From rigid streams to flexible choices: How Cambridge aligns with NEP 2020- Moneycontrol.com

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Cambridge University Press and Assessment official Rod Smith said flexible subject choices and multidisciplinary learning align with NEP 2020’s learner-centred approach, while helping students make informed academic and career decisions.

September 20, 2026 / 13:19 IST

Cambridge offers schools flexibility in choosing subjects and combinations based on students' needs, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020 vision of greater choice and learner-centred education, a top Cambridge University Press official has said.

Cambridge has a significant presence in India, with around 850 schools offering its curriculum and examinations, a number growing by about 15 per cent annually, Cambridge University Press and Assessment Group Managing Director, International Education, Rod Smith, told PTI.

Across South Asia, Cambridge has a presence 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 of moving away from rigid streams and a one-size-fits-all approach toward greater choice, flexibility and learner-centred education," Smith said.

It also allows learners to make choices progressively, based on their developing interests, strengths and aspirations, rather than being defined too early by a fixed academic pathway, he stated.

"India's NEP 2020 has already articulated a progressive vision in response to many of these shifts, with its emphasis on multidisciplinary learning, flexibility, subject choice and holistic development. The global experience can complement this vision by offering perspectives on how these principles can continue to evolve," Smith said.

However, learners should be given opportunities to explore different subjects before choosing their specialisations, and this process should begin at the school level, he opined.

"Early assessment can help schools understand learners' strengths and areas for development, while exposure to different subjects and careers can help learners understand what interests them. This can support more informed pathway choices, rather than choosing a career first and discovering later that it does not align with their interests or strengths," Smith said.

"It can also contribute to learner wellbeing by helping them pursue directions that better align with who they are," he added.

For Cambridge in India, the global experience is not about adopting another model but learning from how education systems worldwide are responding to a changing world, while strengthening the vision outlined in NEP 2020 and helping learners understand themselves, explore possibilities and make informed choices about their future, he said.

Smith said that teachers and school leaders are critical to making this happen.

Cambridge, therefore, invests significantly in professional development, helping educators strengthen learner-centred approaches, active learning, assessment for learning, metacognition and differentiated teaching, he added.

The objective is to help learners explore their strengths and make informed academic and career choices, while helping parents understand wider pathways and make more informed choices for their children, according to the official.

"We have also enabled our schools to have open conversations with parents about academic rigour in an AI-enabled world, the growing importance of judgement and multidisciplinary approaches, and the varied academic and career destinations available. This year, our leadership is taking this conversation directly to parents in over 500 schools, helping them better understand these possibilities," he added.

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