NCERT, Meghalaya education department discuss stronger collaboration on NEP 2020

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Meghalaya’s Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) discussed strengthening their academic collaboration for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 during a meeting in Shillong on Sep 23.

NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, NERIE Principal F G Dkhar and NCERT Professor Ranjana Arora met the Director, Joint Director and faculty members of DERT Meghalaya as part of the discussions.

The Joint Director of DERT gave a presentation on the implementation of NEP 2020 in Meghalaya. Meanwhile, Saklani called for closer academic coordination between NCERT and DERT, particularly in areas related to school curriculum and teaching practices.

Focus on curriculum and teaching practices

Saklani said stronger cooperation between the two institutions would support the implementation of NEP 2020 in the state. The discussion focused particularly on changes in school curricula and pedagogical practices.

According to NCERT, the institute has developed new textbooks and related curricular resources based on the competency-based education approach and the curricular vision of NEP 2020.

The council said more than 23 states and Union Territories are currently implementing new NCERT textbooks aligned with the policy. These textbooks are intended to reflect approaches including multidisciplinary and multilingual education, experiential learning, competency-based education and greater emphasis on cultural context.

Saklani also stressed the need for states and Union Territories to adopt the ongoing curricular reforms.

Meghalaya to seek NCERT academic support

The DERT Meghalaya leadership said the state would take appropriate steps with academic support and guidance from NCERT.

DERT is responsible for several academic functions within Meghalaya's school education system, including curriculum and instructional material development, teacher training, workshops, research and evaluation. The directorate also works with national institutions including NCERT on educational programmes.

The latest meeting therefore builds on an existing relationship between the two institutions, with the focus now including support for implementing NEP 2020-related curricular and pedagogical changes in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya has also recently worked with NCERT's Central Institute of Educational Technology on digital education. Earlier in September, DERT and CIET-NCERT conducted a two-day workshop in Shillong on developing educational content for the state's PM eVIDYA DTH television channels.