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-
24 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2023