NEP 2020 focuses on skills, but are students really learning? Experts explain

India has largely solved the challenge of getting children into school, yet a stubborn learning crisis persists—especially beyond the early grades. At a recent education forum, experts warned that impressive enrolment rates can hide deep deficits in reading, numeracy, attendance and progression into higher classes. They also argued that while the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has catalysed momentum on foundational skills, sustained, system-wide shifts are needed to turn schooling into meaningful learning and, ultimately, livelihoods.

From enrolment to outcomes: what’s changed—and what hasn’t

Wilima Wadhwa, Director of the ASER Centre, traced the roots of the learning crisis to a long-standing assumption that attending school automatically leads to learning. When large-scale assessments began spotlighting outcomes, a stark picture emerged: even with high enrolment, many students struggled to read basic texts or handle simple arithmetic.

Recent data suggests the needle is finally moving. ASER 2024 recorded notable gains in reading for Grades 3 and 5, with numeracy surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Wadhwa credits NEP 2020—especially its focus on foundational literacy and numeracy under NIPUN Bharat—for creating a unified, measurable goal across classrooms nationwide. Crucially, she noted, the policy encourages flexibility in how states and districts reach those goals, acknowledging that one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work in a country as diverse as India.

Yet progress stalls after the early years. A worrying proportion of Grade 8 students still cannot read at a Grade 2 level. “No one teaches reading in Grade 8,” Wadhwa observed, underlining how early gaps compound over time. The takeaway: foundational skills must be built early and revisited through targeted catch-up strategies for older learners.

Attendance, transitions and the gendered barriers to learning

From the ground, the picture is even more complex. Alka Singh, Head of Partnerships at Educate Girls, highlighted that enrolment does not guarantee attendance—or learning. Absenteeism remains high in many districts, chipping away at classroom continuity and increasing the risk of dropout.

Educate Girls’ Team Balika model identifies high-risk villages using local data and trains community youth volunteers to bring children back to school and support their learning. When out-of-school girls return, a short, intensive foundational programme helps them re-engage with classwork and build confidence.

The most fragile point is the jump from Class 8 to 9. In many rural areas, dropouts spike here due to a mix of economic pressures, domestic responsibilities, distance to school, safety concerns and menstrual hygiene barriers. While open schooling has offered an alternative pathway, Singh flagged a policy concern: these systems are fee-based, which can exclude the very children who need them most.

Even when more girls pass board exams, their participation in education, employment or training remains worryingly low. Household responsibilities, limited mobility and a lack of nearby opportunities often push young women out of the pipeline after schooling. Closing the loop between learning and livelihoods—especially for girls—remains an urgent priority.

Implementing NEP: a systems problem, not a single-villain story

What’s slowing implementation? Both experts cautioned against simplistic blame. India’s scale and diversity make education a political-economy challenge. Progress hinges on aligning goals, incentives and capacities across institutions—and smoothing transitions for learners.

Key shifts they proposed include:

• Readiness programmes at every transition point: not just pre-Grade 1, but also Grades 5–6 and 8–9, so students aren’t set up to fail as expectations rise.
• Convergence across departments: preschool, skilling, open schooling and secondary education must coordinate so that children experience a coherent pathway rather than disjointed services.
• Routine catch-up mechanisms: structured remediation for older students to address accumulated gaps, paired with flexible assessment that recognises progress.

Skills for all, not a fallback

NEP 2020 puts a premium on skills, but social attitudes haven’t kept pace. As long as academic degrees are prized while vocational routes are seen as second-best, skilling will struggle to scale. The experts argued that:

• Skilling should be universal—integrated across school types, including elite private institutions—so that every student graduates with employable competencies.
• Innovation platforms (like tinkering labs) are promising but must be coupled with teacher training and curriculum integration to move beyond tokenism.
• Career exposure, apprenticeships and local industry linkages are essential to make learning relevant and to improve retention in secondary grades.

The path forward: learning, retention, and meaningful transitions

India’s education battle has shifted. Getting children into school was step one; ensuring they learn, stay, and transition into higher grades and work-relevant pathways is the real test. Foundational gains are encouraging, but they must be sustained through adolescence, supported by catch-up strategies, and connected to opportunities beyond school.

As Wadhwa noted, the system is finally oriented toward what matters—learning. But translating intent into outcomes will take patience, iteration and steady investment. Singh warned against premature celebration: until education reliably leads to livelihoods—particularly for girls—the job is not done.

The message is clear: stay the course on foundational skills, build robust bridges at every transition, value skills alongside academics, and make attendance and engagement non-negotiable. Only then will NEP 2020’s promise—education that equips every child to read, count and thrive—truly be realised.