A group of academicians have come together and formulated an alternative to the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The group has called it People’s Education Policy (PEP) 2025, which, they said, would be finalised after nation-wide discussions.  

K. Yogarajan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu chapter of All India Save Education Committee, said the PEP proposes secular, scientific, democratic, and universal education, as against “communal, undemocratic, anti-scientific, privatised, and commercialised education” that NEP 2020 represents.

PEP proposes at least 10% allocation in the Union budget and 25% allocation for education in the State budget. It also proposes to bring education to the State list and amending the Constitution to that effect. 

The PEP is in favour of 10+2+3 structure and school education for students in the age group of 3 to 17 years. it also suggests classroom teaching instead of online and hybrid mode, and proposes to dispense with CUET and NEET. It calls for appointing permanent teachers instead of guest and contractual teachers. It opposes Indian Knowledge System, which it says is a design to distort history and inculcate pseudoscience.

Ramu Manivannan, former Political Science professor at the University of Madras, said it is important to ensure that universities are run effectively and faculty appointments are made when need arises. 

Mr. Manivannan released the first copy of the draft of PEP and it was received by S. Bakthavatchalam, an office bearer of the Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Graduate Teachers Association.