A national colloquium on draft New Education Policy (NEP) here on Thursday witnessed eminent academicians and social thinkers recommending formation of a new commission consisting of all stakeholders, taking into consideration the values enshrined in the Constitution and plurality of the Indian ecosystem.
After a discussion on key aspects of the recommendations of the draft NEP, a resolution was adopted rejecting it in its entirety, with the reasoning that education will cease to be a service-oriented activity under the proposed policy.
All the five resource persons: V. B. Athreya, Adjunct Professor, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Vasanthi Devi, former Vice-Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University; A. Marx, Chairperson, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation; Rev. Fr. Joseph Xavier, Administrator, XIBA, St. Xaviers College; and Pravin Durai, Head, Department of Commerce, St. Joseph's College, Tiruchi, expressed apprehensions over the policy leading to the eventuality of corporate entities exerting hegemony on education sector.
The speakers took a dim view of the draft policy saying it ignored the rich benefits of the education system of the past, which, they pointed out, had accelerated the growth and development in the fields of science and technology. Restructuring the already exiting and established systems was tantamount to devaluing it, they observed, making a case for its rejection.
The participants comprising principals, secretaries, correspondents, administrators and professors of higher educational institutions were apprised that reducing the number of institutions under categorisations will deprive millions of poor youth the equity, accessibility, quality and affordability of higher education. Instead of a level-playing field, the balance of benefits will be tilted towards the rich and the gap between the rich and the poor will be further widened. “The DNEP 2019 is communalised. Therefore we reject it,” a resolution read. Imposing one common entrance examination for college admissions will promote many more commercial tuition centers and enforce psychological stress among students who pass out of Standard XII. The test conducted by National Testing Agency at the degree level and at the integrated B.Ed level does not qualify the student to go for higher education. Therefore this system of education is unwarranted, another resolution said.
The draft NEP proposes a paradigm shift in the form of propagating certain ideologies, and advocates privatization, commercialization and corporatization. It ruptures the federal structure of the nation and curbs the powers of the state. The Government should take responsibility for providing free education to all its citizens, the speakers said, emphasising that the Centre ought to make a thorough revision and hold consultation on the policy at various levels.
