‘The new National Education Policy focuses on conceptual knowledge and multifaceted development of students’

The new National Education Policy (NEP) focuses on several aspects of teaching and learning. While it aims to provide a quality education system to all students, it also focuses on empowering teachers and helping them to do their job as effectively. The new education policy must help recruit the very best and brightest to enter the teaching profession at all levels.

Aligned with the same, Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA) in Jalandhar recently organised a two-day Faculty Development Programme on National Education Policy (NEP).

On the first day of the FDP, Dr. Neerja Dhingra, Principal of ACFA, and Dr. Monika Mogla, HOD, Department of Commerce at ACFA,  introduced the faculty members to the vision, objective, and structure of the National Education Policy.

While introducing the faculty members, Dr. Dhingra said that on one hand while the National Education Policy is emphasising on flexibility, multidimensionality and conceptual knowledge, on the other, it is focusing on multifaceted development of the students.

NEP aims to make students employable and for that the emphasis is being laid on starting the preparation from the school itself – so that the students can recognise their interests right from their foundation years. Thus, it would be helpful for them in choosing the right stream during their higher education and pursuing their profession accordingly.

As per the new NEP,  education will be made more liberal and flexible for the students to choose from as per their convenience. It allows students to choose multidisciplinary courses and also the freedom of continuing the course for one, two or three years. 

She further emphasised  that the main objective of implementing the new National Education Policy is to move ahead of the traditional education system so that the students can acquire such knowledge which enables them to create an identity of their own. This would differentiate them from the crowd.

Subsequently, Dr. Monika Mogla highlighted about co-curriculum and Credit Framework in the context of the school as well as higher education. As per the new policy, the burden of written examinations on the school students will be reduced, as they will have to appear for the board examinations only twice till 12th. Also, the system will concentrate on the all round development of their personality and not just finishing the syllabus and appearing for the examinations.

She also highlighted the CGPA system, which can help students to get their degrees recognised not just in other states of the country, but also internationally. 

In this FDP, other faculty members of Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, Janta College, Kartarpur and B.L.M College, Nawanshahr were also present.

Principal Dr. Neerja Dhingra encouraged and inspired the teachers to cooperate and keep updating themselves for  the development of the students while doing self-introspection in the process.