Page 50 - EW August 2023

Cover Story

NCF FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION 2023
What children should learn

he ‘pre-draft’ National Cur-
riculum Framework for Foun-
Tdational Stage (NCF-FS) and
National Curriculum Framework for
School Education (NCFSE) prepared
by a 13-member Steering Committee
chaired by former ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organisation) scientist Dr.
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan are vo-
luminous documents, likely to intimi-
date teacher educators and teachers’
communities for whose benefit they
have been prepared. The NCF-FS draft
comprises 360 pages and NCFSE 628
pages.
However, this sentiment is unwar-
ranted because the prolixity of the two
drafts is due to the unprecedented
guidance and handholding provided
by the steering and several other Secondary school children in Mumbai: valuable learning attainment signposts
sub-committees to teachers — and
self-driven students. Therefore these each class in middle (classes VII-IX ) learned.
constituencies shouldn’t be put off by and senior school (X-XII) in eight core Likewise to teach science in second-
the voluminous size of the ‘pre-drafts’ subjects. For teachers, this is a valu- ary stage, by monitoring the progress
which have invited amendments and able guide as it enables them to mea- in the attainment of 7 CGs beginning
comments prior to finalisation. This sure their progress in implementing with students in class IX exploring
EducationWorld cover feature is a re- the curriculum at every stage. “the world of matter, its interactions
sponse to this invitation with the addi- For instance to teach science to and properties at the atomic levels”
tional benefit that it also summarises students in middle stage, in a chap- to exploring the nature of science by
and highlights the main features of ter titled Learning Standards (section doing science, children should have a
NCFSE after having whole-heartedly 4.4) the draft NCFSE 2023 sets out grasp of scientific theories and prin-
welcomed NCF-FS in a previous issue seven curricular goals (CGs) starting ciples and be able to communicate us-
(see https://www.educationworld.in/ with CG-1 in which students should ing scientific terminology. Again the
ncffs-2022-promising-debut/). “explore the world of matter and its seven CGs are complemented by ILOs
The highlight of NCFSE — and a constituents, properties and behav- which test the competency levels at-
major service to teacher-educators, iour”, learn to classify matter (solid, tained by students.
teachers, parents and students — is liquid, gas etc), learn the properties of The chapter on Learning Standards
that it details ways and means to matter and how they can be changed; is followed up by a chapter titled Ra-
teach, monitor and assess eight major measurement of matter, the impact tionale for Content Selection (4.5),
schooling subjects/areas — language pressure, temperature and density. Pedagogy (4.6) including Recom-
education, maths, science, social sci- CG-2 mandates that children mended Pedagogical Approaches and
ence, arts education, interdisciplin- should “explore the world around Settings (4.6.1.1), Classroom Manage-
ary linkages, physical and vocational them in scientific and mathemati- ment (4.6.3) and Assessment in Sci-
education — for children in primary- cal terms”. Similarly, CG 3 sets out ence (4.6.3) with several ILOs in all
secondary education. learning milestones which will enable chapters/sections.
In each of these subjects, the draft teachers (and parents) to track the Given the depth of detail and nu-
defines objectives, learning attain- progress of students. This is followed merous ILOs and examples, quite
ment sign-posts (curriculum goals) up by ILOs (illustrative learning out- obviously the Steering Committee
and provides illustrative outcomes of comes) which further enable teachers which has formulated NCFSE 2023
what students should have learned in to measure how much students have had teacher educators who run pro-

50 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2023