AISEC state-level convention challenges National Education Policy, proposes alternative education policy for Karnataka

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The AISEC state-level educational convention held on Wednesday at Gandhi Bhavan, Bangalore, became a platform for dignitaries to present a comprehensive survey report on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and introduce the draft "Alternative People's Education Policy for Karnataka."

The documents were submitted to Allama Prabhu Bettadur will lead a delegation to discuss these proposals with the State Education Policy (SEP) draft Committee, chaired by Professor Sukhadeva Thorat.

VN Rajasekhar, the State Vice-President of the All India Save Education Committee, highlighted key findings from the survey report, emphasising that 94.5 per cent of students and lecturers rejected the proposed four-year degree, while 92.32 per cent believed that the "multiple entry and multiple exit" system would not enhance employability.

Professor Fr. Victor Lobo, ViceChancellor of St. Joseph's University, emphasised the need for a democratic, secular, and scientific education policy in Karnataka.

He urged inspiration from socialist Cuba's education system, emphasising the importance of fostering creative and critical thinking.

Sabita Bannadi (Literature, Kannada Professor, Chikkamagaluru) said, "The promotion of NEP-2020 in the name of uniform education policy without taking into account the disparity and diversity in India is very unscientific and undemocratic. The implementation of NEP is not only creating psychological stress among the students but also ruining their future. The curriculum that has been created has taken us back 20 years.”

Tarunkanti Naskar, the All India General Secretary of the Save Education Committee, labelled NEP2020 as an "Anti-National Education Policy."

He voiced concerns about its potential to centralise, privatise, and communalise education, urging Karnataka to reject it and champion a pro-people state education policy.

Dr. Francis Assissi Almeida, a key contributor to the "people's alternative education policy for Karnataka, vowed to continue the struggle until a pro-people education policy is implemented in the state.

The convention, presided over by Allamaprabhu Bettadur, featured the active participation of hundreds of lecturers and students from graduate colleges.

With the submission of the alternative proposal, the convention stands as a testament to the collective effort to shape a more inclusive and equitable education policy for Karnataka.

In Karnataka, students and professors from various colleges advocate for the withdrawal of the four-year degree program, expressing a preference for the time-tested three-year model.

They criticise the impact of the Centralised Admission Process and UUCMS, blaming them for denying admissions to disadvantaged students.

The majority rejects the 'multiple entry-multiple exit' system, deeming it ineffective in ensuring jobs for dropouts.