Change in education system after NEP-2020 implementation in Odisha schools: Everything you need to know

The School and Mass Education department is all set to implement the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 at the school level in Odisha. In a notification, the department on Wednesday informed that NEP-2020 will be implemented in the state to strengthen the educational system.

This apart, the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) with local contextualization will also be adopted as the State Curriculum Framework for Odisha.

Major Changes After NEP Implementation:

1.    One of the most important changes NEP aims to bring to the school education system is the transition from exam-centric 10+2 schooling.

2.    The 10+2 schooling will be changed to new 5+3+3+4 pedagogical structure.

3.    This will comprise 12 years of school and 3 years of pre-schooling. Schooling will be divided into four stages.

4.    The new structure will be based on age-specific learning and evaluation – foundational stage for ages 3 to 8, preparatory stage for ages 8 to 11, middle stage for ages 11 to 14, and secondary stage for ages 14 to 18.

5.    Students will have to spend five years in the foundational stage, three years in the preparatory, three years in the middle, and the final four years in the secondary stages. 

6.    The five years of foundational learning will start from Anganwadi (pre-school) and continue till Class 2 which will mostly be activity-based learning.

7.    The three years of preparatory stage will be from Class 3-5, focusing on language and numerology skills.

8.    The middle stage from Class 6-8 will focus on science, mathematics, humanities, social science and other subjects.

9.    The final secondary stage will be covered in two phases – Class 9-10 and Class 11-12.

SME Department Commissioner’s message:

“The transition from 10+2 structure to the new education structure will not happen overnight. It will be done in a phased manner. In the first phase, the shift will be implemented in the foundational stage for the new academic session of 2025-26,” informed School and Mass Education (SME) Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shalini Pandit.

BJP government’s aim: 

The move is part of the State's broad endeavour to align with national educational reforms, aiming to reshape the learning landscape into one that is more comprehensive and skill-focused.