greater partnership between public and private institutions. It is also important to ensure alignment, flexibility, and inclusion in skills-oriented courses. We are already seeing that a good number of schools have started running more technology-based education courses and are taking advantage of the ATAL Lab initiatives of the Govt. of India. The implementation of these initiatives still needs work, however.
Some kind of competitive platform on which students and teachers could share their skills, work and efforts, could help connect public and private schools. Although they will not be interacting in person, such a monitoring mechanism could help inspire teams from schools who would not otherwise be formally connected to others. If this platform were online, it would also remove feelings of being isolated. Improved collaboration and sharing of best practice would also help investors come forward; schools with a culture of providing opportunities for exploring and experimenting to teachers and students are particularly attractive to them. This is something where teams need drive, motivation and to keep their morale high to keep on as success does not come overnight and may require many failing attempts too.
Overall, the success of the NEP 2020 will entirely depend on how all stakeholders join hands. It is also dependent on how involved teachers are in the programme of change; the Policy aims to bring reforms to the teaching-learning process, so the proper training, motivation and involvement of teachers at every level will be key. It currently seems that this is missing. I have personally interacted with a large number of faculty members, and it has been shocking that except for the opportunity to participate in some non-interactive webinars, teachers have generally been kept away from this process.
There is very little clarity on the objectives, provisions and processes being adopted in the implementation of the NEP 2020. It is not clear how initiatives like an inter-disciplinary education policy and skills development courses are going to be offered.
Since the NEP 2020 is about to be implemented in various states, we will soon see how prepared government, universities, and institutions are. My humble opinion is that we must keep a close watch on the process of implementation in order to make sure that the goals of the NEP 2020 are achieved.
Without the involvement of private sector, the objectives of the NEP 2020 would be difficult to achieve. If we, as a country, wish to establish India as a knowledge hub of the world and foresee ourselves as a superpower, it will be necessary to encourage, support and nurture our education institutions. Private players will also have to invest in education. It will also be important to create a positive and favourable ecosystem where academics and indeed entire institutions are encouraged to interact and flourish.