#national education policy 2020

[candle-1-1-shine]

Thought for Today

[jobs-in-education]

5+3+3+4 Education system according to NEP 2020

The National Education Policy 2020 of India replaces the traditional 10+2 structure with the new 5+3+3+4 education system, which is one of its most effective elements. The new educational plan aims to create a more comprehensive foundation for secondary school by using the 10 plus 2 years structure, which was focused on a constructive method of teaching.  For example, the 5+3+3+4 system gives students more freedom of choice by allowing them to acquire an extensive understanding at the elementary level before letting them choose the educational path they want to take later on with the guidance of people involved in teaching jobs. Students can now develop their talents and interests in an even more tailored and individual way thanks to this revised approach, which better prepares them for their future pursuits.

What exactly is the 5+3+3+4 Education System? 

There are no additional school years in India's 5+3+3+4 education system. Since the length of time a student spends in an educational institution is constant, the heavy burden has lessened. With a 5+3+3+4 educational pattern, the National Education Policy 2020 includes playschools as well as nursery and kindergarten classrooms in its definition of "formal education." This strategy takes into account the distinctions between professional and academic interests as well as extracurricular and curricular activities. The framework makes sure that every factor is taken into account for a comprehensive educational experience. Students can flourish and grow in this supportive environment, enabling them to realize their greatest potential.

Defining the 5+3+3+4 structure

Based on the new school education system defined in NEP 2020, students are expected to spend five years in the Foundational stage, three years in the Preparatory stage, the Middle Stage lasts three years, and the Secondary Stage lasts four years. The phases have been separated into those that correspond to a child's cognitive stages in early childhood, school, and secondary school.

The many levels of the new school education system are broken down by age as follows-

5 year foundational stage:

For children ages 3 to 8

Preschool, Anganwadi, Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 The national education policy states that the fundamental level of education will include two years of primary school (classes 1 and 2) after three years of preschool or Anganwadi education. The focus of this stage will be on the growth of language and based on play or activity-based teaching strategies.

The Three-Year Preparatory Stage:

For children 8 to 11 years old

For classes in grades 3 through 5 Language and numeracy skills will be emphasized during the preparatory time. Here, relationships in the classroom and the element of discovery would be used, as well as play and activity-based teaching and learning.

Three years of middle-stage

11 to 14 years of age

6th through 8th-grade classes The critical learning objectives that will be the focus of this level of school instruction, according to NEP 2020, mark a considerable change from the rote learning techniques that have traditionally been employed in our educational system.

This stage will be centered on experiential learning in the sciences, arts, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities.

Four years at the secondary stage

The age group of 14 to 18 years age

for grades 9th through 12thThis level will include courses 9 and 10, as well as classes 11 and 12. The biggest shift in these seminars is the move to a multidisciplinary system where students can select from a variety of topic combinations based on their skills and interests as opposed to being rigidly categorized into the Arts, Science, and Commerce divisions. Once more, this level will place emphasis on critical thinking and mental flexibility.

Advantages of the 5+3+3+4 configuration

Lays the fundamental framework

India faces enormous difficulties when it comes to transferring children from Anganwadis and playschools to formal education. Children require a solid foundation at the fundamental level in order to be able to continue learning as they get older.

The new initiative emphasizes the significance of development by enrolling kids between the ages of 3 and 6 in formal education.

If students lack the necessary language and math skills, they will not be able to teach themselves. The ability to learn for oneself could suffer greatly if the basis of learning is weak.

Practitioners as well as scholars agree that early childhood education and care (ECCE) is crucial in defining a child's future. As a result, the NEP's biggest accomplishment is perhaps the inclusion of pre-primary under its purview.

Better career guidance

Stronger career counseling services are needed to help students make the best decisions possible because the new educational system includes multidisciplinary education and topic selection in the middle school years.

Choosing favorite themes as early as middle school may put the onus of making a professional decision on the shoulders of the parents or the teacher, who is frequently ill-equipped to do so.

As a result, the switch from the 10+2 to the 5+3+3+4 system offers lots of opportunities for student growth and sheds light on the areas where schools can concentrate to advance.

Final Thoughts

The framework of the educational model has been updated from the classic 10+2 to the most recent 5+3+3+4 model. With so much potential for student progress in the new system, it is clear which areas in schools still require work.  A cumulative change has also been made to the exam format. The most recent pattern update will evaluate key ideas and knowledge usage in board exams. Using scientific approaches to teaching and learning models, the educational system seeks to bring India up to par with the top nations of the globe. For all stakeholders to participate in the educational process, teaching will provide solutions for the educational infrastructure as well as a collection of school ERP & LMS components.

Source - Jobs in Education Blog

[jurnaltalking]

Navigating the Transformative Landscape of Education: The National Education Policy 2020

In a significant stride towards redefining India's educational paradigm, the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has emerged as a beacon of change. With a comprehensive vision to revolutionize the learning ecosystem, the NEP 2020 brings forth a holistic approach that spans from early childhood education to higher studies. This landmark policy is set to reshape the educational landscape, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and holistic development. Let's delve into the key tenets and implications of the NEP 2020 and explore how it is poised to shape the future of education in India.

Embracing Change: The NEP 2020 Unveiled

The new education policy, often referred to as the NEP policy 2020, is a monumental document that outlines the transformational roadmap for India's education system. Introduced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the policy envisions a learner-centric, flexible, and multidisciplinary approach. It reflects a holistic understanding of education, aiming to nurture well-rounded individuals equipped to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Key Highlights of the NEP 2020

Holistic Learning: The NEP policy 2020 places a strong emphasis on holistic development, aiming to cultivate not only cognitive skills but also social, emotional, and ethical capacities. It advocates for a shift from rote learning to experiential learning, encouraging students to explore and engage with their subjects.

Flexibility and Multidisciplinary: This policy introduces a flexible and multidisciplinary curriculum, allowing students to choose subjects across streams and fostering a broader perspective. It paves the way for a more comprehensive education, nurturing versatile and adaptable individuals.

Early Childhood Education: Recognizing the importance of early education, the NEP 2020 focuses on the foundational years, promoting play-based and activity-based learning. This approach aims to lay a strong educational foundation from the outset.

Technology Integration: The policy underscores the integration of technology in education, acknowledging its potential to enhance learning outcomes. It envisions the creation of a National Educational Technology Forum to facilitate the exchange of digital resources and innovative practices.

Implications for the Education Landscape

The NEP 2020 brings with it a wave of transformation, with far-reaching implications for various stakeholders within the education ecosystem.

For Students:

The policy places students at the center of the learning process, offering them the autonomy to explore diverse subjects and interests. This learner-centric approach not only promotes a deeper understanding of concepts but also nurtures a passion for learning.

For Educators:

Educators are empowered to adopt innovative and interactive teaching methodologies. The shift from a content-focused approach to a competency-based one encourages teachers to foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

For Higher Education:

The NEP 2020 envisions a revamped higher education system that promotes research, innovation, and a seamless integration of vocational and academic education. This holistic approach equips graduates with the skills required to excel in a dynamic job market.

For Parents:

Parents play a pivotal role in supporting their children's educational journey. The NEP policy 2020 encourages parents to be active participants, fostering a conducive learning environment at home and engaging with their child's progress.

Conclusion

The National Education Policy 2020 marks a watershed moment in India's educational landscape. As it steers the course towards a holistic, flexible, and technology-driven approach, the NEP 2020 is poised to shape a generation of empowered and well-rounded individuals. By embracing change and fostering an inclusive learning environment, India is set to realize the full potential of its demographic dividend and emerge as a global leader in education. The National Education Policy 2020 is not merely a policy document; it is a transformative journey towards a brighter, more enlightened future.

[leadschool1]

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) is a comprehensive reform plan for the Indian education system that aims to make it more inclusive, multidisciplinary, and holistic. The NEP 2020 focuses on several critical topics, including improving educational quality, expanding educational access, and fostering inclusivity and equity. More information can be found here.

[boreal-sea]

Look.

I have made you a chart. A very simple chart.

People say "You have to draw the line somewhere, and Biden has crossed it-" and my response is "Trump has crossed way more lines than Biden".

These categories are based off of actual policy enacted by both of these men while they were in office.

If the ONLY LINE YOU CARE ABOUT is line 12, you have an incredible amount of privilege, AND YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT PALESTINIANS. You obviously have nothing to fear from a Trump presidency, and you do not give a fuck if a ceasefire actually occurs. You are obviously fine if your queer, disabled, and marginalized loved ones are hurt. You clearly don't care about the status of American democracy, which Trump has openly stated he plans to destroy on day 1 he is in office.

EDIT:

Ok fine, I spent 3 hours compiling sources for all of these, you can find that below the cut.

I'll give at least one link per subject area. There are of course many more sources to be read on these subject areas and no post could possibly give someone a full education on these subjects.

Biden and trans rights: https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline

Trump and trans rights: https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/trump-on-lgbtq-rights-rolling-back-protections-and-criminalizing-gender-nonconformity

The two sources above show how Biden has done a lot of work to promote trans rights, and how Trump did a lot of work to hurt trans rights.

Biden on abortion access: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/politics/what-is-in-biden-abortion-executive-order/index.html

Trump on abortion access: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-republican-presidential-election-2024-585faf025a1416d13d2fbc23da8d8637

Biden openly supports access to abortion and has taken steps to protect those rights at a federal level even after Roe v Wade was overturned. Trump, on the other hand, was the man who appointed the judges who helped overturn Roe v Wade and he openly brags about how proud he is of that decision. He also states that he believes individual states should have the final say in whether or not abortion is legal, and that he trusts them to "do the right thing", meaning he supports stronger abortion bans.

Biden on environmental reform: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/07/fact-sheet-president-biden-restores-protections-for-three-national-monuments-and-renews-american-leadership-to-steward-lands-waters-and-cultural-resources/

Trump on environmental reform: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html

Biden has made major steps forward for environmental reform. He has restored protections that Trump rolled back. He has enacted many executive orders and more to promote environmental protections, including rejoining the Paris Accords, which Trump withdrew the USA from. Trump is also well known for spreading conspiracy theories and lies about global climate change, calling it a "Chinese hoax".

Biden on healthcare and prescription reform: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/09/biden-administration-announces-savings-43-prescription-drugs-part-cost-saving-measures-president-bidens-inflation-reduction-act.html

Trump on healthcare reform: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/07/politics/obamacare-health-insurance-ending-trump/index.html

I'm rolling healthcare and prescriptions and vaccines and public health all into one category here since they are related. Biden has lowered drug costs, expanded access to medicaid, and ACA enrollment has risen during his presidency. He has also made it so medical debt no longer applies to a person's credit score. He signed many executive orders during his first few weeks in office in order to get a handle on Trump's grievous mishandling of the COVID pandemic. Trump also wants to end the ACA. Trump is well known for refusing to wear a mask during the pandemic, encouraging the use of hydroxylchloroquine to "treat" COVID, and being openly anti-vaxx.

Biden on student loan forgiveness: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-additional-77-billion-approved-student-debt-relief-160000-borrowers

Trump on student loan forgiveness: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2024/06/20/trump-knocks-bidens-vile-student-loan-forgiveness-plans-suggests-reversal/

Trump wants to reverse the student loan forgiveness plans Biden has enacted. Biden has already forgiven billions of dollars in loans and continues to work towards forgiving more.

Infrastructure funding:

I'm putting these links next together because they are all about infrastructure.

In general, Trump's "achievements" for infrastructure were to destroy environmental protections to speed up projects. Many of his plans were ineffective due to the fact that he did not clearly outline where the money was going to come from, and he was unwilling to raise taxes to pay for the projects. He was unable (and unwilling) to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill during his 4 years in office. He did sign a few disaster relief bills. He did not enthusiastically promote renewable energy infrastructure. He created "Infrastructure Weeks" that the federal government then failed to fund. Trump did not do nothing for infrastructure, but his no-tax stance and his dislike for renewable energy means the contributions he made to American infrastructure were not as much as he claimed they were, nor as much as they could have been. Basically, he made a lot of promises, and delivered on very few of them. He is not "against" infrastructure, but he's certainly against funding it.

Biden was able to pass that bipartisan bill after taking office. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan that Trump tried to prevent from passing during Biden's term contains concrete funding sources and step by step plans to rebuild America's infrastructure. If you want to read the plan, you can find it here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/. Biden has done far more for American infrastructure than Trump did, most notably by actually getting the bipartisan bill through congress.

Biden on Racial Equity: https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/26/960725707/biden-aims-to-advance-racial-equity-with-executive-actions

Trump on Racial Equity: https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/trump-reverse-racism-civil-rights https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-37230916

Trump's racist policies are loud and clear for everyone to hear. We all heard him call Mexicans "Drug dealers, criminals, rapists". We all watched as he enacted travel bans on people from majority-Muslim nations. Biden, on the other hand, has done quite a lot during his term to attempt to reconcile racism in this country, including reversing Trump's "Muslim ban" the first day he was in office.

Biden on DEI: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/25/executive-order-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-in-the-federal-workforce/

Trump on DEI: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-tried-to-crush-the-dei-revolution-heres-how-he-might-finish-the-job/ar-BB1jg3gz

Biden supports DEI and has signed executive orders and passed laws that support DEI on the federal level. Trump absolutely hates DEI and wants to eradicate it.

Biden on criminal justice reform: https://time.com/6155084/biden-criminal-justice-reform/

Trump on criminal justice reform: https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/21418911/donald-trump-crime-criminal-justice-policy-record https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/05/trumps-extreme-plans-crime/678502/

From pardons for non-violent marijuana convictions to reducing the federal government's reliance on private prisons, Biden has done a lot in four years to reform our criminal justice system on the federal level. Meanwhile, Trump has described himself as "tough on crime". He advocates for more policing, including "stop and frisk" activities. Ironically it's actually quite difficult to find sources about what Trump thinks about crime, because almost all of the search results are about his own crimes.

Biden on military support for Israel: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-obama-divide-closely-support-israel-rcna127107

Trump on military support for Israel: https://www.vox.com/politics/353037/trump-gaza-israel-protests-biden-election-2024

Biden supports Israel financially and militarily and promotes holding Israel close. So did Trump. Trump was also very pro-Israel during his time in office and even moved the embassy to Jerusalem and declared Jerusalem the capitol of Israel, a move that inflamed attitudes in the region.

Biden on a ceasefire: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/06/05/gaza-israel-hamas-cease-fire-plan-biden/73967659007/

Trump on a ceasefire: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-israel-gaza-finish-problem-rcna141905

Trump has tried to be quiet on the issue but recently said he wants Israel to "finish the problem". He of course claims he could have prevented the whole problem. Trump also openly stated after Oct 7th that he would bar immigrants who support Hamas from the country and send in officers to American protests to arrest anyone supporting Hamas.

Biden meanwhile has been quietly urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal for months, including the most recent announcement earlier in June, though it seems as though that deal has finally fallen through as well.

[intersex-support]

Intersex Support Resources

Intersex 101: 

http://4intersex.org/#yourself

Intersex Organizations 

Intersex Organizations by Country 

Intersex Variations 

Intersex Variations Glossary by InterACT

Intersex History, Art, and Politics 

Compilation Post

Intersex Flag 

Morgan Carpenter on the Intersex Flag

Intersex Surgery 

“I Want to be Like Nature Made Me” Report from Human Rights Watch

Intersex Human Rights by Bauer et al, 2020

Legal Discrimination 

US Anti-trans bills also harm intersex Children by Human Rights Watch 

Intersex Legislative Toolkit by InterACT

Medical Records

InterACT Guide to accessing medical records

Intersex Health

Intersex affirming hospital policies from InterACT

Intersex affirming Primary Care from National LGBTQIA Health Education Center

Intersex and osteoporosis from Intersex Support Australia

Sexual Health 

Intersex Inclusive information for Sex Ed from Puberty Curriculum

Scarleteen Sex Ed

What Intersex People Want you to Know about Sex by Maddie Rose

I’m Intersex. Here’s How That Affects My Sex Life by Mark Hay

Intersex and Disability 

Liberating All Bodies: Intersex Justice and Disability Justice in Conversation

Intersex Mental Health 

Mental Health

Intersex Justice and the Care We Deserve: “I Want People to Feel at Home in Their Bodies Again” by Zena Sharman

A national study on the physical and mental health of intersex adults in the U.S. by Rosenwohl-Mack et al., 2020

Crisis lines that don’t call the cops: 

Trans Lifeline 

Thrive Lifeline

For Parents of Intersex Children 

Supporting your intersex Child by IGLYO

[robertreich]

Biden vs. Trump: Whose Economic Plan Is Better for You? 

Trump failed to deliver on his number one campaign promise:

President Trump presided over a historic net loss of nearly 3 million American jobs, the worst jobs numbers ever recorded under an American president.

This is no fluke. America’s economy has almost always done worse under Republican presidents. A New York Times analysis found that since 1933, the U.S. economy has grown nearly twice as fast on average under Democrats.

Now Trump’s defenders claim it’s not his fault that the economy collapsed under his watch. It was the pandemic. But there are two big things wrong with this.

First, the pandemic recession was as bad as it was because of Trump. His failure to lead with any national strategy left America in chaos throughout 2020, long after other nations had developed coordinated testing, tracing, and social distancing plans that allowed them to reopen their economies.

But secondly, even before the pandemic, Trump failed to deliver on his economic promises. Job growth slowed under Trump.

America added more jobs in President Obama’s last three years than in Trump’s first three.

Even before the pandemic most middle-class American households saw their incomes go down under Trump.

Trump’s major economic policy was cutting taxes on the rich and big corporations. He promised it would result in $4,000 annual raises for workers. How did that work out? Did you get a $4,000 raise?

Republicans keep claiming that if we just cut enough taxes on the rich, the wealth will “trickle down.” But it never works. Wage growth slowed after Reagan’s tax cuts for the rich and big corporations. And the Bush and Trump tax cuts didn’t trickle down either.

These giveaways to the wealthy came at the expense of investments in infrastructure, education, and health care, making life more expensive and difficult for everyone who isn’t rich.

They also exploded the debt and deficit. Reagan oversaw a 186% increase in the national debt — the biggest percentage increase in over 70 years. The Bush and Trump tax cuts, that mostly benefited corporations and the rich, are the main reasons why America’s debt is growing faster than the economy.

Republican presidents have led us into the three worst economic crises of the last century, and Democrats led us out of them.

Republicans talk about running the country like a business, but they want to run it the way Trump ran his businesses: with massive debts, a string of failures, and payouts for the folks at the top, while workers get shafted again and again. Given Republicans’ track record, why would any hard-working American put their financial security in the hands of a Republican president ever again?

[my-vanishing-777]

Girls are prized commodities in this part of the world, thanks to the one-child policy introduced in China in 1979. A Confucian preference for male children has resulted in many families opting for sex-selective abortions or performing female infanticide at home. Today, as a result, the nation has what its own officials term “the most serious and prolonged” gender imbalance in the world. By 2020, there will be an estimated 30 million more Chinese men than women of marrying age.

In particularly poor or remote areas, many Chinese men have countered this handicap by “buying” a bride from abroad, a practice billed as a cost-effective alternative to paying a dowry for a local one. The result has seen a surge of women and girls from neighbouring countries peddled into this lucrative bride industry, where “wives” can be purchased for as much as 80,000 yuan (£9,300). Some 1,281 women were rescued and repatriated by Chinese officials in 2012 alone, nearly all of them from neighbouring Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The practice sparked international fury at the end of last year, when a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, who had been sold to a 35-year-old man in central China for 30,000 yuan (£3,400), presented at Xuzhou hospital for her first prenatal appointment.

Last year, Chinese authorities rescued 207 Vietnamese women, and one child, from a cross-border trafficking ring involving 61 gangs. Yet bride trafficking is a phenomenon that authorities struggle to contain. Lào Cai province, which sprawls from these fog-enveloped mountains and grassy valleys to border Yunnan in China, is one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse regions in Vietnam. Home to various hill tribes, including the H’mong, Dao and Tay, the province is popular with backpackers. But monthly per capita income here is just half of the national average, education levels remain frighteningly low and jobs are scarce. In Sapa, a slapdash town of touts and bars that serves as the main tourist base for the region, small children in traditional H’mong dress kneel at the edge of the dusty streets, selling trinkets, their newborn siblings in embroidered papooses on their backs.

[contemplatingoutlander]

America has legislated itself into competing red, blue versions of education

This is an excellent article in The Washington Post about how our school systems have begun to reflect the political divisions in our nation, with many red states legally banning discussions on racism, sexism, and gender issues, and many blue states legally requiring those kinds of discussions. This is a gift🎁link, so anyone can read the entire article, even if the don't subscribe to the Post. Below are some excerpts:

Three-fourths of the nation’s school-aged students are now educated under state-level measures that either require more teaching on issues like race, racism, history, sex and gender, or which sharply limit or fully forbid such lessons, according to a sweeping Post review of thousands of state laws, gubernatorial directives and state school board policies. The restrictive laws alone affect almost half of all Americans aged 5 to 19. [...] The divide is sharply partisan. The vast majority of restrictive laws and policies, close to 9o percent, were enacted in states that voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, The Post found. Meanwhile, almost 80 percent of expansive laws and policies were enacted in states that voted for Joe Biden in 2020.

The explosion of laws regulating school curriculums is unprecedented in U.S. history for its volume and scope, said Jonathan Zimmerman, a University of Pennsylvania professor who studies education history and policy...states have never before stepped in so aggressively to set rules for local schools. [...] [A] nationally representative study from the Rand Corp. released this year found that 65 percent of K-12 teachers report they are limiting instruction on “political and social issues.” “What the laws show is that we have extremely significant differences over how we imagine America,” Zimmerman said. [...] In practice, these divisions mean that what a child learns about, say, the role slavery played in the nation’s founding — or the possibility of a person identifying as nonbinary — may come to depend on whether they live in a red or blue state. [...] Almost 40 percent of these laws work by granting parents greater control of the curriculum — stipulating that they must be able to review, object to or remove lesson material, as well as opt out of instruction. [...] Another almost 40 percent of the laws forbid schools from teaching a long list of often-vague concepts related to race, sex or gender.

[...] At the college level, among the measures passed in recent years is a 2021 Oklahoma law that prohibits institutions of higher education from holding “mandatory gender or sexual diversity training or counseling,” as well as any “orientation or requirement that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping.” By contrast, a 2023 California measure says state community college faculty must employ “teaching, learning and professional practices” that reflect “anti-racist principles.”

Some experts predicted the politically divergent instruction will lead to a more divided society. “When children are being taught very different stories of what America is, that will lead to adults who have a harder time talking to each other,” said Rachel Rosenberg, a Hartwick College assistant professor of education.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Eric Levitz at Vox:

When Vice President Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz as her running mate, many pundits lamented her decision. In their view, the Democratic nominee should have chosen a vice presidential candidate who could mitigate her liabilities, and balance out her party’s ticket — such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

After all, Harris had been a liberal senator from one of America’s most left-wing states and then had run an exceedingly progressive primary campaign in 2020. To win over swing-state undecideds, she needed to demonstrate her independence from her party’s most radical elements. And selecting the popular governor of a purple state — who had defied the Democratic activist base on education policy and Israel’s war in Gaza— would do just that. Walz, in this account, was just another liberal darling: As Minnesota governor, he had enacted a litany of progressive policies, including restoring the voting rights of ex-felons and creating a refuge program for trans people denied gender-affirming care in other states. Picking Walz might thrill the subset of Americans who would vote for Harris even if she burned an American flag on live TV and lit a blunt with its flames. But it would do nothing to reassure those who heard two words they did not like in the phrase, “California liberal.”

But there is more than one way to balance a ticket. Or so Harris’s team believes, if the third night of the Democratic National Convention is any guide. On Wednesday night, Democrats used Walz’s nomination to associate their party with rural American culture and small-c conservative moral sentiments, while remaining true to a broadly progressive agenda. Walz may not be especially distinct from Harris ideologically. But he is quite different demographically and symbolically. Harris is the half-Jamaican, half-Indian daughter of immigrant college professors who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Walz was born into a family whose roots in the United States went back to the 1800s, and raised in a Nebraska town of 400, where ethnic diversity largely consisted of several different flavors of Midwestern white (Walz himself is of German, Irish, Swedish, and Luxembourgish descent). Harris is an effortlessly cool veteran of red carpets. Walz is a dad joke that has attained corporal form.

In her person and biography, Harris represents the America that has benefited unequivocally from the transformations of the past half-century — the cosmopolitan, multicultural nation that has greeted the advance of racial and gender equality with relief, and the knowledge economy that’s taken to globalization with relish. Walz, by contrast, was shaped by the America that feels more at home in the world of yesterday, at least as it is nostalgically misremembered — a world where moral intuitions felt more stable, rural economies seemed more healthy, and the American elite looked more familiar; the America that put Donald Trump in the Oval Office, in other words. Or at least, the Harris campaign has chosen to associate Walz with all of that America’s iconography, attempting to make it feel as included in the Democratic coalition as possible — without actually ceding much ground to conservative policy preferences. The introduction to Walz’s speech Wednesday night looked like it could have been scripted by a chatbot asked to generate the antithesis of a “San Francisco liberal.” A video montage celebrated Walz’s diligent work on his family farm growing up, his service in the US military, skills as a marksman, and — above all — success as a football coach. Democrats leaned especially hard on that last, most American item on Walz’s resume. Just before the party’s vice presidential nominee took the mic, a group of his former players decked out in their gridiron garments marched on stage to a fight song (not to be confused with “Fight Song”).

[...] There is some basis for believing that Democrats might be able to win over a small but significant fraction of Republican-leaning independents by wrapping center-left policies in conservative packaging. Some political scientists have found that when moderate and conservative voters are presented with a progressive, Democratic economic policy idea — that is justified on the grounds that it will help uphold “the values and traditions that were handed down to us: hard work, loyalty to our country and the freedom to forge your own path” — some do respond favorably (as do liberal voters, who take no offense at such abstract, traditionalist pieties). Whether Walz tying himself to rural American symbology — or Harris tying herself to “Coach Walz” — will be enough to blunt Trump’s attacks on the Democratic nominee’s supposed “communism” remains to be seen. But the Democratic ticket is at least trying to make right-leaning Midwesterners feel like they belong (even if they do not think like Democrats do).

Tim Walz’s DNC speech last night reflects a broader trend of Democrats reclaiming freedom and patriotism while also selling its liberal agenda. #DNC2024 #HarrisWalz2024

See Also:

HuffPost: With Kamala Harris, It’s Cool For Liberals To Be Patriotic Again

[beardedmrbean]

Do they ever give up? Those looking to divvy up Americans by race, that is.

In California they tried to get race preferences approved in a 2020 referendum, but voters rejected it 57.2% to 42.8%. This was a stunning rebuke, not only because the rejection came from residents of a blue state but because the losing side had outspent opponents something like 14 to 1.

In 2023 the Supreme Court weighed in with a landmark ruling that barred colleges from treating people as members of a racial group instead of as individuals—and cast constitutional doubt on all race-based preferences. “Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. Couldn’t be clearer, right?

Not in California. Undaunted state Assemblyman Corey Jackson is pushing a bill called ACA7. It takes aim at the state ban on race preferences that voters put in the constitution in 1996 when they passed Proposition 209. Californians reaffirmed Proposition 209 three years ago at the ballot box.

The language the voters agreed to and the activists hate reads as follows: “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” Unlike the 2020 effort, the new bill would leave that language intact. Instead, it would add a provision allowing the governor to create “exceptions.” Effectively that would gut the ban.

Apparently, the lesson the advocates of state-sponsored discrimination have taken from their defeat is that if at first you don’t succeed, try something sneakier.

Here is Mr. Jackson’s press release summarizing the bill: “ACA7 will allow . . . the Governor to issue waivers to public agencies that wish to use state funds for research-based, or research-informed and culturally specific interventions to increase life expectancy, improve educational outcomes, and lift people out of poverty for specific ethnic groups and marginalized genders.”

Gail Heriot is a University of San Diego law professor who sits on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and was a leader of both Proposition 209 and the “no” effort on the 2020 referendum. She has launched a petition with Extremely Concerned Californians at change.org opposing the measure.

“ACA7’s proponents are hoping that voters will be fooled into thinking that it is just a small exception,” Ms. Heriot says. “In fact, it gives the governor enormous power to nullify Proposition 209.”

Edward Blum agrees. As the founder of Students for Fair Admissions, he spearheaded the lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina that killed race preferences in college admissions.

“Racial preferences are never legally justified because some specious ‘research’ report concludes it would be beneficial to a certain race,” says Mr. Blum. “This exemption will trigger endless litigation that will polarize California citizens by race.”

But sowing discord is a feature, not a bug. As the bill was making its way through the Assembly, Mr. Jackson got in a spat with Bill Essayli—a Republican who is also the first Muslim elected to the Assembly. Mr. Essayli pointed out that the majority of Californian voters disagree with state-sanctioned discrimination. “I fundamentally disagree with this backwards policy,” he later tweeted.

Mr. Jackson responded in his own tweet: “This is a perfect example how a minority can become a white supremacist by doing everything possible to win white supremacist and fascist affection.”

ACA7 passed the state Assembly in September. If it passes the Senate, it will be on the ballot in November. If Californians vote yea, it will become part of the constitution.

But all is not lost. The 2020 referendum awakened a sleeping giant: the Asian-American community. Asian-Americans quickly realized (as the Harvard case drove home) that they and their children are the primary victims whenever race is substituted for merit. Asian-Americans are more aware and organized than they were in 2020. They aren’t likely to be fooled by talk of “exceptions” based on “research.”

It also isn’t a given that ACA7 will make it through the state Senate. Though Democrats enjoy a 32-8 majority, polls consistently show race preferences are unpopular. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s support will be crucial.

Though he has no formal role in the constitutional process, some think the bill will go nowhere if Mr. Newsom doesn’t want it to. If it does make it to the ballot this November, he’ll be under immense pressure to endorse it. That’s another reason the Senate should kill ACA7 now, Ms. Heriot says.

“California voters need to make sure their state senators know where they stand—through emails, phone calls, letters, and petitions,” Ms. Heriot says. “Once the senators understand that, they will realize putting ACA7 on the ballot is not in their interest.”

[helispark]

It's September now, two months away from the United States 2024 presidential elections. In addition, some states are holding their primaries in a few days (hello, Massachusetts!).

A lot happened over the summer, and I wanted to make a little "reminder" post about the situation we're in.

In an effort to enable anybody to understand what's been going on, even if they haven't been around for recent developments for any reason, I'm going to summarize the major events, talk a bit about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and give my two cents on why you should vote blue.

It's gonna be a pretty long post, so I'll start under the cut here to talk about Project 2025...

What's Project 2025?

It's a set of plans authored by the Heritage Foundation, a Republican think tank behind a lot of nasty policies over the years, which details their intent to reshape the government into an extreme right-wing, Christian nationalist dictatorship.

They will carry it out to the best of their ability the next time a Republican becomes president. They're hoping that person will be Donald Trump, who chose several members of the Heritage Foundation for the Cabinet in his 2016-2020 term. If that happens, they will do many very bad things, including but not at all limited to:

- Reclassifying most government workers as "at will" workers that can be fired if they don't agree with right wing extremist policies

- Banning abortion nationwide, and tracking people's pregnancies to get them arrested if they don't give birth

- Making it illegal to be transgender. They plan to do this by reclassifying gender identity as pornography, which will also be banned, by the way

- Eliminating the Department of Education, COMPLETELY, making it so the only schools will then be private schools

- Defunding green energy, shrinking the Environmental Protection Agency and allowing businesses to ignore the Endangered Species Act.

A great summary is here:

And the full document outlining Project 2025 is here, permanently. It's a huge document, over 900 pages, so don't beat yourself up if you can't read the whole thing:

https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

What happened over the summer?

On July 9th, Joe Biden made a post on Twitter telling people to look up Project 2025. It wasn't a new thing that just got announced, but Biden tweeting about it gave it mainstream attention.

A few days later, on July 13, Donald Trump was holding a rally in Pennsylvania when someone tried to assassinate him. They didn't kill him, the bullet only grazed his ear.

Some of the story is blurry - the shooter's motive is unknown, and some even think this whole thing was staged, which I personally could see being true given the timing of it - point is, what happened doesn't matter as much as what the Republicans tried to do with it.

They tried to launch a big attack against the left, decrying leftist voters as being bloodthirsty and violent. Pressure was mounting on Biden. He had already done very poorly in a presidential debate on June 27th, which spread concerns that he was just too old to run the country anymore. But this basically ensured that he'd never get elected come November.

The Republicans started the Republican National Convention two days later. There, Trump was confirmed to be the Republican pick for president, and he announced his pick for vice president - JD Vance, a weird and slimy man just like Trump himself.

The convention was kind of a big deal. I had to bear witness to it myself because of my conservative family, the large crowds chanting "Bye, bye, Biden!" And for a moment, for a lot of people, it looked like civil rights in America were finished.

But Biden did something clever. See, both the Republican presidential and vice presidential picks were now locked in. But the Democratic National Convention was still a month away, in August. He waited until July 21st, after the GOP had spent billions of dollars campaigning against him, to drop out of the race and endorse the current vice president, Kamala Harris, for the position.

Enter Kamala

Kamala quickly grabbed the Democrat Party's favor for the presidential candidacy. She entered the race and the feedback was unprecedented. She broke fundraising records, raising $81 million from small donors in 24 hours.

On July 19, the Democratic National Convention started. She became the presidential pick and announced Tim Walz to be her running mate as vice president.

Kamala has a great history before her time as vice president. When she worked as a district attorney and then attorney general for California, she created a new program that charged people for low level drug offenses instead of throwing them directly to jail, which drastically lowered incarceration rates.

She refused to defend the ban on same-sex marriage in 2008, leading to it being overturned in 2013, and she removed "gay panic" as a criminal defense. She's a very vocal proponent of safe, legal abortion.

As for Tim Walz, he's also awesome. He's the governor of Minnesota, and under his leadership Minnesota became the most progressive state in the country as of 2023.

Now Minnesota has banned conversion therapy, 12 weeks of both paid sick leave and paid family leave for workers, and a universal breakfast and lunch for children in participating schools.

Why you should vote blue

I won't pretend that Kamala getting elected will fix everything in our nation. But I believe it's important to acknowledge that regardless of political views, we're all living in this country together. Sometimes you have to work with people and make compromises even if you hate their guts. Like with bad siblings or school project partners.

When most people state their reasons for why they plan not to vote, the genocide in Gaza is brought up a lot. And you know what, I think it's awful! It makes my blood boil thinking about all the people who are starving, surrounded by the death and destruction of everything they've loved. The last time I opened my mouth about politics on here it was about Gaza.

But if you really care about saving lives, you have to ask yourself what is going to be the best solution.

Not voting, or voting for third party? That's a vote for Trump, and he thinks Israel has been soft on Gaza. He wants them to "finish the job."

Overthrow the government? I'd love to, but we have one of the most militarized police forces in the world, not to mention the actual military. A violent approach like that is just going to get us all killed, so we need passive change.

Move out of the country? Most of us can't do that. We're stuck here, whether we like it or not.

Please vote for Kamala when elections come this November. If you want to see bigger change, I encourage you to participate in local politics.

Every month, there are little things happening in your state or your town that you can feel happy that you were able to make an impact in. And little changes like that will add up. If Kamala wins, it means we all get at least four more years to change this country for the better. We could do a lot in that time.

[jurnaltalking]

What Have Been the Benefits of NEP 2020

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a policy document that outlines the government's vision for the future of education in India. The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020 and is the first education policy to be introduced in India in over 34 years. The NEP 2020 is a comprehensive document that addresses all levels of education, from early childhood to higher education. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of NEP 2020.

Emphasis on Holistic Education

The NEP 2020 emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to education. It recognizes that education is not just about academic excellence but also about developing a range of skills, including social, emotional, and life skills. The policy aims to develop students who are well-rounded and can contribute positively to society.

Focus on Early Childhood Education

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of early childhood education in a child's development. The policy aims to provide universal access to quality early childhood education for all children up to the age of six. This will help children develop the necessary skills and abilities to succeed in later stages of education and life.

Promotion of Multilingualism

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of multilingualism and aims to promote it. The policy encourages schools to teach in the mother tongue or regional language up to grade five, and preferably up to grade eight. This will help children develop a strong foundation in their mother tongue and also learn other languages.

Flexibility in Curriculum and Pedagogy

The NEP 2020 aims to provide flexibility in the curriculum and pedagogy to promote innovation and creativity. The policy encourages the use of technology in education and promotes experiential learning. It also allows students to choose their own subjects and pursue interdisciplinary courses.

Emphasis on Vocational Education

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of vocational education and aims to integrate it into mainstream education. The policy aims to provide students with vocational education and training from grade six onwards. This will help students develop the necessary skills to succeed in the job market and contribute to the country's economic development.

Focus on Teacher Training

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of teacher training in improving the quality of education. The policy aims to provide comprehensive training to teachers to enable them to adopt new teaching methods and use technology in the classroom. It also encourages the recruitment of qualified teachers and the development of their skills through continuous professional development.

Use of Technology in Education

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of technology in education and aims to promote its use. The policy encourages the use of digital tools and platforms for teaching and learning. It also aims to provide internet connectivity and digital devices to all students, especially those in rural and remote areas.

Promotion of Research and Innovation

The NEP 2020 aims to promote research and innovation in education. The policy encourages the establishment of research centers and the development of a culture of research in educational institutions. It also encourages the integration of research into the curriculum and the use of research-based teaching methods.

In conclusion, the National Education Policy 2020 is a comprehensive policy document that addresses the current challenges in the Indian education system. The policy emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to education, promotes the use of technology, and encourages innovation and research. It also recognizes the importance of early childhood education, multilingualism, vocational education, and teacher training. The NEP2020 is a step in the right direction to transform the Indian education system and prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

[leadschool1]

The government had brought National Education Policy 2020 to make learning stress-free and fun-filled for students holistic growth. New Education Policy strives to provide high-quality education to all the students for bringing positive change in the education system. Learn about national education policy in detail.