New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Friday released a mandate document that will pave the way for the development of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) – a document that will outline school curricula across the country for years to come.
The NCF, a document that is referred to when designing school textbooks, is being developed as part of the government’s new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. comprehensive reform in the education sector of the country. The process was led by former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan, who was also instrumental in shaping the NEP.
The document said that through the new curriculum, the government wants children to develop “rootedness and pride in India” and a “sense of service” to the country and the world.
“In all, there are currently over 700 focus groups working on inputs for the NCF. Therefore, it becomes necessary that there is a clear mechanism which ensures that all these important contributors to the NCF are on the same page and working in synergy towards clear and common goals,” read the mandate document.
The curriculum framework currently referenced in India is the 2005 framework.
The mandate document states that the new curriculum aims to help students develop basic literacy and numeracy, constitutional and other human values, including gender equality, speaking, writing, multilingualism, scientific temper, artistry and aesthetics, in the 21st century. century capabilities. Problem-solving, sustainable living, cultural literacy, socio-emotional competence, and life-long self-learning ability and preparation for higher education and gainful employment.
The mandate document gives directions and points to consider for the focus groups that develop the curriculum. It also gives specific, subject-wise instructions on how to develop curricula for the arts, sciences, mathematics, environmental sciences and other subjects with “Indian roots” in mind.
For mathematics, it says, focus groups should consider how “Indian knowledge systems” should be incorporated into the curriculum, and how “India’s contribution to the world of mathematics” can be addressed.
For environmental education, the document asks focus groups: “How will local knowledge and knowledge of Indian contexts be discovered and embedded within environmental education curricula?”
“How can India’s traditional perception and connection to the natural world help promote environmental awareness and sensitivity?” Documents asks.
Similar points have been mentioned for arts and science education.
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language education
It also asks in which grades English should be introduced as a subject, and how the three-language formula should be applied.
“When should second and third languages be introduced? How can students be given flexibility in choosing their second and third language,” the document asks.
,three language formulaThe policy is first formulated by the Central Government in 1968 and has been included in the NEP. The source stipulated that students from Hindi-speaking states take English, Hindi and a modern Indian language, while students from non-Hindi speaking states also take Hindi, English and an Indian language.
One point to the development of language education says, “What should be the approach to ensure that students are familiar with inspiring Indian literature (including local and tribal traditions, some of which are oral) and world literature?”
The document states that “NCF aims to help positively transform India’s school education system, as envisaged in NEP 2020, through corresponding positive changes in curriculum, including pedagogy”.
“It is the overall holistic transformation of the curriculum that enables us to positively transform the overall learning experiences for the students,” it adds.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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