Govt. seeks feedback for pre-draft of National Curriculum Framework in schools

The Ministry of Education has released a pre-draft version of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education and has sought feedback from various stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, teacher educators, experts, scholars and professionals.

• In view of the diverse needs of students, multiple pedagogic approaches, learning-teaching material at the different stages of school education, it is felt important to take feedback from this NCF-School Education (SE).
• Feedback can be sent by email to ncert@ciet.nic.in
• While giving your feedback, it needs to be kept in view that this is a pre-draft of the NCF-SE which still requires several rounds of discussion within the National Steering Committee (NSC).

• Feedback from diverse stakeholders will further help NSC to look critically into different modalities and approaches that this framework is proposing.

Features of the National Curriculum Framework:

• The pre-draft version of National Curriculum Framework for School Education covers the framework of curriculum for age groups 3 to 18 years.
• The pre-draft says that for Grade 10 certification, students will have to take two essential courses from humanities, maths and computing, vocational education, physical education, arts education, social science, science and interdisciplinary areas.
• In Grade 11 and 12, students will be offered choice-based courses in the same disciplines for more rigorous engagement.
• Arts education will include music, dance, theatre, sculpture, painting, set design, scriptwriting, while inter-disciplinary areas will include knowledge of India, traditions and practices of Indian knowledge systems.
• For Class 11 and 12, Modular Board Exams will be offered as opposed to a single exam at the end of the year and final result will be based on cumulative result of each exam.
• It focuses on the importance of questioning by giving examples of the Upanishads, and includes examples from Katha Upanishad. It terms debates between Adisankara and Mandana Misra as legendary.
• For the framework of the social science curriculum, it emphasises on understanding and appreciating the feeling of Indianess, ‘bhartiyata’, by valuing the rich cultural heritage and tradition of the country.
• The pre-draft recommends learning about Ayurveda and yoga.
• It also stresses on identifying and explaining important phases of the Indian national movement against British rule, with special reference to Gandhian and other subaltern movements.
• The middle-school history curriculum includes the emergence of large empires in the context of Greek and Magadh geographies.
• It also recommends teaching concepts of Buddhism, Jainism and Vedic and Confucian philosophies.

National Education Policy 2020:

• Equitable and Inclusive Education:
  • NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. Special emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities, and disabilities.
• Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path:
  • Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes. Promotions will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic performance appraisals and available progression paths to becoming educational administrators or teacher educators.
  • A common National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers and expert organizations from across levels and regions.
• Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education:
  • NEP 2020 envisages clear, separate systems for policymaking, regulation, operations, and academic matters. States/UTs will set up an independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA).
• Holistic Multidisciplinary Education:
  • The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education, and multiple entries and exit points with appropriate certification.
  • UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.
  • For example, a Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years and Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years.