The Education Ministry announced that every student in classes 6-8 will participate in a fun course offering hands-on experience with various vocational crafts such as carpentry, electrical work, and metalwork. This initiative is part of new guidelines aimed at making education more engaging and stress-free. The guidelines, developed by the PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education under NCERT, were released on the fourth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The NEP 2020 recommended a 10-day bagless period for students in classes 6-8. The guidelines state that these 10 bagless days are meant to be an integral part of the teaching-learning process rather than an addition to the current curriculum. This approach aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, exposing students to various skills and helping them explore potential career paths.
During the bagless period, students will intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, and potters. The guidelines suggest that the 10 bagless days can be spread across the academic year in two or three slots. All subject teachers should be involved in planning these activities, which can include both indoor and outdoor tasks.
Recommended activities include visiting and surveying vegetable markets, conducting surveys and writing reports on pet care, doodling, charity visits, kite making and flying, visiting biogas plants and solar energy parks, organizing book fairs, and spending time under a banyan tree.
On the anniversary of NEP 2020, several initiatives were launched, including dedicated TV channels to facilitate Indian language learning, a Tamil channel, primers for early graders in 25 Indian languages, career guidance guidelines, the National Mission for Mentoring, National Professional Standards for Teachers in braille and audiobooks, a school innovation marathon by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and a book on graduation attributes and professional competencies.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan commented on the NEP’s impact, stating, “The four-year journey of NEP 2020 has brought transformative change to the country’s education system, nurturing a new generation of learners. NEP 2020 symbolizes hope for transforming the learning landscape, harnessing the country’s demographic dividend, empowering the population, and driving socio-economic development. Its implementation has made learning more vibrant and guided the country’s education system to become more futuristic, rooted, global, and outcome-oriented.”
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