The Draft National Education Policy 2019 lacks the goal of critical thinking and deeper understanding, says Muslim Students Federation or MSF, the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League. The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was drafted by a committee headed Dr. K. Kasturirangan and submitted on May 31, 2019 for public consultation.
The organisation also said the Draft Policy is a "badly written document which hides behind a plethora of terms that are half-understood" and "clubbed under the overarching master concept" of "skill".
"In short", the student body said "the policy lacks depth and loses focus of the richness of secular democratic ideals by aiming for 21st century skills".
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"The vision of the draft NEP rests on UNESCO declarations and reports, rather than the Indian Constitution and development of democracy in this country; this in spite of wanting to make education India-centered," it said in a note released after a panel discussion which was organised here.
The panalists included Prof. Rajeev Gowda MP, ET Mohammed Basheer MP, Haris bin Zaman and Prof. Basheer Ahamed.
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The organisation also said the ideals of Democracy or Secularism and their implication in "Democratic education" is missing in the Draft Policy.
"Democratic education is an educational ideal in which democracy is both a goal and a method of instruction. It brings democratic values to education and can include self-determination within a community of equals, as well as such values as justice, respect and trust. Democratic education is often specifically emancipatory, with the students' voices being equal to the teacher's," it said.
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"Without proper Democratic education, we will continue to perpetuate bad democratic practices, allow unhealthy scepticism about democracy to grow and eventually imperil it," it said.
The organisation also said the National Education Policy 2019 proposals for incorporating ethical and moral principles and values in school education is a departure from the existing model of secular education in the country and violates constitutional guarantee that states that "no religious instruction is to be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of state funds (Article 28 (1)''.
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