Reimagining Educational Learning in India

The objective of this project was to understand the scope and explore possibilities and challenges for implementing 21st-century skills in school curricula for students in the age group of 14-18 in India. The government of India is implementing a new National Educational Policy (NEP  2020) after three decades. It aims to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st Century. The NEP focuses on a comprehensive, skills-based education that equips students to lead meaningful lives and to thrive in the global economy. UNICEF’s YuWaah, a localized chapter of the Generation Unlimited (GenU) initiative, has a similar objective. It aims to work with India’s youth to help them acquire the 21-st Century skills necessary in the shift towards a knowledge-based economy. A team of seven graduate students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs collaborated with UNICEF India to develop recommendations for YuWaah’s work with state governments to strategize 21-st Century skill-building as envisioned in the NEP 2020.

The team employed a qualitative methodological approach to arrive at the recommendations. They developed common themes from their desk research on the Indian education system and other comparable international models that implemented similar skills. They also developed themes from their stakeholder interviews conducted with partners from non-profit organizations, consulting firms and government ministries. They unpacked several influential factors for successfully implementing 21st Century skills-focused-interventions, including the role of families and communities, gender gaps, and digital divide. The team developed a key set of nine recommendations around developing a comprehensive curriculum and non-conventional assessments, transforming the role of teachers, promoting innovation and local partnerships along with nurturing effective digital interventions.