The National Credit Framework has matured and will serve the best interests of the country’s youth, guiding them towards a bright and rewarding future shared Avinash Alag, Founder, Blossoms School, Meerut in an exclusive interview with Abhineet Kumar of Elets News Network. Edited Excerpts:
As an experienced educator with over 25 years of expertise, how do you envision incorporating technology into your curriculum, considering the latest technological advancements and innovations?
There is an immense diversity in every corner of India, making it neither possible nor practical to have a one-size-fits-all solution. For instance, the extremely privileged student in an elite public school in a cosmopolitan city, or the upper class in an upper medium private school in Jharkhand, or the first generation learner in a newly upgraded government school in a small Tehsil town in Uttar Pradesh, or the Takhti Kalam holding, village art in remote Pithoragarh. However, it is essential and just that the best resources be made accessible to the most disadvantaged and backward child on Indian soil.
Undoubtedly, this is a significant challenge. It’s extremely difficult, but certainly not impossible. Having said that, there is an unshakeable belief that technology will be the vehicle on which future education will journey to its destination. It’s indispensable, imperative, and inescapable. Technology is the path to the future.
Can you provide insights into the ongoing and future assessment reforms undertaken by CBSE to align with the changing educational landscape?
The CBSE deserves every bit of praise for its sensitivity and readiness to implement changes when necessary, a trend that has been increasingly evident in recent years.
Some of the noteworthy progressive steps taken by the CBSE, which merit commendation, include the review of the syllabus size, relevant alterations in its assessment and evaluation pattern, the introduction of new subjects such as coding, and of course, the inclusion of innovative concepts.
There is optimism that the CBSE will persist in its laudable efforts to stay abreast of contemporary trends and future developments, striving to be a board that delivers value and the right momentum to all future generations.
With the alignment of NEP, how you are implementing a multidisciplinary approach and multi linguistic practice at your school?
The school has been implementing these measures since its inception in 1996, long before the latest NEP was even conceived said Avinash Alag, Founder, Blossoms School.
There is very little in the NEP that is new to the curriculum of this school. The practices of these institutions precede the NEP by many decades.
However, when it comes to the NEP, there would be great delight in seeing a high-level implementation commission composed of experienced and dedicated educationists with a long and trusted track record in the field of education.
This task likely cannot be accomplished by bureaucrats in government offices, who may lack the necessary experience, insight, and sensitivity to understand what is happening on the ground, in the classrooms on school campuses. It’s high time that accomplished individuals from the grassroots level of education are brought in to do what needs to be done. There has been an excess of talk and planning.
The National Credit Framework has broadened the scope of the credit system of educational institutions and has opened a wide range of options for students. What will be the impact of the new framework on Indian education system?
There exists a significant divide between those who conceive, compile, and construct policies and those brave individuals on the front lines who are tasked with implementation. These individuals may know little about policies, but they are deeply familiar with ground realities. It is these individuals whose capabilities need to be bolstered. They are the ones who need to be made the ambassadors of the framework and the system. It would be gratifying to see data and actual facts and figures about what the ground staff thinks of and has to say about all these nuances and terminologies being discussed here. Only when this gap has been bridged can this endeavor be truly honest. However, there is no doubt that the National Credit Framework has matured and will serve the best interests of the country’s youth, guiding them towards a bright and rewarding future.
The World Education Summit has been igniting transformation in the education industry since its initial edition. What are your thoughts on being a part of the 26th edition of this global platform on 4- 5 July in New Delhi?
It is my privilege to be here and I express my gratitude to the Organisers. The Organisers have been persistent in their efforts to ignite transformation in the world of education, I would applaud their brave efforts and will be happy to support in whichever way I can, in the transformation of education in our country.
Despite the risk of repetition, it must be asserted that it is not the policies and hefty volumes of directives and deadlines that will enhance the future of the younger generations. It has always been, and will always remain, the quantitative and qualitative implementation at the grassroots level that will determine the success or failure of all these efforts. And it must be kept in mind that until the lowest, slowest, and most marginalised have been uplifted to a level close to, if not the same as, the highest in the hierarchy, there is little point in excessive deliberations.
Countless conferences, seminars, convocations, and conventions have been attended. Each one was left with the hope of seeing the outcomes visibly present in the surrounding world, but so far, the absence of these outcomes is conspicuous.
