Page 24 - EW November 2023
P. 24

Education News



           DELHI                                                           ships etc, enabling students of all
         Ambitious project                                                 ages to track their academic prog-

                                                                           ress in high school, junior college,
                                                                           and tertiary education. Moreover,
                                                                           every student’s complete academic
                                                                           information will be easily accessible
                                                                           and simplify the currently tedious
                                                                           process of transfer from one institu-
                                                                           tion to another. As a result, it will
                                                                           also simplify the process of college
                                                                           admission for school-leavers.
                                                                             Although initially there were pro-
                                                                           tests about additional paperwork and
                                                                           the burden of explaining the advan-
                                                                           tages of APAAR and ABC to teachers
                                                                           and students, aware educationists
                                                                           have welcomed these initiatives.
                                                                           “Surely it’s an advantage that the di-
                                                                           gilocker will be a one-point reference
                                                                           for students, parents and other agen-
                                                                           cies which award scholarships and
                                                                           for college admission. Parents should
         Primary school children: permanent APAAR record for all           also welcome APAAR whole- heart-
                                                                           edly as all safety measures have been
                  hen the 65-page national   Credits (ABC), one of the most excit-  taken by government in the design
                  Education Policy (NEP)   ing proposals of NEP 2020 which en-  of  the consent form. Our schools
         W2020, distilled from the        courages entry and exits within the   will proactively support the APAAR/
         484-page report of the K. Kasturi-  academic continuum and life-long   ABC initiative,” says Bharat Arora,
         rangan Report, was released to an   learning.                     President, Action Committee Un-
         unsuspecting public on July 29,    The distinctive 12-digit APAAR   aided Recognised Private Schools,
         2020, there was considerable scepti-  number awarded to every student   an association of over 650 private
         cism about its implementation. But   will store all student information,   unaided schools spread across the
         bit by bit, several important initia-  including learning outcomes, exam   country.
         tives – CUET (Common University   results, report cards, health records,   Comments Prof. Anil Sahas-
         Entrance Test) for admission into   and extra-curricular accomplish-  rabudhe, chairman, NAAC and the
         250 universities including 45 Central   ments in public and private institu-  NETF (National Education Technol-
         government universities, NEET    tions or universities countrywide,   ogy Forum): “APAAR is a registry
         (National Eligibility cum Entrance   and link children’s Aadhaar numbers   for all learners while the records will
         Test) for admission into medical   as well.                       rest in the ABC, which will emerge as
         colleges countrywide, presentation of   In the letter to state chief secretar-  an easily accessible curriculum vitae
         National Curriculum Frameworks for   ies, the education ministry has asked   of all students. Also, it will check
         foundational and school education   them to direct schools in their juris-  fraudulent manipulation of outcomes
         (NCF-FS and NCF-SE) — have been   diction to convene parent-teacher   and fake certificates.”
         drawn up, well-received and are in   meetings to obtain parental consent   Although it’s early days for this
         the process of implementation. (see   to establish children’s digilockers.   ambitious project, the education
         EW August).                      This is a prerequisite for schools/  ministry’s initiative to set up a
            In mid-October the Union      colleges to begin the registration   national digilocker for 260 million
         ministry of education wrote to chief   process for issuing APAAR ID cards.   children — perhaps the largest such
         secretaries of the states about an   Parents will need to be informed that   project worldwide — is commend-
         ambitious plan to create an Auto-  they have the right to revoke their   able. NEP 2020 also proposes estab-
         mated Permanent Academic Account   consent at any time.           lishment of an autonomous National
         Registry (APAAR) under which all   Billed as ‘One Nation-One Student   Educational Alliance for Technology
         260 million in-school children’s   ID Card’, the APAAR ID will digitally   (NEAT) which will continuously de-
         names and details will be registered   transmit all academic information,   velop “technology to enhance learn-
         and linked with an Academic Bank of   including awards, degrees, scholar-  ing, assessment, planning, adminis-

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