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Unit 6: National Policy of Education, (1986)

greater justice to those candidates who, despite being equipped for a given job, are unable to Notes
get it because of an unnecessary preference for graduate candidates.
Self Assessment
1. Fill in the blanks:
(i) The ......................... in 1986 discussed and adopted the “National Policy of Education
1986” during the budget session.
(ii) ............................ is meant to provide an indication of the nature of actions which will be
needed in order to implement the directions of the policy.
(iii) ................... of the programme will be a co-operative effort between the centre.
(iv) ......................... will be applied in services for which a university degree need not be a
necessary qualification.

6.4 National Policy on Education and Early Childhood Education and
Care
Important Features and Programmes:
1. The NPE has used the term ECCE in place of pre-primary or nursery education. NPE lays
stress on the holistic nature of child development, viz., nutrition, health and social, mental,
physical, moral and emotional development and recommends that ECCE should be suitably
integrated with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Programme, wherever
possible.
2. The span under consideration in ECCE is from conception to about 6 years.
3. ICDS includes six services: supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check up referral
services, health education and non-formal pre-school education.
4. Day-care centres should be provided as a support service for universalisation of primary
education to enable girls engaged in taking care of siblings to attend school and as a
support service for working women belonging to poorer sections.
5. Programmes of ECCE should be child-oriented.
6. Programmes of ECCE should be focussed around play and the individuality of the child.
7. Formal methods and introduction of the 3 R’s should be discouraged at this stage.
8. The local community should be fully involved in ECCE programmes.
9. A full integration of child care and pre-primary education should be brought about, both
as a feeder and strengthening for primary education and human resource development.

6.5 Main Features of the National System of Education
The National Policy on Education, 1986 has envisaged^ the following main features of the
National System of Education:
1. Philosophical and Sociological Foundations Based on Constitutional Principles: The
National System of Education derives its inspiration from the ideals and values of
democracy, secularism and socialism.
2. Universal Access to Education: The National System of Education implies that up to a
given level, all students, irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex, have access to education
of a comparable quality. To achieve this, the Government will initiate appropriately funded
programmes. Effective measures will be taken in the direction of the Common School
System recommended in the 1968 Policy.
3. Common Educational Structure: The National System of Education envisages a common
educational structure. The 10+2+3 structure has now been accepted in all parts of the

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 53