Team Goemkarponn
PORVORIM: Concerns over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Credit Framework (NCrF) were raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly, with legislators seeking clarity on instructional hours, student workload, and school infrastructure safety.
MLA Altone D’Costa asked the Education Minister to clarify the total instructional hours mandated under the NCrF and NEP, their distribution, and the steps being taken to ensure uniform implementation across schools in the state. He also sought details on whether safety audits of school buildings had been conducted and if any infrastructure failures had been reported over the past five years.
MLA Yuri Alemao also questioned the implementation of the framework, stating that instructional hours and workload assessments had not been conducted as per the National Credit Framework, which mandates 1,200 hours annually. He further asked why students were required to attend school in April.
Responding to the concerns, Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant said the government had consulted all stakeholders before implementing the NEP and deciding to begin the academic year in April. “Only about 20 days of April are used for academic activities,” he said.
The Chief Minister clarified that under the NEP, schools are required to complete 1,100 institutional hours along with an additional 100 hours dedicated to extracurricular activities each year. Schools have been given flexibility to plan these extra hours for activities such as innovation, arts, and other creative pursuits.
Sawant also maintained that the implementation of the NEP has been widely accepted. “There are no complaints regarding NEP, and both teachers and students have adopted it. The instructional hours meet the mandated 1,200 hours,” he said.
Addressing concerns about school infrastructure, the Chief Minister assured the House that structural audits of all government schools would be completed within a month. He added that several schools have already undergone audits and their buildings have been found to be safe.
