National Education Policy - Implementation for Teachers [Part 3]

 Dear Teacher,

The National Education Policy wishes to place India among the best Education Systems across the world and has elucidated the vision significantly to achieve SDG 4 of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. 

https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

The vision is very clear "Instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen".

We have studied the implications for Management and Head of school but who is actually going to realize the vision in class? It is you, "THE TEACHER" who has the pivotal role to manifest this perception. 

You are our front line leader guiding all to reach the pinnacles of success. 

As per NEP, in the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development, and well-being. In particular, the numerous rich local traditions of India developed over millennia in ECCE involving art, stories, poetry, games, songs, and more, will also be suitably incorporated. 

Expectations from the Teacher

1. Beginning today, you have to readdress the current sections as Foundational, preparatory, Middle and Secondary in her everyday communications with colleagues, Heads, students and parents. All stakeholders must identify the respective grades with the corresponding sections Ex: Std. I is foundational year. 

2. You have to survey the National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 developed by NCERT and align her existing curriculum to note down the gaps. Accordingly she will recreate her year plans, lesson plans, teaching strategies, class assessments, activities with her colleagues/subject coordinator to achieve to prescribed learning outcomes. She will have to inform the next Head in charge of the resources required to fill in the gaps. 

3. For students not reaching the learning outcomes from Sr. kg to Std. I, you enroll students for an interim 3-month play-based ‘school preparation module’ developed by NCERT and SCERTs and monitors their progress. 

4. You create digital and physical resources to ensure learning is fun and use resources from Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA). 

As per NEP, the curricular and pedagogical structure of school education will be reconfigured to make it responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development, corresponding to the age ranges of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively.

Expectations from the teacher

1. The lesson plans at Foundational level should be flexible, multilevel, include play/activity-based learning and follow the curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE.

2. At the Preparatory Stage, lesson plans should include play, discovery, and activity-based pedagogical and curricular style of the Foundational Stage. Build solid groundwork across subjects, including reading, writing, speaking, physical education, art, languages, science, and mathematics.

3. At the Middle Stage, more of subject teachers for learning and discussion of the more abstract concepts in each subject that students will be ready for at this stage across the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences, and humanities with immense focus on Experiential learning in the lesson plans. [http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/kolb.html] within each subject. 

4. In the Secondary Stage, more focus on multidisciplinary study, building on the subject-oriented pedagogical and curricular style of the Middle Stage, but with greater depth, greater critical thinking, greater attention to life aspirations, and greater flexibility and student choice of subjects.

As per NEP, To close the gap in achievement of learning outcomes, classroom transactions will shift, towards competency-based learning and education. The assessment tools (including assessment “as”, “of”, and “for” learning) will also be aligned with the learning outcomes, capabilities, and dispositions as specified for each subject of a given class..

Expectations from the Teacher

1.Embed Art-integrated education in classroom transactions not only for creating joyful classrooms, but also for imbibing the Indian ethos through integration of Indian art and culture in the teaching and learning process at every level. Currently Art is taught in silo, now it is part of every subject. 

2. Embed in classroom transactions sports-integrated learning to help students adopt fitness as a lifelong attitude and to achieve the related life skills along with the levels of fitness as envisaged in the Fit India Movement. Study the expectations of Fit India movement and modify lesson plans to integrate sports. 

3. There will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extracurricular ’, or ‘co-curricular’, among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or between ‘vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams so continue respecting the time dedicated to all the classes and ensure no co-curricular period is sacrificed for an academic period. with the syllabus reduction, there will be sufficient time. 

4.  The crucial question is how are you going to plan your forthcoming year plans and subject planning to include all the subjects in the timetable and do justice to the curriculum? A blended classroom approach will help to ensure students read the material before entering the physical classroom. 

As per NEP, wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible.

Expectations from the teacher

1. In both private or public schools, while teaching you can use the state or local or mother tongue to support student's concept learning. Time to brush up on your language skills. 

2. In the Foundational stage, it is observed that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of 2 and 8 and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young students so in your lessons bring in varied language perspectives. 

3. In the three - language formula, it is desired that two of three languages are native to India and in Grade 6 or 7, students can shift the language so while choosing text books, do source out bilingual books for particular subjects. 

4. Enroll your students of Grades 6-8,  under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ fun project/activity. This project/activity would be a joyful activity and would not involve any form of assessment.

5. Sanskrit can be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an important, enriching option for students, including as an option in the three-language formula so currently there is a lack of teachers in the field. you can pursue the classical subject for better job opportunities. also, create a stronger resume with command over classical languages like Tamil, Telugu etc. It supports as NEP stresses that all students in all schools, public or private, will have the option of learning at least two years of a classical language of India

As per NEP, Concerted curricular and pedagogical initiatives, including the introduction of contemporary subjects such as Artificial Intelligence, Design Thinking, Holistic Health, Organic Living, Environmental Education, Global Citizenship Education (GCED), etc. at relevant stages will be undertaken to develop these various important skills in students at all levels.

Expectations from the teachers

1. It is time to move out of the existing subjects and textbooks and update oneself with new subjects like AI, Design Thinking, Coding which will be integral subjects at Middle and Secondary level. 

2. . A practice-based curriculum for Grades 6-8 will be appropriately designed by NCERT while framing the NCFSE 2020-21 to bring in vocational subjects so register oneself with the concerned authorities to update oneself. 

3. Students will participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Grades 6-8 where they intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc. You will have to liaise with the industry experts to understand the outline of their planning and share suggestions for better learning outcome. Guidelines will need to be prepared for safety and security of the students. 

4. NEP stresses on “Knowledge of India” will include knowledge from ancient India and its contributions to modern India and its successes and challenges. In every activity or event you plan like Annual Day, Debates, Quiz, include aspects of the country. 

5. Value education is integral and you are already doing it but NEP stresses it further where they want students at a young age to be taught the importance of “doing what's right”, and be given a logical framework for making ethical decisions so study your syllabus to integrate SDG's and other values within the curriculum. 

6. The text books will be redesigned to bring in local content and flavor so once again research  the market for these textbooks. 

As per NEP, the progress card of students will include self-assessment and peer assessment, and progress of the child in project-based and inquiry-based learning, quizzes, role plays, group work, portfolios, etc., along with teacher assessment. The holistic progress card will form an important link between home and school and will be accompanied by parent-teacher meetings in order to actively involve parents in their children’s holistic education and development.

Expectations from the teachers

1. Marks are no more the tool to grade students, the assessment pattern will have to include self and peer assessment.

2. Rubrics will have to be created for variety of assessments 'for learning'which includes observation, projects, activity and much more. Collect student information on their interests and potentials.  to support them on more career choices. 

3. More time allocated for parent - teacher interaction as feedback is on affective, cognitive and psycho-motor development. 

 4. Monitor the AI tracking process to study student's growth across the stages and offer remedial support. 

5. Board exams at Std. X and XII will test primarily core capacities/competencies so map the curriculum from Foundational level to teach and assess students on these aspects rather than content learning so that they are acclimatized to the pattern. 

6. Students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority so orient oneself with the learning outcomes expectations and design pedagogy to achieve it. Do not stress the students for the assessments but use it as a diagnostic tool to bring n remediation.

7. Follow the PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), as a standard-setting body which will advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and latest researches, promote collaborations between school boards. 

As per NEP, there are innate talents in every student, which must be discovered, nurtured, fostered, and developed. These talents may express themselves in the form of varying interests, dispositions, and capacities.

Expectations from the teachers

1. B.Ed. programmes may allow a specialization in the education of gifted children if you wish to support gifted students. 

2. Organize more Topic-centered and Project-based Clubs and Circles Language Circles, Drama Circles, Debate Circles, Sports Circles, Eco-Clubs, Health & Well-being Clubs/ Yoga Clubs and so on to encourage students to develop their talents. 

3. Enroll your students in competitions and events. 

As per NEP, Teachers will be given continuous opportunities for self-improvement and to learn the latest innovations and advances in their professions. These will be offered in multiple modes, including in the form of local, regional, state, national, and international workshops as well as online teacher development modules.

Expectations from teachers

1. TET[Teacher Eligibility Test] or NTA test scores in the corresponding subjects will also be taken into account for recruitment so start studying for the same. 

2. Be ready to participate in at least 50 hours of CPD opportunities every year for your own professional development, driven by your own interests.

3. A robust merit-based structure of tenure, promotion, and salary structure is being developed to recognize outstanding work so be passionate and work hard. 

4. It is being planned to offer career growth (in terms of tenure, promotions, salary increases, etc.)  within a single school stage (i.e., Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, or Secondary) so make yourself highly proficient within that system. 

5. National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) by the National Council for Teacher Education is developing teacher standards by 2022. It will cover expectations of the role of the teacher at different levels of expertise/stage, and the competencies required for that stage so study it once it is released for better role clarity. 

6. Additional special educators are needed across the country to offer requisite support to the studnets at all levels. 

As per NEP, by 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree that teaches a range of knowledge content and pedagogy and includes strong practicum training in the form of student-teaching at local schools.

Expectations from future aspiring teachers

1. If you have a Bachelor's degree, the same college offering 4 - year course will offer 2 year course. 

2. If you have a 4-year multidisciplinary Bachelor ’s Degrees or who have obtained a Master’s degree in a specialty, then you can opt for a 1 year Teaching course. 

3. Vocational subjects - Special shorter local teacher education programmes will also be available at BITEs, DIETs, or at school complexes themselves for eminent local persons who can be hired to teach at schools or school complexes as ‘master instructors’, for the purpose of promoting local professions, knowledge, and skills, e.g., local art, music, agriculture, business, sports, carpentry, and other vocational crafts.

4. For specialized areas of teaching for teachers with B.Ed such as the teaching of students with disabilities, or into leadership and management positions, shorter post-B.Ed. certification courses will be available. 

5. A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT, based on the principles of this National Education Policy 2020.

More details under Section 5 of the National Education Policy

As per NEP, to further enhance cooperation and positive synergy among schools, including between public and private schools, the twinning/pairing of one public school with one private school will be adopted across the country, so that such paired schools may meet/interact with each other, learn from each other, and also share resources, if possible. Best practices of private schools will be documented, shared, and institutionalized in public schools, and vice versa, where possible.

Expectations from Teachers

1. Start collaborating with teachers begin with local community moving on inter district to interstate to international to share best practices. 

2. Start documenting the best practices at own school or schools visited and have a designated allocated time to orient other staff members in school for the same. 

3. Incorporate the best practices within your own schools adapting it to suit the local community and the available resources. 

4. Use the knowledge gained for assessment and accreditation purposes wherein all public and private schools will be assessed and accredited on the same criteria, benchmarks, and processes, emphasizing online and offline public disclosure and transparency.

Teachers, you have a lot at hand and the success of the new NEP rests on your shoulders. It is time we supported you with adequate resources to begin embracing and walking the path. Finally, ending with  the Sanskrit Shloka, 'Be the Change'. 

Thanks and regards,

Kavita Sanghvi

National Education Policy - Implementation for Heads [Part 2]

 The National Education Policy aims that India have an education system by 2040 that is second to one, with equitable access to the highest -quality education for all learners regardless of social or economic background. https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

As per NEP, the purpose of the education system is to develop good human beings capable of rational thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific temper and creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values. It aims at producing engaged, productive, and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged by our Constitution.

So let's analyze what it expects from Head of Schools to achieve this vision

1. The Head of school needs to revisit the vision and mission of the school with the key leaders and teachers and redraft it so that it aligns with the vision of the Education Policy. It needs to get it approved by the Management so that it is published on all school publications like diary, magazine, newsletter and more. 

2. HOS needs to conduct a workshop to orient teachers, students and parents on the NEP. 

 3. HOS needs to create short term and long term plans to gradually incorporate the requisites of the policy like academic change, assessment pattern, training of teachers and much more and note budget requirement for Management approval.  

3. HOS needs to create school policy which instills among learners a deep rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought but even in spirit, intellect and deeds.  

As per NEP, this policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18.

Expectations from the Head

1. Modify the existing structure to the new one and create awareness among every stakeholder including the outside vendors so that the terms foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary is synonymous with all. 

2. HOS with team of Heads & staff will explore the curriculum prescribed by the existing board and realign it with the National Curricular & Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) to meet the learning outcomes desired as per NEP. 

3. Every HOS will examine school's physical resources and create strategies to strengthen it with high quality infrastructure, play equipment, well trained workers and teachers. 

4. HOS with team of key personnel maps the curriculum to bring in play -based learning in the foundational years with a focus to develop cognitive, affective and psychomotor abilities along with literacy and numeracy. 

5. If large proportion of students entering Grade 1 have had no access to ECCE, then HOS with team of teachers apprise themselves of the three month 'school preparation module' developed by SCERT/NCERT and help students bridge the gap. 

6. HOS connects teachers to the digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing[DIKSHA] to access high quality resources. 

As per NEP, The aim of education will not only be cognitive development, but also building character and creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with the key 21st century skills.

Curriculum frameworks and transaction mechanisms will be developed for ensuring that these skills and values are imbibed through engaging processes of teaching and learning

Expectations from the Heads

1. Train the teachers to gain proficiency of the 21st century teaching methodologies and strategies like experiential learning, inquiry based learning, STEM learning and much more and how to implement them within the classroom. The NEP has already mandated 50 hours of CPD per year. 

2. Revisit the year plans, lesson plans, assessment formats with the teachers to bring in fun, creative, collaborative, and exploratory activities for students for deeper and more experiential learning. Let the subjects not be taught in isolation but as an interdisciplinary approach bringing in Arts, Culture and Sports and vocational streams. 

3. Introduce more choice of subjects at Secondary level for students to realize their potentials and also coding as a mandatory subject. In Grades 6 to 12, give option of learning at least two years of a classical language of India and its associated literature, through experiential and innovative approaches, including the integration of technology. Study the strengths and potentials of existing teachers and invest in them to teach more subjects. 

4. Coach teachers to speak in bilingual languages in the classroom to bring students closer to concept understanding and application through use of Mother tongue or State language.  

5. Motivate every student in the country to participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8, such as, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative. Expose students to rich literature of other languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada etc through use of supplementary readers. 

As per NEP, All students will participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Grades 6-8 where they intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc. Similar internship opportunities to learn vocational subjects may be made available to students throughout Grades 6-12, including holiday periods.

Expectations from the Heads

1. Schools have formative and summative assessments and projects are a big component of formatives. Heads will need to revise the format of the assessments and give more prominence to formative which will include internships. 

2. Schools will forge strong community bonds and bring in the parents for additional support. Parents will have to ensure safety and security of the students and source out trustworthy people. 

3. Educational excursions/field trips/Student Exchange programs centre around “Knowledge of India” and interwoven with the prescribed curriculum so that it supports further learning. Ex: Std. VII studying Mughal period visits the North Indian states for further comprehension. 

4. Review the text book list for every grade and select textbooks which aim to contain the essential core material deemed important on a national level, but at the same time contain any desired nuances and supplementary material as per local contexts and needs.

As per NEP, the aim of assessment in the culture of our schooling system will shift from one that is summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and formative, is more competency-based, promotes learning and development for our students, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity.

Expectations from the Heads

1. Format the break up of summative and formative assessments for every grade and give more prominence to formative. 

2. Train teachers for deep questioning and Bloom's Taxonomy. 

3. Redesign the report/progress card to have a 360 degree approach which measures the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.

4. Develop or source AI-based software for students to use to help them track their growth through their school years & to provide students with valuable information on their strengths, areas of interest, and needed areas of focus, and to thereby help them make optimal career choices.

5. Upskill teachers/students and parents for the redesigned Board Exams at Grade X and XII. Also, acclimatize them on school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority.

6. Regularly update oneself and teachers of PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) Centre developments which will advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and latest researches, promote collaborations between school boards.

As per NEP, Topic-centered and Project-based Clubs and Circles will be encouraged and supported at the levels of schools, school complexes, districts, and beyond. Examples include Science Circles, Math Circles, Music & Dance Performance Circles, Chess Circles, Poetry Circles, Language Circles, Drama Circles, Debate Circles, Sports Circles, Eco-Clubs, Health & Well-being Clubs/ Yoga Clubs and so on.

Expectations from the Heads

1. Design the year planner to incorporate possible clubs and activities after interaction with the Academic Team to understand the availability of physical and human resource and the financial implications. 

2. Motivate students to enroll for competitions like National, and International Olympiads and many more. 

3. Outline the working of the club in great detail with the help of teachers like Purpose, Learning Outcomes, lesson plans, Activities, assessments and community reach. It should be followed by regular review meetings to evaluate its impact on student progress.

As per NEP, For subject teachers, suitable TET or NTA test scores in the corresponding subjects will also be taken into account for recruitment.

Expectations from Heads

1. Document the HR policy to include scores of TET for new recruits. Ensure interviews and demo lessons are included as part of recruitment. Follow the NCFTE [National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education] 2021 which will factor in the requirements of teacher education curricula for vocational education.

2. For vocational subjects, hire local eminent persons or experts as ‘master instructors’ in various subjects, such as in traditional local arts, vocational crafts, entrepreneurship, agriculture, or any other subject where local expertise exists, to benefit students and help preserve and promote local knowledge and professions. Take support from community and parents to hire people with sound backgrounds. 

3. A B.Ed is mandatory for every teacher. 

As per NEP, adequate and safe infrastructure, including working toilets, clean drinking water, clean and attractive spaces, electricity, computing devices, internet, libraries, and sports and recreational resources will be provided to all schools to ensure that teachers and students, including children of all genders and children with disabilities, receive a safe, inclusive, and effective learning environment and are comfortable and inspired to teach and learn in their schools.

Expectations from the Head

1. Document the physical infrastructure requirements and place it to the Management for support and PTA for any fee revisions. 

2. Create variety of committee like sanitation, library, laboratory, community support etc and have teachers lead it so that leaders are created. 

3. Ensure teachers are not engaged any longer in work that is not directly related to teaching. 

4. Compose detailed profiles of teachers, subject Heads, coordinators, administration for them to have better clarity of the expectations of the school. 

As per NEP, School Principals and school complex leaders will have similar modular leadership/management workshops and online development opportunities and platforms to continuously improve their own leadership and management skills, and so that they too may share best practices with each other.

Expectations from the Head

1. Evaluate the needs of the staff through class observation, feedback and monitoring. 

2. Source experienced trainers and training modules for the staff to develop their ASK [Attitudes, skills and knowledge]

3. Immerse oneself in continuous professional development courses and support staff with constructive feedback and suggestions. 

4. Teachers doing outstanding work must be recognized and promoted, and given salary raises, to incentivize all teachers to do their best work.

5. Develop collaboration with neighbouring schools and beyond for exchange of knowledge. 

As per NEP, Ensuring the inclusion and equal participation of children with disabilities in ECCE and the schooling system will also be accorded the highest priority

Expectations from the Head

1. The school will be inclusive in nature and all teachers are trained to accommodate variety of learners like gifted, physically challenges, and more. 

2. Invest in physical resources like technology-based tools, textbooks in accessible formats such as large print and Braille and in human resources like special educator after discussion with Management and studying financial feasibility. 

3. Sensitize teachers, parents and students on a regular basis to accept one another respectfully. 

As per NEP, Public and private schools (except the schools that are managed/aided/controlled by the Central government) will be assessed and accredited on the same criteria, benchmarks, and processes, emphasizing online and offline public disclosure and transparency, so as to ensure that public-spirited private schools are encouraged and not stifled in any way.

Expectations from the Head

1. Document every process in school be it admission, recruitment, assessment, teaching learning etc so that the school is ready for inspection at all times. 

2. Inform all stakeholders of assessment and accreditation standards and update oneself on the expectations and regulations. 

3. Create a positive perspective in all towards assessment and accreditation so that the environment is conducive and supportive at all times. 

The Heads have a huge task ahead of them as they are one who are continuously going to oscillate between the teachers, parents and Management to bring in the much needed reforms and changes for the students. The next few years will be session of unlearn, learn and relearn to study and evaluate the impact of the NEP on the nation's progress. 

NOTE: The views are mine inspired by the NEP and would love to hear your inputs on the same. 

National Education Policy - Implementation for Management [Part 1]

 The country is abuzz with the new NEP [https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf] and all educators are evaluating it to understand its implications and impact and why shouldn't they? Foremost, let me share the vision is progressive and crisp revolving around galvanizing teachers to communicate quality education to students, simply strengthening SDG 4 for all.  

'Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential of each individual. It is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities - both the ‘foundational capacities ’of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem-solving – but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and dispositions'. 

It has laid out what we have been desiring for long and now we want an equivalent action plan to ensure its reach.

The first people to be affected are the Management as they will view it from a structural point of view. So, let's understand what those changes will be and how they could be implemented. 

As per NEP for Early Childhood Care and Education - A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 will be developed by NCERT in two parts, namely, a sub-framework for 0-3 year-olds, and a sub-framework for 3-8 year-olds, aligned with the above guidelines, the latest research on ECCE, and national and international best practices - A ratio of 30:1 pupils: teachers are desired to have optimum output. 

What does Management need to do?

1. Management needs to restructure the entire structure and term it as Foundational, Preparatory, Middle Stage, and Secondary Stage for all stakeholders to gain clarity and understanding. Currently, we are used to the terms Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary and Higher Secondary. 

2. It needs to hire an adequate number of teachers to reach the ratio. Currently, few schools have 80 -90 students in a class and teachers find it difficult to manage. 

3. It needs to enroll existing teachers without an ECCE Certificate for either a 6 month to the 1-year course.

4. It needs to coordinate with the Academic Team of the school for curriculum revisions and resources. 

5. Management needs to review the physical environment of the school for safety and security. It needs to build the school library for both physical and digital books and have Academic Team use the DIKSHA [digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing] platform to attain high-quality resources. 

6. In rural areas or anganwadis ensure adequate food is served to students and in all setups, regular health checkups are organized. 

6. It needs to create a database of qualified volunteers and professionals within the community to support the educators and students for mentoring and guidance.  

'As per the NEP, Curriculum content will be reduced in each subject to its core essentials, to make space for critical thinking and more holistic, inquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning. The mandated content will focus on key concepts, ideas, applications, and problem-solving. Teaching and learning will be conducted in a more interactive manner; questions will be encouraged, and classroom sessions will regularly contain more fun, creative, collaborative, and exploratory activities for students for deeper and more experiential learning'.

What does it expect from the Management?

1. Review with the Head of School of the teaching strategies prevalent in the system at present and the training mandated to shift classroom interaction from rote learning to learning how to learn.  

2. Conduct a PDSA with the Heads of the School to design assessments that promote critical thinking and problem solving and instill 21st-century skills. 

3. Ask the school team to share the cross-curricular pedagogical approach they will implement in classroom interactions to bring in art, culture, and sports.

3. Design a regular monitoring system to review academic progress. 

As per NEP, Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, particularly in secondary school - including subjects in physical education, the arts and crafts, and vocational skills – so that they can design their own paths of study and life plans

What does it expect from the Management?

1. Review the current choice of subjects offered at the school level and connect with the respective Education board for more choices. Ex: ICSE and IGCSE offer a range of subjects and schools can offer more choices like Cookery, Fashion designing after considering the feasibility and resources.  

2. Vocational skills are given more prominence and students can opt for them at a Secondary level. 

3. The school does not hold curricular more important than cocurricular and give it equal importance. This message is manifested in the actions of all stakeholders through regular workshops and meetings and actions. 

4. Give prominence to home language wherever possible. Make efforts early on to ensure that any gaps that exist between the language spoken by the child and the medium of teaching are bridged. Teachers can support students using a bilingual approach. 

5. Introduce as many languages as possible at the Foundational stage and hire teachers who have a good command over many languages. Continue with the three-language formula and ensure two of the three languages are native to India. Ex: If the first language in school is English, the second language is Mother Tongue and the third language is the State language. At the Secondary level, schools can introduce foreign languages for the students to study. 

As per NEP,  

• Activities involving coding will be introduced in Middle Stage. 
• A practice-based curriculum for Grades 6-8 will be appropriately designed by NCERT while framing the NCFSE 2020-21. All students will participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Grades 6-8 where they intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc.

What does it expect from the Management?

1. Create a strong community reaches for students to participate in varied internships like carpentry, gardening, pottery etc.

2. Revisit the projects shared by the teachers with students along with the Head of School and bring in modified change. 

3. Introduce coding as a subject for students and have them develop computational skills.

4. Educational excursions/ Field trips are more centered around places/monuments of historical, cultural, and tourist importance, meeting local artists and craftsmen and visits to higher educational institutions in their village/Tehsil/District/State. 

5. Organize cultural exchange programs for students with students of other states so that they develop 'Knowledge of India' and respect for the rich culture. 

6. Bring in 'Value Education' within the curriculum. 

The aim of assessment in the culture of our schooling system will shift from one that is summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and formative, is more competency-based promotes learning and development for our students and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity.

What does it expect from the Management?

1. The Management with the Head of the School needs to organize training for the teachers to bring in a mindset shift as over the years they have worked towards preparing students for marks and not skills. 

2.  It needs to have the Principal along with teachers design a progress card that is holistic, 360-degree, multidimensional report that reflects in great detail the progress as well as the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. 

3. To not measure school success through Board exam results but student competencies. 

4. To invest in creating a tracking process that monitors student performance throughout the school years. 

5. To understand the expectations and execution practices of National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).

6. To partake in sharing of best practices among school boards, and for ensuring equivalence of academic standards among learners across all school boards.

As per NEP, Teachers will aim to encourage students with singular interests and/or talents in the classroom by giving them supplementary enrichment material and guidance and encouragement.

What does it expect from Management?

1. Create a variety of clubs within the school for students to participate in like Science Circles, Math Circles, Music & Dance Performance Circles, Chess Circles, Poetry Circles, etc. 

2. Have students participate in a variety of competitive competitions like Olympiads etc 

3. Develop smart classrooms for digital pedagogy. 

As per NEP, Teacher Eligibility Tests (TETs) will be strengthened to inculcate better test material, both in terms of content and pedagogy. The TETs will also be extended to cover teachers across all stages (Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary) of school education.

Each teacher will be expected to participate in at least 50 hours of CPD opportunities every year for their own professional development, driven by their own interests.

What does it expect from Management?

1. Modify the current HR practices and recruitment regulations.

2. Identify teachers without adequate training and put them in the much needed professional development course. 

3. Create a school budget for sending Principal and Teachers for training/workshops/learning platforms of minimum of 50 hours per year.

4. Involve teachers in the governance of schools/school complexes. 

5. Analyze the current appraisal process and modify it to ensure that career growth (in terms of tenure, promotions, salary increases, etc.) is available to teachers within a single school stage. 

6. Study the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) which will be developed by 2022, by the National Council for Teacher Education to appraise the system of the expectations of the role of the teacher at different levels of expertise/stage, and the competencies required for that stage. 

7. Ensure you have trained Special Educators to offer inclusive education to all. Teachers must be helped to identify such learning disabilities early and plan specifically for their mitigation.

As per NEP, The SSSA will establish a minimal set of standards based on basic parameters (namely, safety, security, basic infrastructure, number of teachers across subjects and grades, financial probity, and sound processes of governance), which shall be followed by all schools. The framework for these parameters will be created by the SCERT in consultation with various stakeholders, especially teachers and schools.

What is expected of the Management?

1. Ensure your school is ready with all relevant documentation at all stages. 

2. Train the entire school team for the assessment and accreditation process. 

3. Ensure a strong bond is developed with SCERT to ensure quality education to all.  

Further, there is a lot more desired to uplift students of all sections across the country to prepare them for an uncertain future where AI, AR, ML, VR and so much has taken over. 

The above inputs belong to the author using the NEP as guidance and would appreciate more inputs from experts across the country to support every school to be prepared for the successful implementation and execution of the NEP. 

Online Assessments - Trysts and Trials

It is rightfully said by Carol Ann Tomlinson, "Assessment is today's means of modifying tomorrow's instruction". It is an integral aspect of the education cycle and the image below sums it all. 

Further, it helps in the following parameters as per UNESCO

Given the current situation, the paramount question is how to assess students on a virtual platform objectively and ensuring students have used fair means. We are also a nation dealing with numbers and thus the primary question is, 'How to cater to a huge number of students using a minimum of resources?

We, at school, are using MS Teams but also dabble with other platforms including our in- house school portal. With discussion with many more educators, I am aware that people are using platforms like Google, Flipgrid, Zoom, Kahoot, or Mentimeter or own school portals and each one has their strengths and shortcomings. 

These platforms allow us to ask a variety of questions but how are teachers using it for long assessments especially an essay or letter. 

In our school, we are using MS Teams which offers Forms which can accommodate both formative and short answers and Assignments where you could upload a paper, have your student download, solve and turn it in but the vital question is how do you verify it is your own student attempting the paper and not the support system which is a similar question with all other platforms. 

The concern is definitely not with the platforms, creating, uploading papers, and correction on every platform can be handled by any smart teacher. The real concern was the execution and the scenario at home where we had minimum control. 

So, collectively our teachers brainstormed with Heads regularly as we were attempting assessments with over 1500 students. A week was given for mock assessments to analyze the loopholes and plug them for the final evaluation. The shortcomings were as follows:

1. The link to the paper was shared with students on time but due to varying bandwidths, some papers having images would open late and students would panic. 

2. Certain papers like Literature or Language had to be downloaded, solved and the file or image either uploaded. The uploading took ages and students missed the deadlines. 

3. The correction for teachers was extensive as they spent more screen time and their eyes were hurting. 

4. In some papers where marks were automatically shared after submission, students who had given correct answers had their marks deducted because the answers had their ''case'' changed or in Math, the format changed. Ex: 

It takes Julia 1/2 hour to wash, comb her hair, and put on her clothes, and 1/4 hour to have her breakfast. How much time does it take Julia to be ready for school? (2 points)

13

Responses

Latest Responses

"3/4Hr"

"3/4 hr" or "45 minutes "

If the student had written both responses the computer gave it wrong because the teacher had not fed the varied possibilities. So, every paper had to be scrutinized before giving it to students. We had to control automatic marks hand out. 

5. Both students and parents felt emotionally stressed and it reflected in their approach to assessments. Few parents wanted it discontinued but we were relentless and today they are satisfied. 

So, the following week, we had further meetings to strengthen the process.

1. The paper pattern ensured that Bloom's taxonomy leading to HOTS was given more leverage. The student would not find the response directly in any textbook, he had to think. 

2. Our Unit Test paper of 20 marks was split into two parts:

1. Objective done through MS Forms

2. Subjective done through Assignment. 

Students had time denoted for both and felt assured that one paper was not deciding their understanding. 

3. Assessment guidelines were created for every single class, courtesy hard work of the VP and Section Heads along with teachers so that parents had clarity and awareness of the expectations. 

3. During the assessment, the student's videos were on. Every class had two teachers invigilating who would pin children and observe their work. We also had the virtual backdrop removed to gauge whether there was anyone seated beside the child. 

3. After the assessment, we followed up with a Viva wherein the teacher would call the student from the classroom and have a 1:1 interaction to assess student's learning. The questions would be different from the paper and differ from student to student so that no parroting happened. All the extra efforts helped us understand who actually took up the assessment sincerely and mark them accordingly. 

The teachers are now busy correcting the papers and will turn in the responses soon. Next week they will be ready for an Open House on a virtual platform sharing 1:1 feedback. Truly hats off to the dedicated teachers and amazing Heads for working much beyond their time to ensure a fair evaluation. A physical evaluation would normally take 40 minutes to complete and then mechanically everyone would move on to regular class timetable but a virtual one took hours of executing assessments which included viva plus regular teaching. 

Honestly, when I hear people dismissing virtual classrooms, I feel like offering a free internship to them to experience this process for only a week and then pass judgment. 

Success comes when everyone feels the pulse and works collectively and that is what is transpiring in every school all over the world. Educators have not only moved on to teaching but also assessing, conducting online events and activities not only within the school but also interschool and simultaneously connected with parents to support student's learning curve. It somehow feels as if school never shut for a single day but seamlessly went for a makeover. 

Note: We are on a journey to improve our assessments and would welcome more ideas and suggestions. 

Assessments of and for learning