Set for success: turning policy into practice in India
When India's Ministry of Education launched the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it set out an ambitious vision for education reform. The policy aimed to move schools beyond rote learning towards more holistic, experiential and competency-based approaches. The changes would affect more than 24,000 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools across India.
But how ready were schools to turn those ambitions into everyday classroom practice?
British Council India partnered with us to find out. Together, we explored how schools were teaching and assessing science, mathematics, social science and languages for Grades 6 to 10. We wanted to understand how closely classroom practice aligned with the goals of the NEP and where teachers might need additional support.
Understanding how schools were implementing the NEP
Together, we designed a multi-method research project to explore the gap between policy and practice.
Our research included:
reviewing more than 30 policy and curriculum documents
visiting 30 schools across five locations
observing 51 lessons
running focus groups with 191 teachers and 233 students
interviewing 20 education stakeholders, including system and school leaders.
Teachers needed more support to implement competency-based learning
The NEP asked teachers to focus less on memorising facts and more on helping students apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. For many teachers, this represented a significant shift in both teaching and assessment.
Our research found that schools were committed to the goals of the NEP. However, many teachers were still developing their understanding of what competency-based and experiential learning looked like in practice. Existing textbooks and teaching materials did not always support the new approaches, making implementation more challenging.
One message came through clearly: teachers needed practical guidance, training and resources if the NEP was to achieve its full potential.
Building the evidence for implementation
Our findings strengthened the case for further support. We developed 23 recommendations and presented them at the CBSE conference.
Key recommendations included:
updating textbooks and teaching materials to better support competency-based learning
creating a shared glossary so policy and curriculum documents use consistent language
giving teachers practical tools and rubrics for formative assessment
expanding subject-specific, hands-on teacher development
encouraging low-cost fieldwork and outdoor learning opportunities
embedding inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches throughout teacher training
aligning lesson observations and teacher appraisal processes with NEP goals.
Supporting the next phase of reform
The project ran from March to September 2023.
Drawing on evidence from classrooms across India, alongside international examples and best practice, we provided CBSE with practical recommendations to support implementation of the NEP. The findings highlighted ways to help teachers translate policy ambitions into meaningful learning experiences for students.
"Overall, we felt that the report is really good and comprehensive. Thanks for all the hard work and commitment."
British Council
Planning curriculum or assessment reform?
We can help you understand what is happening in classrooms and turn policy ambitions into practical action. Get in touch to discuss your next research, evaluation or reform project.
