Goa to Fully Implement National Education Policy Across All School Classes from 2026-27
In a significant move to overhaul the educational framework, the Goa state government has announced that it will implement the National Education Policy (NEP) recommendations across all classes in state board affiliated schools starting from the new academic year of 2026-27. This expansion marks a comprehensive adoption of the policy, which was previously limited to specific grades.
Phased Implementation and New Academic Structure
Until the 2025-26 session, the NEP was only applied at the nursery level and in Classes III, VI, IX, and X. According to a circular issued by the Goa State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), from the upcoming session, the policy will also be enforced in Classes I-II, Classes IV-V, and Classes VII-VIII. This step ensures a uniform educational approach throughout the school system.
All students will be evaluated under a credit-based system, with each credit equivalent to 30 notional hours of learning. This system aims to provide a more holistic assessment of student progress beyond traditional exams.
Enhanced Curriculum and Learning Hours
The SCERT has committed to providing newly developed NEP-aligned textbooks free of cost to all government and government-aided schools. For students in Classes I and II, the curriculum will now include art & craft, sports, yoga, reading, and gardening activities as formal subjects. A common syllabus for art & craft, sports, and yoga will be distributed to ensure consistency across schools.
At the Foundational Stage (Grades 1 and 2), schools will schedule six periods per day, each lasting 40 minutes. Institutions must ensure a minimum of four instructional hours daily, including morning assembly but excluding recess. All assessments for these classes will be conducted internally.
Increased Instructional Time for Higher Grades
For students in Grades 3 to 5, a minimum of 1,000 learning hours per year is required, with 10 hours allocated for reading at home. This adjustment helps align the timetable of Grade 5 with that of Grades 6 to 10, as Grade 5 is structurally integrated with middle and secondary schools that follow an eight-period daily schedule.
These classes will maintain a minimum of five instructional hours per day, including morning assembly and excluding recess. The daily schedule will consist of eight periods, each of 40 minutes duration.
External Examinations for Practical Assessments
In Grades 6 to 8, practical examinations will be conducted in the presence of an external examiner, adding a layer of objectivity to the evaluation process. This measure is part of the broader effort to standardize and enhance the quality of education under the NEP framework.
The SCERT's initiatives reflect a dedicated push towards modernizing Goa's education system, focusing on experiential learning and skill development to better prepare students for future challenges.
