Derek O'Brien urges ICSE-ISC principals to oppose NEP, calls it ‘Anti-Federal’

Kolkata: TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien on Monday urged ICSE-ISC school principals to come together and oppose the New Education Policy (NEP), alleging that the policy was "anti-federal" and framed without consulting states or key stakeholders. Addressing a conference of school heads, O'Brien said the NEP undermined India's federal structure as "no states were consulted" during its formulation. He pointed out that several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have their own state education policies.

"West Bengal implemented the state education policy in 2023 under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while Tamil Nadu's policy and Karnataka's draft policy were released in 2025," he said, adding that the lack of consultation with stakeholders had made implementation of NEP-linked projects difficult for schools. O'Brien was speaking as the chief guest at the 103rd Annual Conference of the Association of Heads of Anglo-Indian Schools in India, held at La Martiniere for Girls School in Kolkata, which was attended by representatives of over 3,000 ICSE-ISC schools.

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On the administration of minority-run educational institutions, the TMC leader said Article 30 of the Constitution grants minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice, a right he claimed was being "adversely affected by the centralising tendency of the NEP ."

He also flagged concerns over "legislation like the recently introduced Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill ," arguing that such measures further erode institutional autonomy. O'Brien said government spending on education had "never touched 6 per cent of GDP", as recommended in the NEP, and had remained stagnant at around 3-4 per cent. He further encouraged members of the Christian community to remain visible in public life for "positive reasons," highlighting their contribution to education and healthcare.

According to him, about six crore students are enrolled annually in nearly 54,000 Christian-run institutions across the country, with at least three out of four students belonging to non-Christian communities. Healthcare institutions run by the community serve around 2 per cent of India's population, he said, adding that nearly 80 per cent of this work is carried out in remote and medically underserved regions.