New Delhi [India]: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday released the ‘Mandate Document: Guidelines for the Development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) at a function held at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the National Education Policy 2020 is the ‘Philosophy’, National Curriculum Framework is the ‘Pathway’ and the mandate document released today is the ‘Constitution’ to champion the changing demands of the 21st century and positively impact the future.
He further said that the mandate document will bring about a paradigm shift with a focus on the holistic development of children, emphasis on skilling, the vital role of teachers, learning in the mother tongue and cultural rootedness. It is also a step toward the decolonization of the Indian education system, he added.
Terming the preparation of the National Curriculum Framework a scientific and continuous process and NCF a society’s document, he suggested creating an app-based process to enable suggestions for the NCF from every citizen of our country.
Appreciating the experts, academia, and intellectuals for making possible this landmark day in our Indian knowledge system, the Education Minister said that India’s model of education based on the NEP 2020 will act as a benchmark for emerging economies across the world.
Central to the implementation of the transformative National Education Policy 2020 is the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) which will empower and enable outstanding teaching and learning in the country, by converting the vision of the NEP 2020 into reality in our schools and classrooms.
The development of the NCF is being guided by the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by Dr K Kasturirangan, and supported by the Mandate Group, along with the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT). The NCF includes the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), the National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Care & Education (NCFECCE), the National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE), and the National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education (NCFAE).
During the launch event, Dr Kasturirangan said that there is a need to bring greater flexibility to the education system. The NCF will contribute to building an education system that can stand the dynamics of the changing times and fulfil the need of the 21st century, he added.
NCF will also fully account for other initiatives like NIPUN Bharat, the national mission for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the Ministry of Education, which are being implemented with the required urgency even as the NCF is being developed.
Dr K Kasturirangan, Chairperson, National Steering Committee for the National Curriculum Framework, Dr Ashwathnarayan CN, Minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka, Dr BC Nagesh, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Government of Karnataka, Ms Anita Karwal, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, and Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) were present on the occasion. (ANI)
