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cepts across curricular areas roadmap to delivering them in
• Rules for technology and me- classrooms. There is no point in
dia usage become necessary. merely changing textbooks and
Teachers should demonstrate curriculums; the real change will
discerning educational use of happen when teachers are trained
the internet and media devic- and supported to implement new
es. Also initiate conversations pedagogies with the coopera-
about cyber safety tion of parents and students. We
• Teachers should set problem- need to develop robust support-
solving tasks that encourage ive systems to empower teachers
students to reason, communi- to implement NCFSE 2023,” says
cate, represent, and connect, Kavita Anand, founder-direc-
as well as justify their thinking tor of Adhyayan Quality Educa-
• Introduce small group work tion Services Ltd (estb.2011), a
to enable peer learning. Group Kavita Anand: delivery roadmap omission Mumbai-based consultancy that
work may include problem has aided and advised over 400
solving, group discussion and reason- risation as the primary form of learn- schools countrywide to improve lead-
ing, etc. ing or assessment ership, professional development and
• Encourage oral presentations, de- • Students must not be treated as pas- institutional governance.
bates, public speaking, group discus- sive receivers of information Anand suggests that the first step
sions, role play, peer and collaborative in effective implementation of NCFSE
learning. Expert comment. “Like the previ- 2023 is for SCERTs, DIETs, RIEs, and
• Teachers should encourage hands- ous NCF 2005, the new NCFSE 2023 Directorates of Education in the states
on learning activities, demonstra- is an excellent, aspirational docu- to set up ‘Study Circles’ to thoroughly
tions, and project-based learning ment. The challenge is to implement study and absorb the framework and
it in the nation’s classrooms. Govern- its recommendations. “They need to
Non-negotiable principles of ment, education ministry and policy own it and fully understand and ap-
pedagogy makers should invest time in under- preciate the framework and then de-
• Teachers should not use punishment standing and analysing the reasons vise ways and means for school lead-
and fear in classrooms why NCF 2005 was not actioned ers and teachers to implement it. The
• Inequity and discrimination on the in schools across the country, and transition from rote to inquiry-based
basis of caste, gender, religion, socio- learn from the experience. Undoubt- pedagogies will take time and requires
economic conditions, learning out- edly the draft NCFSE 2023 contains well-conceptualised management sys-
comes or any other factor is taboo several excellent recommendations tems for them to be implemented,” she
• Teachers should not use rote memo- on pedagogy, but it is silent on the adds.

EW COMMENT ated instruction requires improved teacher-pupil ratios.
• NCFSE’s direction to teachers to use varied resources
• The shift from chalk-n-talk to inquiry-based, experien- and not overly depend on textbooks is important. Given
tial pedagogies is overdue. The country’s 10 million teach- the predisposition of political parties to rewrite textbooks
ers need to break away from memorisation pedagogies to to reflect their ideological biases, it’s critical for teachers
equip children with 21st century thinking and problem- to use textbooks as only one among several resources to
solving skills. achieve curricular objectives.
• Intensive and continuous teacher training will be re- • Care should be taken that the pedagogical ‘strategies’ and
quired to implement NCFSE recommended pedagogies. ‘considerations’ prescribed don’t dilute teacher autonomy
• There is inadequate emphasis on teachers using new dig- and flexibility to innovate teaching-learning.
ital technologies in the classroom. The final draft should • The framework fails to provide a roadmap as to how the
stress that teachers use technology to make teaching- country’s 10 million teachers will be equipped with the
learning engaging and meaningful. skill-sets to implement NCFSE 2023.
• Commendably, the NCFSE 2023 recommends that • Assessment formats and the exam system need a com-
teachers “value and respect all students, get to know stu- plete overhaul if teachers are to teach students to learn
dents individually,” listen and observe them carefully and differently. Therefore, it’s imperative that the national and
build positive teacher-student relationships. This requires state examination boards switch from rewarding memo-
more positive teacher-pupil ratios. risation skills and assess students’ critical thinking and
• Again, the emphasis on remedial teaching and differenti- problem-solving capabilities.

AUGUST 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 55