Governance
Mandate Document for National Curriculum Framework
- 02 May 2022
- 5 min read
For Prelims: Mandate document, National curriculum framework, National Education Policy (NEP), 2020
For Mains: Reforms in Education, Decolonization of Indian education system, Government Policies & Interventions
Why in News?
Recently, the Ministry of Education has released the “mandate document” for a National Curriculum Framework under the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
- The mandate document is envisaged to bring about a paradigm shift with focus on holistic development of children, emphasis on skilling, vital role of teachers, learning in mother tongue, cultural rootedness.
- It is also a step towards decolonization of the Indian education system.
What is the National Curriculum Framework?
- Central to the implementation of the transformative National Education Policy 2020 is the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) which will empower and enable outstanding teaching and learning in the country, by converting the vision of the NEP 2020 into reality in our schools and classrooms.
- The development of the NCF is being guided by the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by Dr K Kasturirangan, supported by the Mandate Group, along with the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT).
- The NCF will include:
- The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE),
- The National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Care & Education (NCFECCE),
- The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE),
- The National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education (NCFAE).
- The government held that the NEP is the philosophy, National Curriculum Framework is the pathway and the mandate document released today is the constitution to champion the changing demands of the 21st century and positively impact the future.
- The mandate group has set 28th February 2023 as the deadline for the revision of syllabi based on the new NCF.
What are the Highlights of the Mandate Document?
- Consultative Process: It sets the mechanisms for the development of a coherent and comprehensive NCF, fully leveraging the widespread consultations already under way.
- Multi-Disciplinary Education: The process designed ensures the seamless integration imagined - vertically (across Stages) and horizontally in the NEP 2020 – to ensure holistic, integrated, and multi-disciplinary education.
- Conducive Environment for Teaching: It enables the critical linkage between the curriculum of schools with the curriculum of Teacher Education as an integral part of the transformative reforms envisioned by the NEP 2020.
- Thus, enabling rigorous preparation, continuous professional development, and a positive working environment for all our teachers
- Life-long Learning: It informs the creation of opportunities for life-long learning for all citizens in the country.
- Focus on Cutting-edge Research: Anchored and informed by sound theory and cutting-edge research yet using simple language with real-life illustrations from classrooms and schools in a variety of contexts.
- Addressing Huge Learning Loss: The states and the Centre “must act urgently” to address the “huge learning loss” among students due to the interruptions in regular teaching and learning caused by the pandemic over the last two years.
What is meant by Decolonization of Indian education system?
- Industrialization and its consequential imperialism and colonialism have impacted this world for three centuries.
- India has been a colony of the British Empire for two centuries.
- These eventful two centuries of Indian history did see the influence of not only the political and economic might of Britain but its influence on every milieu of Indian life.
- India’s indigenous education system was gradually displaced, and the colonial model of education pervaded under the patronage from the colonial-state.
- The language, pedagogy, evaluation and knowledge of the colonizer became naturalis obligato (Natural Obligation) for the population of the colony.
- Although India got independence in 1947, still Indian education system is heavily dominated by western world.
- Hence, there is a need to decolonize Indian education System immediately.
What is NCERT?
- NCERT is an autonomous organization of the Government of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- It aims at reforming the school education system through research, training, policy formulation and curriculum development.
- Headquarters: New Delhi
