29 30 31 32 Purgi Balti Bhutia Bishnupriya Manipuri 3 2 1 1 Source: UDISE+ 2021-22 It is not always possible to include each dialect/mother-tongue as medium of instruction, however, teaching and learning can take place through these dialects/mother tongues in the classroom. This can be a game-changer in removing the challenge of accessing learning in languages not familiar to the child. This aspect is discussed in more detail in a later section. 2.2.3 Assessment as a barrier to inclusion We have been following a typical system of assessment, more or less, since preindependence, with hardly any changes or reforms. Our outdated assessment systems that are heavily reliant on rote memorization, are not able to account for the learning styles and requirements of children, including those with disabilities. Many children are not able to complete school education or prefer to drop out in the face of incomprehensible and archaic systems of assessment. The National Education Policy 2020 has provided for a complete revamp of the system and the recently released National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 has laid down the strategy and timelines for implementing a more learner-centric system of assessment that aims to ensure than all assessments also lead to progress in learning and acquiring of skills and competencies, rather than focusing on judging the child. 2.2.4 Bringing focus on mental well-being In 2022, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) surveyed mental health among students in schools for the first time in the nation. Over 3.79 lakh students participated in it from all 36 states and Union Territories. The survey was conducted to understand students’ perception of their own mental health and well-being. The respondents were divided into two groups—the middle stage (Classes VI-VIII) and the secondary stage (Classes IX to XII).Studies, exams, and results cause anxiety, said 81 per cent of the 3.79 lakh students. As students move from the middle to secondary stages, the decline in their happiness related to their personal and academic lives was evident in the survey report. The issues of an identity crisis, increased sensitivity to interpersonal interactions, peer pressure, fear of board exams, anxiety and uncertainty experienced by students for their future admissions, careers, etc., are all characteristics of the secondary stage.15 NEP 2020, for the first time, has brought focus on this issue and emphasized holistic development as against simply cognitive development of the child as more crucial for a better learning curve. NEP 2020’s emphasis on mental well-being and its Mental Health and well-being of students, a survey, 2022, NCERT, https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/ default/files/rte/Gazette_rte.pdf 15 Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, Vol. 22, 2023 47