Page 64 - EducationWorld March 2022

Special Report

INCREMENTAL POPULARITY

OF THE GAP YEAR

Although currently taking a gap year is an upper class privilege,
not a few teens from middle class households are becoming aware
of the importance of life skills and internships acquired in a break
that enrich higher education and develop competencies that are
valuable in adult life

Abhilasha Ojha

T HOUGH A RELATIVELY NEW phe- privilege, not a few teens from middle class households are

becoming aware of the importance of life skills and intern-
nomenon in India, a small but in-
ships acquired in a break that enrich higher education and
creasing number of higher second-
develop competencies that are valuable in adult life. The
ary and college students are opting
value of work experience is acknowledged by the National
to temporarily step out of the aca-
demic continuum, now raised to
19 years, and take a gap year — a
entry and exit options in higher education. In a radical
break from past practice, it permits students in higher edu-
year-long break after school or col- Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which provides for multiple
lege/university — to pursue travel, cation to exit after one, two and three years before resuming
sports, cultural interests, voluntary service or discover life’s the four-year degree programmes now mandatory under
purpose. NEP 2020. An online Academic Bank of Credits records
Aaliyah Kashyap (21), daughter of celebrated Bolly- certification at every stage.
wood film director Anurag Kashyap, is one of them. In an The popularity of the gap year is likely to increase now
emotional video on her YouTube channel, she recounts her that three years of ECCE (early childhood care and educa-
experience of taking a gap year from Chapman University, tion) have been added at the beginning of formal education
California. Posted in September 2021, Aaliyah opens up and one year at the end of higher education. There’s every
about her difficulty in adjusting to a new alien environment likelihood of exhaustion, if not burn out, during 19 years
and suffering anxiety and depression. In another video, of education.
posted a few months later, Aaliyah reveals how taking a Anushka Bellani, a graduate of the Heritage Xperien-
gap year and returning to India to bond with family and tial Learning School, Gurugram, who topped her school in
friends and pursue her creative interests was a regenera- the humanities stream (98.8 percent) in the 2020-21 CBSE
tive experience that enabled her to find her true calling in class XII exam, opted for a gap year because she was “des-
fashion marketing. perate for time off from the academic drill”. “Twelve years
Although currently taking a gap year is an upper class of academic routine had demotivated me. I realised, it was

64 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022