The 5+3+3+4 Formula in the Education system: NEP 2020

NEP 2020

The Union Cabinet of India approved the National Education Policy (NEP) on July 28th, 2020. Over more than 50 months of consultations and workshops, the Indian government aggregated feedback from 2.5 lakh village-level stakeholders to two national legislative level committees, after a 34-year gap.

**The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India aims to replace India's 10+2 schooling system with a new 5+3+3+4 structure.**Here's what the various educational phases imply.

What is the 5+3+3+4 formula?

The 5+3+3+4 system does not mean more school years. The actual number of years that a student spends in a school system is unaffected. The new system incorporates playschools within the realm of "formal education," combining nursery and kindergarten classes with classes 1 and 2. The method is designed to blur the lines between occupational and academic pursuits, as well as curricular and extracurricular pursuits.

Since the NEP 2020 also expands the scope of the Right to Education Act to include ages 3 to 18, it considers how to organize the entire school education period so that there is more access, affordability, accountability, and universalization at the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) or pre-school level, all while providing better quality education.

According to the current urban education system, children initially enroll in playschools, then transfer to schools, where they complete two years of kindergarten courses (KG classes), followed by 12 years of school education.

This switch from the 10+2 to the 5+3+3+4 system would allow for a more uniform and inclusive transition from pre-school to higher education (9 to 12).

Explanation of 5+3+3+4 structure

Here is the class and age-wise detailed explanation given.

  • Children will spend five years in the Foundational stage, 3 years in the Preparatory stage, 3 years in the Middle stage, and 4 years in the Secondary stage, according to the new school education system outlined in NEP 2020.

  • The phases have been divided according to the stages of cognitive development that a kid goes through in early childhood, school, and secondary school.

The following is a breakdown of the various stages of the new school education system by age:

1. Foundational stage for 5 years:

For Ages-3 to 8 years old

For classes: Anganwadi/pre-school, class 1, class 2, and class 3 According to the national education policy, the foundational level of education will consist of three years of preschool or Anganwadi education, followed by two years of primary school (classes 1 and 2). This stage will concentrate on language development and play-based or activity-based education methods.

2. Preparatory stage for 3 years

For Ages - 8th to 11th years old

For Classes - 3rd to 5th grades The preparatory period will continue to emphasize language development and numeracy abilities. Play and activity-based teaching and learning would be used here, as well as classroom relationships and the aspect of discovery.

3. Middle stage for 3 years

For Ages - 11 to 14 years old

For classes - 6th to 8th grades According to NEP 2020, this level of school instruction will focus on critical learning objectives, which is a significant departure from the rote learning methods that have long been used in our educational system.

Experiential learning in the Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities will be the focus of this stage.

4. Secondary stage for four years

For Ages -14 to 18 years old

For classes -9th to 12thClasses 9 and 10, as well as classes 11 and 12, will be covered in this level. The most significant change in these classes is the transition to a multidisciplinary system in which students will be able to choose from a range of topic combinations based on their talents and interests rather than being firmly classified into Arts, Science, and Commerce categories.

This level will emphasize critical thinking and adaptability in the mental process once more.

Benefits of 5+3+3+4 structure

Forms the basic foundation

  • When it comes to transitioning youngsters from Anganwadis and playschools to formal schooling, India has significant challenges. For children to be able to continue learning as they get older, they need a strong foundation at the fundamental level.

  • By including children aged 3 to 6 in formal schooling, the new effort underlines the importance of development.

  • Students will not be able to teach themselves if they lack the requisite language and numerical skills. If the foundation of learning is fragile, self-learning might be severely harmed.

  • Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is critical in determining a child's future, according to both academics and practitioners. As a result, incorporating pre-primary within the scope of the NEP is likely the NEP's biggest victory.

Better career counseling

  • Because the new schooling system incorporates multidisciplinary education and topic selection in the middle school years, stronger career counseling services are required to assist students in making the best decisions possible.

  • Choosing favorite topics as early as the middle school may place the responsibility of selecting a professional decision on the parents or the instructor, who are often unprepared to do so.

As a result, the transition from the 10+2 to the 5+3+3+4 system provides numerous opportunities for students' development as well as highlights the area’s the schools should focus on to grow.