The deeper the roots, the stronger the tree. The might of a country depends upon the state of the education system. The education system is undoubtedly the foundation of a nation. Education makes a man civilised and literate in ethics, moral values, and respect for the country. However, when we look at the education system in the Indian context, wherein 22.3% of its population is still illiterate, and just 9% graduate, the magnitude of the issues in the education system is visible. It suffers from various political issues, which eventually facilitate social problems. This has to be addressed. If not, it would affect the holistic progress of India.
Political corruption, the use of power by the ruling class for illegitimate private gain, is one of the prominent issues in the education system. The funds allocated for youth welfare are not being utilised for the same, and the places where they are used are inefficient. It is not only deteriorating the education system of India but also affecting the social and cultural aspects, such as equal education resources for all. The government has been unsuccessful in implementing its various policies to establish a system wherein it provides better infrastructure and quality education to its citizens. Governments come and go, and people’s representatives make many promises, creating a mirage of hope among innocent people. However, no practical results have been seen; the education budget, which is very important for the development of the education system in the country, is still not 6% of the GDP. Furthermore, rather than being a government-run field, education is surprisingly an antithesis of the same. Many private educational institutions are run by political families, who are the lawmakers, and they modify the policies to their interests, hindering the public interests.
Social issues like income inequality can’t be ignored because families with better resources can provide quality resources and education, which the poor can’t afford. If the government cannot develop policies to curb this issue, “the rich will become richer, and the poor will get poorer,” widening the differences. The government's primary objective in the present situation should be to ensure that all children have access to education, raise the quality of education, such as the content in the textbooks, and develop teaching skills.
Another major social issue is the discrimination of people based on caste and gender. There are many stereotypes against educated women. The conservative society is still not willing to create an environment where women's participation is higher and more impactful. The increasing influence of cast politics has also started to impact society negatively. Political parties take advantage of these discriminations based on caste, which increases the marginalisation in society at large.
These issues in the education system are seen due to Macaulayism(1835). It propagated the notion that modern education (The imposition of English) was more critical than traditional knowledge (Gurukuls). It established a system wherein the conventional system, which was linked with nature (Practicality), was discouraged. Modern education was considered superior because they believed supporting traditional education would be counterproductive to the Crown’s interests.
Macaulayism widened the difference between the rich and the poor because only the wealthy class of society could access the English education system, and the poor could not finance their children for the same. People in poverty did not have any other options as the Britishers disrupted the traditional education system.
Furthermore, the incompetency of Macaulayism in addressing the caste system. The modern education system did not resolve it nor address the issue; it acted as a catalyst to increase societal differences because the division favoured the Crown.
To counter these issues that have been created in the country, There was a need to change India's education policy as the 1986 education policy had become inefficient in the present world, and an updated version was required. Hence, the government of India (Bharat) came up with the “National Education Policy 2020”(NEP2020), which focuses on reforming the schooling structure, i.e. the four staged education systems: foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary (5+3+3+4), upgrading the curriculum, training the teachers of the government schools to the modern amenities and establishing special education zones. The NEP seeks to better transform India's education system to integrate it with the needs of the 21st century and foster a holistic development of the country. The government has planned to improve the education institutions through “PM SHRI”. This initiative aims to strengthen over 14,500 schools nationwide and foster quality education. With a total project cost of ? 27,360 Crore, it will be implemented over five years (2022-2027). The government has taken many other initiatives, such as Samagra Shiksha, PRERNA, ULLAS, NIPUN Bharat, Vidya Pravesh and DIKSHA.
Hence, if implemented effectively, NEP 2020 will enhance the quality of education, boost innovation, contribute significantly to the country’s economic progress and eradicate the prevalent socio-political issues in the country. Furthermore, the colonial scars, such as Macaulayism, will be erased. By empowering students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the policy will play a crucial role in shaping India's future workforce, strengthening the country's holistic development, and eventually becoming “Vishva Guru”(World Power).
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