National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023

The learning and skill gap, ineffective pedagogical approaches, and passive learning practices have been central to the traditional education system. Hence, the outcome often leads to fragmented progress, wherein some excel while others struggle.

That is why NCF is a timely solution to the complex issues of school education by incorporating positive changes in the curriculum. It encapsulates the overall experiences of students, including curricular content and pedagogy, school environment, culture, etc.

But what is NCF, and what are its objectives and goals? Let us have a look:

What is NCF?

The NCF, or National Curriculum Framework, acts as a comprehensive guide for implementing the broad aspirations of NEP 2020 into concrete educational practices. It is an essential framework that provides guidance, principles, and structure for developing the curricula.

Consequently, relevant and authoritative functionaries like the teachers in the state, boards, and schools will develop syllabi, teaching-learning materials, etc. They will focus on creating diverse play materials, workbooks, textbooks, and assessment methods.

Furthermore, teachers are the focus of the framework because they are the facilitators and mediators of educational practices. Therefore, NCF for school education prioritises the adoption of a presentation style and structure that fulfils the objectives of readability, accessibility, and relevance.

A Few Characteristics of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education

• Goal-oriented: The curriculum has been meticulously designed with curricular goals at its core, stemming from broader aspirations.
• Practice-enabling: It endeavours to create the conditions for effective learning by converting ideas into real-world implementation.
• Educationally valid: Sound research, experience, and accumulated knowledge of India and the world are central to its practices.
• Engaging: Educational practices must be engaging, helping to stimulate children and teachers.
• Improvement Driving: Must demonstrate the capacity to drive change within resource and time limitations.
• Diversity Embracing: Educators must not only acknowledge India’s multifaceted diversity but also leverage it as a rich learning resource.
• Mutually Reinforcing Elements: There is a synergistic relationship among all the above-mentioned elements, including curricular goals, content, pedagogy, school culture, practices, assessment, and evaluation.

Aspects of the National Curriculum Framework

1. Four Stages of Schooling

The curriculum has been designed into four stages of schooling while drawing on the vision of NEP and considering child development, conceptual development, and the appropriate methods of inquiry at each age range.

Foundational Stage

Children within the age range of 3 to 8 belong to the foundational stage and receive comprehensive care through Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The foundational stage provides a bridge between a child's home life and formal schooling, cultivating essential literacy and numeracy skills that underpin all future learning.

On the other hand, ECCE is a dynamic and multi-faceted approach that combines play, exploration, and discovery. In fact, it encompasses a broad range of activities, including language development, early numeracy, art, music, drama, and physical activities.

The Foundational Stage of NCF 2023 has been structured to support children's development across physical, emotional, intellectual, linguistic, and cultural domains. Also, the suggested pedagogical approach is play-based.

Teachers must cultivate warm, nurturing relationships with their students. Additionally, the teaching approach should balance independent exploration with collaborative group work.

Preparatory Stage

The preparatory stage includes three years and caters to students in Grades 3, 4, and 5, and it builds on the play-, discovery-, and activity-based pedagogical and curricular style of the foundational stage.

At the same time, the stage focuses on building foundational knowledge in subjects like language, physical education, the arts, and the basic concepts of science and math. In effect, it prepares students to dive deeper into learning areas for the later learning stages.

While textbooks provide a structured approach to language and math, children's literature enhances reading comprehension and overall literacy development. However, experiential learning with physical exploration should be the main source of content.

Assessment at this stage should be ongoing and multifaceted, combining observations of children's activities, feedback on their work, and brief formal evaluations. For example, formative assessments should accompany the summative assessments.

Middle Stage

The middle stage includes three years and caters to children in grades 6, 7, and 8. The curriculum expands to encompass the natural world through science and the human world through social science. Students also gain exposure to practical, real-world skills through vocational education.

Middle-stage content should delve deeper into abstract concepts, introducing students to foundational theories within each subject area. Also, textbooks that clearly define learning goals and expectations are effective tools for guiding students through the intricacies of various subjects.

Moreover, a combination of direct instruction and opportunities for exploration and inquiry is instrumental for the middle stage. Teachers focus on specific subjects, demanding a comprehensive grasp of their field, including the progression of concepts within the subject and their connections to other areas of knowledge.

Secondary Stage

The Secondary Stage of NCF 2023 encompasses Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, spanning a duration of four years. It will be a transformative phase in a student's educational journey as it builds upon the foundational knowledge and skills that they acquired in the middle stage.

In fact, students will have greater autonomy in selecting subjects, including physical education, the arts, and vocational options, to craft their educational paths. Traditional divisions between curricular, extracurricular, and co-curricular activities will cease to exist, fostering a seamless learning experience.

The secondary stage will include two phases:

• Students in Grades 9 and 10 will avail of the broad curriculum areas (e.g., science, social science, humanities).
• Disciplines (e.g., history, physics, language) within each curriculum area will be offered in Grades 11 and 12. Furthermore, students will have the choice to choose specific areas and disciplines, depending on their interests and future aspirations.

2. Relevant Curriculum Content

The subject content will be condensed to essential knowledge, allowing for greater emphasis on critical thinking and broader perspectives. Furthermore, it will lead to inquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning.

With the reorganisation of the curriculum, textbooks will undergo a major transformation, providing opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and application of knowledge. The curriculum will be designed to provide a solid grounding in core subjects while allowing ample time for cultivating the skills and values essential for a well-rounded education.

For example, textbooks should be meticulously designed to ensure they directly support the development of specified competencies and the attainment of grade-level learning objectives.

3. Effective Pedagogy

Children actively build their understanding of the world by incorporating new knowledge into their pre-existing mental structures. Teachers must employ effective pedagogies to structure the teaching of concepts and connect new concepts to students’ existing experience and understanding.

It is equally important to pose questions that challenge their existing understanding and make demonstrations, helping to develop higher-order thinking skills. Furthermore, inculcating values and dispositions is pivotal, which teachers can facilitate in the following ways:

• Conduct laboratory experiments and trials to foster scientific thinking.
• Help students learn to win and lose with grace during sports and games.
• Conduct regular, open-ended discussions that prioritize active listening, creating a democratic learning environment where students develop essential civic skills.
• Teachers must create a safe and positive relationship between teacher and student, helping to foster both cognitive and socio-emotional development.

4. Strategic Assessment

The National Curriculum Framework promotes the concept of assessment as learning, wherein teachers and institutes will design examinations to enhance student learning and teaching practices. Therefore, assessments will track the student's progress and evaluate the achievement of a competency or learning outcome.

Board examinations will undergo substantial restructuring, wherein students will get the chance to appear for the examinations twice a year. Furthermore, the boards of examination must bear the responsibility of creating equitable, reliable, and accurate assessment tools that measure students' attainment of defined competencies and subsequently certify their achievements.