Why In News?

• Recently, the Minister of State for Education has provided important information in the Lok Sabha on the initiatives taken under the National Education Policy 2020 to change the education sector in India.

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• NEP 2020 aims to "make India a global knowledge superpower". This is the third major reform in India's education structure since independence.
• The earlier two education policies were brought in the year 1968 and 1986.
• To ensure universal access to all levels of school education from pre-primary school to class 12.
• To ensure quality early childhood care and education for all children between the ages of 3-6 years.
• The new curriculum and pedagogic structure (5+3+3+4) is matched to the age groups of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14 and 14-18 years respectively.
• It consists of four stages of schooling: Foundational Stage (5 years), Elementary Stage (3 years), Middle Stage (3 years) and Secondary Stage (4 years).
• No strict separation between arts and science, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.
• Emphasis on multilingualism and promotion of Indian languages.
• Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Appraisal, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
• A separate gender inclusion fund and special education sector for disadvantaged regions and groups.