School Dekho 14 Sep-2023 881 views

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Bengal's Education Policy Differs from Center's NEP 2023 on School Structure and Language Learning

The Bengal State Education Policy (SEP) for 2023 has taken a divergent path from the Center's New Education Policy (NEP) 2023, with notable distinctions in the structure of school education and language learning approaches.

The SEP, encompassing both school and higher education, spans 173 pages and was recently announced by the Bengal government. One of the key disparities between the two policies is in the organization of school education. The NEP proposes a 5+3+3+4 system, categorizing schooling into a foundational stage (five years), preparatory stage (three years), middle stage (three years), and secondary stage (grades nine to twelve), totaling 12 years of schooling. In contrast, the state government has opted for the existing 5+4+2+2 pattern for school education.

Under the current structure in West Bengal, students undergo one year of pre-primary and four years of primary education up to Class 4. This is followed by four years of upper primary, two years of secondary, and two years of higher secondary education. The key adjustment suggested in the state's policy is the inclusion of the first two years of early years education at an Anganwadi center, followed by one year of pre-primary education at a government or private pre-primary school. The primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary structures would remain unchanged.

Both the NEP and the SEP acknowledge the implementation of a "three-language policy" in schools. However, there is a subtle yet significant distinction between the two approaches. The NEP emphasizes that "The medium of expression until at least grade five – but preferably till grade eight or beyond – shall be the student’s mother tongue or the local or regional language." In contrast, the state policy intends to introduce the three-language formula only at the upper primary level.

The state policy articulates, "Three language formula to be introduced in schools, for the students of class 5 to 8 depending upon the availability of infrastructure and resources. It is suggested that the first language (mother tongue) would be the medium of instruction of the school. The second language may be English (in non-English medium) or any language other than 1st language depending upon the choice of the student. The third language may be any other language opted by the student, other than first and second language."

However, the SEP includes a caveat: "The Three-Language formula shall be applicable for upper primary level only as the language learning ability in the primary stage should not be burdened, keeping in mind the development needs and abilities of students at that age."

The NEP 2023 concurs with the state policy in stating, "The 'three-language formula' will continue to be implemented in schools, where two of the three languages shall be native to India."

These differences in school structure and language learning approaches between the Center's NEP 2023 and Bengal's SEP 2023 reflect the nuanced considerations in education policy-making. While the NEP envisions a comprehensive restructuring of the education system and emphasizes early mother tongue-based education, the state policy prioritizes continuity in the existing structure and introduces the three-language formula at a later stage to ease the learning burden on young students. The debate between these approaches underscores the complexity of education policy development and its impact on students' learning experiences.

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