NCF 2023 Draft: What are the proposed changes for the Indian school system?

Source: The post is based on the article “NCF 2023 Draft: What are the proposed changes for the Indian school system?” published in Indian Express on 10th April 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Education has released the pre-draft of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 for school education for public feedback.

What is NCF?

The NCF, which was last revised in 2005 is a key document based on which textbooks are prepared. 

So the current set of NCERT textbooks, barring the deletions, are all based on the NCF 2005. 

What are the changes proposed in the NCF 2023 for school education?

Design of subjects and exams at the secondary stage: Over two years, in classes IX and X, the students will have to study 16 courses categorized under eight curricular areas.

Students will have to clear eight board exams, each of which will assess their hold on courses they learnt in class IX and X, to obtain the final certification which will factor in their performances in exams held over two years. 

Under the current system, there are no such links between class IX and X and students across most boards have to pass at least five subjects to clear class X.

Class 12th: Currently, in Class 12, CBSE students appear for the board exam in at least five subjects and a maximum of six and there is little scope for them to pursue multidisciplinary education. 

In other words, a student who has picked a combination of Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry cannot simultaneously study History or Political Science. 

But under the proposed system, that will be possible as the NEP envisages “no hard separation” among arts, humanities, and sciences.

Teaching method: At the foundational level, for children aged 3-8 enrolled in grades between preschool and class II, the pedagogical approach suggested is play based. It adds that textbooks are to be used from Grade 1 and most of the content should be concrete materials – toys, puzzles, and manipulatives.

For grades III, IV, and V or the preparatory stage, children are to be introduced to textbooks on languages, and mathematics, while also retaining the activity and discovery-based approach. And in the middle stage (class VI, VII, VIII), natural as well as social sciences will be introduced.

When will these changes come into effect?

The government recently announced that textbooks based on the revised NCF will be taught in schools starting from the 2024-25 academic session. But a specific timeline for the implementation of the changes on exams, assessments and subject design has not been made available yet.