Cambridge Curriculum Flexibility Aligns With NEP 2020 Vision: Official

Cambridge’s flexible approach to subject selection and combinations aligns closely with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision of greater choice and learner-centred education, a senior Cambridge University Press official has said.

Cambridge University Press and Assessment Group Managing Director, International Education, Rod Smith, told PTI that schools can choose subjects based on the needs and interests of their students, moving away from rigid academic streams and a one-size-fits-all approach.

Cambridge has around 850 schools in India offering its curriculum and examinations, with the number growing by about 15 per cent annually. Across South Asia, its programmes are offered in approximately 1,200 schools.

“Cambridge offers schools the flexibility to choose subjects and combinations based on their students’ needs. This closely aligns with the NEP 2020 vision,” Smith said. He said students should be allowed to make academic choices progressively, based on their developing interests, strengths and aspirations, rather than being restricted early to a fixed pathway.

Smith also stressed the importance of giving learners opportunities to explore different subjects and careers before choosing specialisations. Early assessment, he said, can help schools identify students’ strengths and areas for development, while exposure to different subjects and career options can support more informed decisions.

India’s NEP 2020 already places emphasis on multidisciplinary learning, flexibility, subject choice and holistic development, he said, adding that global experiences could provide perspectives on how these principles can evolve.

Teachers and school leaders are critical to implementing such an approach, Smith said. Cambridge invests in professional development covering learner-centred approaches, active learning, assessment for learning, metacognition and differentiated teaching. The organisation is also engaging parents on academic rigour in an AI-enabled world, multidisciplinary learning and diverse academic and career pathways. This year, its leadership is taking these discussions directly to parents in more than 500 schools, Smith said.