Hyderabad: A debate has arisen around the National Education Policy among educational experts in the state.
The policy states that engineering students, who spend four years on their graduation course, have time to gain exposure in the industry via internships and projects. Other undergraduate courses should also follow this model by increasing the duration of all courses from three to four years, giving graduates more experience and boosting their employability.
Students across the state have asked for consistency regarding the decision in the face of several rumours. What is certain is that if the proposal is approved, existing students will not be affected, but new entrants will have to do a four-year course.
Save Education Society member Manohar Reddy said, “The existing curriculum can be modified to include exposure for students. Increasing a year is pointless just because engineering students take four years. Their discipline is different.”
He added that internships should be inculcated into a graduation curriculum during summer and other breaks rather than increasing a year and lengthening the time needed for a post-graduation course.
One of the highlights of the new education policy is prioritising education for girls, especially in schools. “We have noticed that many girls are dropping out, especially in government schools. The reasons vary from a lack of washrooms in schools, to low awareness about menstruation, to the economic conditions of parents. Hopefully, the new education policy will bring about a change. Despite scholarships being available for girls, the amount is inadequate. We need to encourage girl students,” said a senior education department official.
Educational expert N. Narayana says, “We need a revamp of most syllabi. While it is good that the Human Resources Development Ministry is including indigenous languages and epics in most syllabi, it is important that we also include practical learning and encourage more research. If students are accustomed to research from a younger age, we can expect more innovative research.”
