National Policy of Education (NPE) | Educational Structure, Curriculum Framework

NATIONAL POLICIES ON EDUCATION (NPE)

National Policies on Education (NPEs)

1. NPE-1968
2. NPE-1986
3. Concerns of Elementary Education
4. Structure of Elementary Education of Eight Years.
5. School Curriculum Framework
6. National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005
7. Implications for Elementary School Curriculum
8. Draft National Education Policy (2016) by Dr K. Kasturirangan Committee 

Here, we will see that after independence, problem of educational reconstruction was reviewed by several commissions and committees, to promote education amongst Indian populace. Based on the reports and recommendations of these commissions and committees, the National Policies of Education (NPE) were formulated from time to time, and implemented. These policies considered education at all levels, particularly at elementary level, in both rural and urban India, as it was a major concern of the country.

1 National Policy of Education (NPE) 1968

The first NEP was based on the recommendations of the Education Commission (1964–1966). It was promulgated in 1968 and required a “radical restructuring” and equalizing educational opportunities in order to achieve national integration and greater cultural and economic development. The policy set the path of educational development and aimed at fulfilling the cherished goal of compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14, as stipulated by the Constitution of India, and the better training and qualifications of the teachers. The basic tenets of the policy included:

1. Free and Compulsory Education

Making serious efforts to provide free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14, and to reduce the prevailing wastage and stagnation in schools, as well as, to ensure that every child who is enrolled in school successfully completes the prescribed course.

2. Status, Emoluments and Education of Teachers

According teachers an honored place in society and protecting their academic freedom, ensuring adequate and satisfactory emoluments and satisfactory service conditions, and emphasizing teacher education, particularly in-service teacher education.

3. Development of languages

Development of regional languages, to implement effectively, the three-language formula at the secondary stage.

4. Equalization of Educational Opportunity

Equalizing educational opportunity, to promote social cohesion and national integration by correcting regional imbalances, by admitting students on the basis of merit in all schools like public schools, and by protecting interests of socially deprived sections.

5. Spread of Literacy and Adult Education

Liquidating mass illiteracy and providing continuing education for functional literacy among employees in commercial and industrial establishments. Such linkage is necessary to make technical and vocational education at the secondary stage, effectively terminal.

6. Production of Books

Producing high quality books for children – low cost textbooks for schools and universities.

7. Games and Sports

Developing games and sports at large scale, with the object of improving the physical fitness and sportsmanship of the students

8. Part-time Education and Correspondence Courses

Developing part time education and correspondence courses, of the same status as full-time courses, on a large scale for the university and school students, teachers and workers.

Education in the country was dictated by this policy for almost two decades, making slow but steady progress and beginning of many innovative programs and practices. It was reviewed in the context of national integration.

2 National Policy of Education (NPE)-1986

This policy is characterized by emphasis on national integration and ten core elements of curriculum. National System of Education is visualized here, as based on a national curricular framework, which contains a common core, along with other components that are flexible. The common core include the history of India’s freedom movement, the constitutional obligations and other content, essential to nurture national identity. These elements cut across subject areas and are designed to promote values such as India’s common cultural heritage, egalitarianism, democracy and secularism, equality of sexes, protection of environment, removal of social barriers, and observance of small family norms and inculcation of scientific temper.

All educational programmes were proposed to be carried out, in strict conformity with secular values. To promote equality, it was necessary to provide for equal opportunity for all, not only in access, but also in the conditions of success. Besides, awareness of the inherent equality of all was expected to be created through the core curriculum. The purpose was to remove prejudices and complexes transmitted through the social environment and the accident of birth.

The salient features of this policy include:

• 1. Common educational structure
• 2. National curricular framework with ten common core elements
• 3. Equal educational opportunities for all
• 4. Promotion of adult education.
• 5. Use of scientific and technological developments in education
• 6. Operation Black Board for UEE.
• 7. Minimum levels of learning
• 8. Pace setting Navodaya Vidyalayas.
• 9. Vocationalisation of education.
• 10. Raising the status of the teacher.
• 11. Creating awareness about social, economic, cultural and environmental issues
• 12. Accountability in education.

These policies provided a strong base for UEE and many of the programs initiated which were of the national importance. This policy was further modified soon, in 1992, to reset the higher goals to achieve.

3. Concerns of Elementary Education

The various concerns regarding educational issues, particularly concerns about elementary education gleaned out from the recommendations of the commissions and the national policies include:

Low enrollment- Overall enrollment in primary schools was found very low. Most of the ‘out of the school children don’t go to school because of distance and lack of physical facilities etc.

High dropout rate - The children leave school for variety of reasons, mostly, to work and earn money. A large percent of the dropouts are girls, forced by their parents to leave school and tend the family at home.

Children living in rural areas continue to be deprived of a quality education due to their under qualified, untrained teachers. In recent years the number of qualified teachers has increased because of efforts by the government and private groups to improve the professional training of rural teachers.

Obtaining more teachers for rural schools is difficult because of state guidelines that approve of high student-teacher ratios.

Poor quality of instruction resulting in unsatisfactory quality of ‘successful’ students. Lack of instructional facilities and practices that build a stronger school program

Strengthening of leadership and supervision in pre-primary and elementary schools by professional training and re-training of large number of personnel e.g. Teachers, Head Masters and Supervisors etc.

Substituting current examination system by alternatives like CCE

Inequality - Gender disparity, Urban-Rural disparity, regional disparity

Building positive mindset of teachers towards ICT

STRUCTURE OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION OF 8 YEARS

The Educational Structure

It was thought advantageous to have a broadly uniform educational structure in all parts of the country. The ultimate objective is to adopt the 10+2+3 pattern, the higher secondary stage of two years being located in schools, colleges or both according to local conditions.

National System of Education envisages a common educational structure in the pattern of 10+2+3 as suggested by Kothari Commission. This uniform structure of school education has been adopted all over the country. However, within the states, there remained variations in the number of classes constituting the Primary,

Upper Primary, High and Higher Secondary school stages, age for admission to class I, medium of instruction, public examinations, teaching of Hindi and English, number of working days in a year, academic session, vacation periods, fee structure, compulsory education etc. The primary and upper primary or middle stages together constitute the elementary stage. The further break-up of the first 10 years was, elementary system comprising 5 years of primary education and 3 years of upper primary, followed by 2 years of High School. Following table shows the division of schooling in most of the states:

Structure of School Education System in India
 

Stages of Schooling	Pre- Primary	Lower Primary	Upper Primary	Secondary	Higher Secondary
Grades	Nursery, LKG/KG	1 to 5	6 to 8	9 and 10	11 and 12
Length of program	3 years	5 years	3 years	2 years	2 years
Age level	Entry at 3 to 6 years	6 to 11 years	11 to 14 years	14 to 16 years	16 to 18 years

Pre-Primary: In the broad structure of Indian education, Pre-primary education forms the basis of learning. It is divided into Nursery, Lower Kindergarten (LKG) and Upper Kindergarten (UKG). At this stage student is acquainted with formal school life and reading and writing skills. It consists of children of 3-5 years of age.

Lower Primary: A child enters class one of primary school after finishing Upper Kindergarten or directly. In the lower primary level, students get an idea of the different subjects. The primary school curriculum emphasizes general education and covers basic subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic, supplemented by History, Civics and Geography as well as Environmental Science. The children of the age group of 6-11 years study at this stage in the classes I- V in most of the states. However in some of the states this stage consists of classes of I-IV. The language of instruction at the lower primary level is generally the mother tongue, either Hindi or a regional language.

Upper Primary: It consists of children studying in classes from sixth to eighth. From upper primary, other languages such as English and/or Hindi (if Hindi is not the mother tongue) are introduced. English is introduced in Standard V, onwards.

SCHOOL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Any National Education System is based on the common curriculum framework designed keeping in view the national needs and requirements. In India also, keeping different policies in mind, national curriculum framework was designed from time to time and implemented all over the country. Such frame work was then reviewed for its achievement in terms of national goals. We will review the latest National Curriculum Framework being implemented, currently.

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005)

NPE 1986,92 proposed a national framework for curriculum as a means of evolving a national system of education “The NPE – Programme of Action(PoA) envisaged a child-centered approach to promote universal enrolment and universal retention of children up to 14 years of age and substantial improvement in the quality of education in the school” (PoA, P. 77). National Curriculum Framework was envisioned as a means of modernizing the system of education .National Curriculum Framework 2005 reviews and refers to the recommendations of the Mudaliar Commission and Kothari Commission and reviews development of Curriculum Framework of 1975, 1988 and 2000. It heavily draws from the report entitled Learning without Burden (1993) and National Policy on Education 1986, examining the problems of curriculum overload.

After considering all these policies and the recommendations of Yashpal Committee, a new revised restructured national curriculum framework was prepared in 2005 and is being implemented at present in the entire country. The NCF 2005 examines the curriculum load on children in depth and provides a framework within which teachers are free to choose and provide the learning experiences that they think are useful for better learning. It envisages that in order to realize educational objectives, the curriculum functions as a structure that helps in providing required experiences. Media and educational technologies can provide effective modes for curriculum transaction. The children also must understand how to learn and construct their own knowledge so that learning becomes wholesome, creative and enjoyable.

The salient features of the revised NCF are as follows:

Guiding Principles

The NCF attempted to implement many of the good ideas that have been articulated in the past by various commissions to make it an inclusive and meaningful experience for children. The NCF is based on four guiding principles for curriculum development:

• (a) connecting knowledge to life outside the school,
• (b) ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods, 
• (c) enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks, and
• (d) making examinations more flexible.

The NCF 2005 is critical of the perception about the child as a passive receiver of knowledge and emphasizes that the child can be made an active participant in the construction of knowledge by encouraging children to ask questions, relate what they are learning in school to things happening outside, encouraging them to answer from their own experiences and in their own words rather than by memorizing.

It points out that interaction with peers, teachers and older and younger people, can open up many rich learning possibilities. Learning tasks and experiences, therefore, need to be designed to ensure that children seek out knowledge from sites other than the textbooks—from their own experiences, from experiences at home, community, from the library. The approach to planning lessons must therefore move away from the ‘Herbartian’ lesson plan to ‘Constructivist pedagogy’, planning activities that challenge children to think and try out what they are learning.

It recommends significant changes in learning Languages, Math, Natural Science and Social Sciences, making education more relevant to the present day and future needs of children. In Language, it emphasizes on implementing the three- language formula with emphasis on mother tongue as the medium of instruction. It focuses on language as an integral part of every subject, since reading, writing, listening and speech contribute to a child’s progress in all curricular areas, and therefore constitute the basic of learning.

English, Mathematics and Science are found to be the three core subjects in which a large number of students, nearly 50% fail. This is perhaps the biggest limitation of the elementary education system. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) addresses this issue. The Focus Group on “Teaching of Science” emphasized on experiment based learning in school science curriculum. Improving school libraries, laboratories and workshops is required to promote culture of experiment based learning while reducing the importance of external examinations. A need was also felt to have computer–interfaced experiments and projects utilizing database from public domain.

Mathematics learning should help in enhancing the child’s ability to think and reason, visualize and handle abstractions and formulate and solve problems. The teaching of Science should be recast to enable children to examine and analyze every day experiences. Environment Education should become part of every subject. It also recommends a paradigm shift to study Social Sciences from the perspective of marginalized groups. It recommends gender justice and sensitivity to tribal and dalit issues and minority sensibilities.

The document draws attention to Work and Education. Work should be recognized as a creation of new forms of knowledge and value addition, necessary for democratic order. Work education must link up with heritage crafts, especially in craft zones which need to be mapped, so that this important source of cultural and economic wealth can be properly harnessed through linkage with education.

It also discusses curriculum sites and learning resources, including texts and books, libraries, education technology, tools and laboratories, etc. It emphasizes on the need for plurality of material, as also the need for teacher autonomy and professional independence. It also covers issues of academic planning and leadership at school level to improve and monitor quality.

The review of the National Curriculum Framework, 2000 was initiated specifically to address the problem of curriculum load on children. Yashpal Committee had analyzed this problem, tracing its roots to the system’s tendency to treat information as knowledge. In its report, “Learning without Burden”, the committee pointed out that learning at school cannot become a joyful experience unless we change our perception of the child as a receiver of knowledge and move beyond the convention of using textbooks as the basis for examination. The impulse to teach everything arises from lack of faith in children’s own creative instinct and their capacity to construct knowledge out of their experience.

“Learning without Burden” recommended a major change in the design of syllabi and textbooks. To make teaching a means of harnessing the child’s creative nature, the report recommended a fundamental change in the matter of organizing the school curriculum, and also in the system of examination.

Critical Pedagogy

The children are critical observers of their own conditions and needs, and should be participants in discussions and problem solving related to their education and future opportunities. Hence, children need to be aware that their experiences and perceptions are important and should be encouraged to develop the mental skills needed to think and reason independently and have the courage to dissent. Participatory learning and teaching, emotion and experience, need to have a definite and valued place in the classroom. True participation starts from the experiences of both students and teachers.

Critical pedagogy provides an opportunity to reflect critically on issues in terms of their political, social, economic and moral aspects. It entails the acceptance of multiple views on social issues and a commitment to democratic forms of interaction. This is important in view of the multiple contexts in which our schools function. A critical framework helps children to see social issues from different perspectives and understand how such issues are connected to their lives. Critical pedagogy facilitates collective decision making through open discussion and by encouraging and recognizing multiple views, and in designing a curriculum sensitive to these circumstances.

IMPLICATIONS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM

As a result of these developments on the educational scenario and the latest decision of implementing the RTE Act in all the states, the immediate action is taken up at all the levels all over the country. The new curriculum is designed and implemented in most of the states following the NCF guide lines and NCERT has developed the new text books for all the subjects based on these reforms and philosophy and practice of education. Examinations are abolished and CCE is introduced at the elementary stage, participatory management is inducted making beneficiaries and community at large, partners to school complex in educating the young generations. Due emphasis on ICT involvement in teaching-learning process is also being given.

The total number of days for the curriculum transaction is decided to be 200 days. The school annual calendar could be decentralized to the district level and decided in consultation with the Zilla panchayats. Total homework time prescribed in there is (i) No homework up to Class II and two hours a week from Class III of primary schools, (ii) One hour a day (about five to six hours a week) Middle school, and (iii) Two hours a day (about 10 to 12 hours a week) in Secondary and Higher Secondary.

All these changes necessitate the teachers’ training in new pedagogical practices to enable them to achieve new goals and objectives. The NCF has envisaged the new roles and responsibilities for the teachers and made numerous suggestions for their training. Teacher education programmes need to be reformulated and strengthened so that the teacher can be an encouraging, supportive and humane facilitator in teaching–learning situations to enable learners to discover their talents, to realize their physical and intellectual potentialities to the fullest, to develop character and desirable social and human values to function as responsible citizens. Teacher autonomy and professional independence of teachers is essential for ensuring a learning environment that caters to diverse needs of learners.

Such teacher education programmes place thrust on the active involvement of learners in the process of knowledge construction, shared context of learning, teacher as a facilitator of knowledge construction, multidisciplinary nature of knowledge of teacher education, integration of theory and practice dimensions, and engagement with issues and concerns of contemporary Indian society from a critical perspective.

In this context, centrality of language proficiency in teacher education and an integrated model of teacher education for strengthening professionalization of teachers, assume significance. The NCF 2005 perceives in-service teacher education as a catalyst for change in school practices.

Draft National Education Policy by Dr K. Kasturirangan Committee

Dr K. Kasturirangan Committee submits the Draft National Education Policy to the Union HRD Minister 

The Committee led by the Chairman Dr. Kasturirangan submitted the Draft National Educational Policy to the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Minister of State for HRD, Shri Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre in New Delhi today in the presence of Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary Department of Higher Education and Smt. Rina Ray, Secretary Department of School Education & Literacy and other senior officials of the Ministry.

The Government of India had initiated the process of formulating a New Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of the requirements of the population with regard to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry. The extant National Policy on Education, 1986 modified in 1992 required changes to meet the contemporary and futuristic needs of our large youth population.

For this, the MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, multi-stakeholder, multi-pronged, bottom- up people-centric, inclusive, participatory consultation process. The extensive consultations undertaken across multiple levels of online, expert and thematic, and from the grassroots ranging from Village, Block, Urban Local bodies, District, State, Zonal and the National level, provided an opportunity to every citizen to engage in this massive exercise. Several in-person and in-depth deliberations across a wide spectrum of stakeholders were held. Subsequently, a ‘Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the Chairmanship of Late Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, was constituted, which submitted its report in May, 2016. Based on this report, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’.

The Committee had the onerous task of analysing and examining a humungous volume of suggestions, inputs, reports, and outcome documents that preceded its own efforts. The underlying spirit that dictated the Committee’s own course of crafting this significant document was primarily to bring out a vision document which will hold the test of time for at least another 20 years. The Draft National Education Policy, 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability. The Committee has proposed to rename MHRD as Ministry of Education (MoE).

In School Education, a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part of school education is proposed. The Committee also recommends Extension of Right to Education Act 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18. A 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure based on cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages of children: Foundational Stage (age 3-8 yrs): 3 years of pre-primary plus Grades 1-2; Preparatory Stage (8-11 years): Grades 3-5; Middle Stage (11-14 years): Grades 6-8; and Secondary Stage (14-18 years): Grades 9-12. Schools will be re-organized into school complexes. It also seeks to reduce content load in school education curriculum. There will be no hard separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extra- curricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc. will be curricular. It promotes active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities: and life skills, including 21st century skills.

The Committee proposes for massive transformation in Teacher Education by shutting down sub-standard teacher education institutions and moving all teacher preparation/education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities/colleges. The 4-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. programme will eventually be the minimum degree qualification for teachers.

In higher education, a restructuring of higher education institutions with three types of higher education institutions is proposed- Type 1: Focused on world-class research and high quality teaching; Type 2: Focused on high quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research; Type 3: High quality teaching focused on undergraduate education. This will be driven by two Missions -Mission Nalanda & Mission Takshashila. There will be re-structuring of Undergraduate programs (e.g. BSc, BA, BCom, BVoc) of 3 or 4 years duration and having multiple exit and entry options.

A new apex body Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog is proposed to enable a holistic and integrated implementation of all educational initiatives and programmatic interventions, and to coordinate efforts between the Centre and States. The National Research Foundation, an apex body is proposed for creating a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

The four functions of Standard setting, Funding, Accreditation and Regulation to be separated and conducted by independent bodies: National Higher Education Regulatory Authority as the only regulator for all higher education including professional education; Creation of accreditation eco-system led by revamped NAAC; Professional Standard Setting Bodies for each area of professional education and UGC to transform to Higher Education Grants Commission (HEGC). The private and public institutions will be treated on par and education will remain a ‘not for profit’ activity.

Several new policy initiatives for promoting internationalization of higher education, strengthening quality open and distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and regional gaps in education outcomes are recommended. Promotion of Indian and Classical Languages and setting up three new National Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit and an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) has been recommended. The path breaking reforms recommended will bring about a paradigm shift by equipping our students, teachers and educational institutions with the right competencies and capabilities and also create an enabling and reinvigorated educational eco-system for a vibrant new India.

The draft NEP (Hindi & English) is given at links below::

• https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Draft_NEP_2019_EN.pdf
• https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Draft_NEP_2019_HI.pdf