Role Of Private Commercial Enterprise Under The National Education Policy 2020

Saurya Bhattacharya Aug 06, 2020

The newly introduced National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) aims to curb rampant commercialisation of education in India that is said to have taken place through for-profit schools and higher educational institutions, and has laid down certain steps in this regard. However, a private commercial enterprise offering educational content as well as suitable technology and tech-platforms can have a bright future under the NEP. In the discussion below, we offer specific examples from both school and higher education space in support of our belief.

It is assumed that both government/regulatory/nodal platforms, as well as educational institutions, would be open to receiving expert service and product offerings from the private sector to help with the initiatives laid out under the NEP.

School Education

School education can allow for private enterprises who create content or provide relevant technology. Hereunder, we examine a few of the possibilities of private collaboration under government initiatives as well as directly with the institutions.

Digital Infrastructure for DIKSHA

The NEP contemplates a national repository of high-quality material for foundational literacy and numeracy on the DIKSHA platform and further technological intervention to bridge any language barriers between teachers and students. This is a prime initiative where content creators, as well as technology providers, could provide support.

Student Growth Tracking

The progress card for school-based assessment is intended to be revamped to reflect the holistic and detailed progress of the students. The use of artificial intelligence-based software has also been contemplated in this regard. A tech company with the right capabilities can serve this requirement as well as the digitisation of such new-age report cards.

Computational Thinking

The NEP asserts that mathematics and mathematical thinking will gain greater importance for students in future, especially with the emphasis on upcoming fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. At a foundational level, innovative teaching methods including puzzles and games could be used to encourage mathematical thinking. Yet again, the convergence of content creation and technology can take place here, through the development of programs and apps that serve this purpose.

Higher Education

While possible roles for content creators and tech companies for school education are visible in some of the above illustrations, their prospects exist equally in the higher education space. Here we list some examples of the same.

Open Distance Learning

High-quality online courses from higher education institutions for the purposes of open distance learning is one of the notable objectives of the NEP. Creating appropriate content for such courses is a key requirement, for which an expert content creator can render services.

Multi-Disciplinary Learning in Specialised Fields

The curriculum for specialised areas of learning (such as agriculture) as well as technical education (such as engineering, architecture and pharmacy) will undergo improvements and revisions. For instance, the NEP contemplates combining industry and practical interface with technical knowledge, particularly for courses that include new-age subjects like nanotechnology and machine learning. There is a recognition that education in these areas should not be in silos but need a multi-disciplinary approach. For such upgrades to the course content, institutions may be well served by an expert content and pedagogy provider.

Quality Technology for Adult Learning

The NEP has envisaged the use of information and communication technology as well as apps and satellite TV channels to enable adult learning. Some of this is expected to come through a government and philanthropic initiatives while others through crowdsourcing and competitions. Whether a government initiative or crowdsourcing, there remains an opportunity for companies with content and technology to cater to this segment.

Closing Remarks

There are many other areas where the NEP embraces similar prospects - from the digitisation of libraries to vocational education and even teachers’ training. The NEP even has a defined section on the use of technology in education.

The above are only a few examples of how private enterprise can cater to the needs of the education sector, without sacrificing commercial requirements. In fact, if they play an effective role, it will improve the standard as well as the reach of education in the country, thereby strengthening education as a public good. Given that the NEP has created a platform for reforms in the education sector, all the stakeholders would do well to put their best foot forward.