NCF, NEP and Quality of Education

Partha Pratim Mazumder

(parthapratimmazumder1988@gmail.com)

On 20th Oct, 2022 Union Minister for Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan launched the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for Foundational Stage across the country. We all know that Foundational, Preparatory, Middle & Secondary are the four stages of NCF for school education. Developing the foundational framework was one of the most important and challenging aspects under NEP 2020, as it has a huge bearing on shaping the future of our country. The NCF is one of the key components of NEP 2020, that enables and energizes this transformation, informed by the aims, principles, and approach of NEP 2020. Its objective is to realize the highest quality of education for all our children, consistent with realizing an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged by our Constitution.This NCF is based on cutting-edge research from across the world in multiple disciplines, which includes among other things, better understanding in the fields of neurosciences, brain study,and cognitive sciences. Further, the accumulated insights from the practice of Early Childhood Care and Education, and the wisdom and knowledge from diverse Indian traditions are also important considerations. This curriculum framework will be an integral part of the of the overall National Curriculum Framework for School Education, which is under development, and will address the remaining three stages of the 5+3+3+4 structure, covering education for children up to the age of 18. So, while this NCF is complete in itself, its connections and implications to the other stages will be settled in the overall National Curriculum Framework for School Education. Further, this Foundational Stage framework will also guide the preparation of the teachers for this stage of education.

The over-reaching objective of this NCF is to help in positively transforming the school education system of India as envisioned in NEP 2020, through corresponding positive changes in the curriculum including pedagogy.This NCF also aims to account for the reality of the current typical institution and teacher, while being entirely in harmony with the imagination of the best-resourced institutions. Thus, this NCF aims to be deeply rooted in the reality of our context, yet aspirational.We all know that the first eight years of a child's life are truly critical and lay the foundation for lifelong well-being, and overall growth and development across all dimensions - physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. So, NCF has recommended that the mother tongue should be the primary medium of instruction for children till eight years of age, in both public and private schools, saying that a new language "reverses the entire learning process" in the early years. It adds that English could be one of the second language options.

While this NCF has an institutional focus, the importance of the home environment cannot be over-emphasized - including family, extended family, neighbours, and others in the close community - all of whom have a very significant impact on the child, particularly in this age range. Hence, this NCF will deal with the role of parents and communities in enabling and enhancing the developmental outcomes that are sought during this stage; it will not, however, deal in detail with aspects of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for ages prior to 3 years, which is entirely outside institutional settings. ECCE during these years also entails the development of early literacy and numeracy, including learning about the alphabet, languages, numbers, counting, colours, shapes, drawing/ painting, indoor and outdoor play, puzzles and logical thinking, art, craft, music, and movement. The aim is to build on the developmental outcomes in the domains mentioned above, combined with a focus on early literacy, numeracy and awareness of one's environment. This becomes particularly important during the age range of 6-8, forming the basis for achievement of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). The importance of FLN to overall education is well-understood, and fully emphasized in NEP 2020.

Bharat with an illustrious history of holistic education has always been focusing on the pursuit of knowledge (Gyan), wisdom (Pragyaa) and truth (Sathyaa) as the highest human goal. As rightly said by Swami Vivekananda, "Education is not the amount of information that we put into our brain and runs riot there, undigested, all through life. We must have life-building, man-making and character-making assimilation of ideas". The Indian education system is the third-largest system in the world. There have been changes worldwide in the higher education system. India for decades has largely focused on issues of access and equity but did not do much with regard to quality of education. The government has come up with the "New Education Policy 2020". This is a golden opportunity to undo or correct the wrongs been done in the last 180 years. The vision of the policy state that "This National Education Policy aims at building a global best education system rooted in Bharatiya ethos, and aligned with the principles enunciated above, thereby transforming Bharat into a global knowledge superpower". Here the word Bharatiya ethos is very important. Bharatiya ethos cannot be imparted unless and until one brings instruction in Bharatiya languages. This is the right place to remember that, why the English Education Act had been enacted in the first place. The question comes that what is Bharatiya ethos? Or what is the Bharatiya way of learning?

The NEP has made its objectives clear. It aims to restructure the existing higher education system to make it holistic, integrated, accountable, enjoyable and employable, reorienting it towards quality research. It is a revolutionary document and marks a tectonic shift from the existing norms that will shake the narrow boundaries of disciplines and programmes. If implemented sincerely with a careful designing of syllabi and curricula, it has the potential to transform India into a self-reliant knowledge superpower by the end of the first half of this century.The policy aspires to dismantle this status hierarchy and aims to integrate vocational education with mainstream education. Starting with vocational exposure in the middle and secondary classes, "quality vocational education will be integrated smoothly into higher education". This will ensure that every individual learns at least one vocation and is able to develop a sense of the dignity of labour and respect for various vocations. This will also enable us to tap our demographic dividend and address skill-deficits of the economy. The policy envisions that the "development of vocational capacities will go hand in hand with development of 'academic' or other capacities."

Coming to the education being imparted in the native language, it is not rocket science that language shapes our way of thinking, which in turn shapes the core values of a person. The vast knowledge available in Bharatiya languages, particularly in Sanskrit, is getting lost in translation. The importance of understanding the content in its original form cannot be ignored. The relevance and beauty of the classical languages and literature of India also cannot be overlooked. India cannot afford to have its citizens as "a class of persons Bharatiya in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect" for another 200 years. NEP 2020 provides a unique opportunity to our generation of educators. It is high time that we start working on the content, methodology and pedagogy inclusive of 'Bharatiya Ethos'. This opportunity simply cannot be missed. It requires greater deliberations and willing participation of all teachers in these exercises. It is certain that if this system is implemented it could empower the students to enhance their capabilities and employment potential. It is also certain that curriculum will be more focused and assessment methodologies will not just test the recalling skills alone but also test the knowledge levels expected of employable graduates.