REPORT ON CRITICAL EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF NCF-2005
Name: Md. G. Husain
Roll No. 18MED-01
Class: M.Ed. 3rd Semester
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AMU, ALIGARH
Critical Evaluation of Implementation of NCF-2005 at secondary level
Introduction
National Curriculum
Framework (NCF) 2005 owes its present shape and form to the flurry of ideas
generated through a series of intensive deliberations by eminent scholars from
different disciplines, principals, teachers and parents, representatives of
NGOs, NCERT faculty, and several other stakeholders at various levels. It received
significant contributions from state Secretaries of Education and Directors of
SCERTs, and participants of the regional seminars organised at the RIEs.
Experiences shared by principals of private schools and KendriyaVidyalayas and
by teachers of rural schools across the country helped in sharpening the ideas.
Voices of thousands of people—students, parents, and public at large—through
regular mail and electronic media helped in mapping multiple viewpoints.
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is
one of the four National Curriculum Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000
and 2005 by the National Council of Educational Research and Training NCERT in India.
The Framework provides the framework for making syllabi, textbooks
and teaching practices within the school education programmes in India. The NCF
2005 document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports on
education as Learning Without Burdenand National Policy of Education
1986-1992and focus group discussion. After wide ranging deliberations 21
National Focus Group Position Papers have been developed under the aegis of
NCF-2005. The state of art position papers provided inputs for formulation of
NCF-2005. The document and its offshoot textbooks have come under different
forms of reviews in the press.
Its draft document came under the criticism from the
Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE). In February 2008 the director
Krishna Kumar in an interview also discussed the challenges that are faced by
the document. The approach and recommendations of NCF-2005 are for the entire
educational system. A number of its recommendations, for example, focus on
rural schools. The syllabus and textbooks based on it are being used by all
the CBSE schools, but NCF-based material is also being used
in many State schools.
NCF 2005 has been translated into 22 languages and has
influenced the syllabi in 17 States. The NCERT gave a grant of Rs.10 lakh to
each State to promote NCF in the language of the State and to compare its
current syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a plan for future reforms
could be made. Several States have taken up this challenge. This exercise is
being carried out with the involvement of State Councils for Educational
Research and Training [SCERT] and District Institutes of Education and Training
[DIET].
The education system does not function in isolation from the society of
which it is a part. Hierarchies of caste, economic status and gender relations,
cultural diversity as well as the uneven economic development that characterise
Indian society also deeply influence access to education and participation of
children in school. This is reflected in the sharp disparities between
different social and economic groups, which are seen in school enrolment and
completion rates.
School education is the necessary
foundation for strengthening human resources that has been deemed central for
the National development. Since the time of our independence, many committees
and commissions persistently emphasized upon the free and compulsory education
in our country. Among various measures that have been adopted to expand the
provisions for realizing the goal of universalizing elementary education. The
recommendations include the child-centered approach improvement in the quality
of education through reforms in the context and the process of education,
school facilities, additional teachers, laying down minimum levels of learning,
and emphasis upon continuous and comprehensive education. This paper examines
the concepts of continuous and comprehensive education, its need and
importance, role of teachers and its implementations in schools with an
empirical support.
Recommendations of National
Curriculum for Secondary Education:
The continuous and comprehensive evaluation was
initiated based on recommendations to reform evaluation practices in school
education by National Curriculum for elementary and secondary education- a
framework (1988). Therefore it is desirable to examine the points presented in
the framework with respect to evaluation. The framework emphasizes the
following:
·
Defining minimum levels
of learning of learning at all the stages of education while evaluating the
attainment of children.
·
Attaining mastery level
in all competencies.
·
Broadening the scope of
learner’s assessment by the way of including the assessment of psychomotor
skills and socio-emotional attributes.
·
Aiming at qualitative
improvement in education through valuation.
·
Using grades instead of
marks.
·
As feedback mechanism
for the benefit of teachers, learners and parents providing timely corrective
measures for improving attainment level of students.
·
Using various tools,
techniques and modes of evaluation such as paper, pencil test, oral testing,
observation schedules, rating scales, interviews and anecdotal records,
individual and group evaluation methods at different stages. Maintained
comprehensive students portfolios based on behavioral and situational test.
·
Reducing undue emphasis
on paper pencil test in evaluation process.
·
Using more and more
informal means of testing to reduce the anxiety and fear of the examinees.
·
Laying more interest on
informal and child friendly methods of testing.
·
Recording of evidences
regarding psychomotor skills related to co-scholastic areas such as work
experience, art education and physical education.
·
Preparing a profile of
the growth and development of every learner.
·
Every school may do
planning of a detailed scheme of evaluation in view of the minimum learning
outcomes coupled with content.
·
Evaluation of the key
qualities like regularity and punctuality, cleanliness, self-control, sense of
duty, desire to serve, responsibility, fraternity, democratic attitude and
sense of obligation to environmental protection.
·
Participatory and
humane evaluation.
·
Continuity of
evaluation through periodical assessment of learning to be utilized for
diagnosing the areas of difficulty and arranging remedial instruction.
·
Communication of the evaluation
outcomes in a positive manner.
·
Developing competence
for self-evaluation keeping in view the maturity level of children.
Implementation of
National Curriculum Framework (NCF) -2005 by the States/UTs
Curricular
reform processes initiated by NCERT in November, 2004 led to the formulation of
NCF-2005 and 21 position papers on themes related to curricular areas, national
concerns and systemic reforms. Based on
the ideas reflected in NCF-2005, NCERT also developed exemplar syllabi and
textbooks for all stages of school education which may serve as model for the
States.
As
a part of dissemination of NCF-05 vision and capacity building among state/UT
functionaries, orientation programme of teachers and teacher educators of the
country were taken up by NCERT constituents in collaboration with SCERTs in
face-to-face mode. Also about 6000 teacher educators of 22 states and UTs were
orientated through video conferencing by using EDUSAT network of CIET, NCERT.
Following
the initiative taken at the centre, the State Governments initiated the process
of curricular reforms in school education. NCERT provided financial support of
Rs. 10 lakhs to each State/UT in April, 2006 to initiate the curricular reform
processes including revision of syllabi and textbooks, teacher education
curriculum, examination reforms and other systemic reforms in the light of
NCF-2005. The States/UTs initiated the process of curricular reforms by
organizing orientation programmes for various stakeholders including teachers
and teacher educators. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF, 2005) has been
translated into 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution for
wider dissemination. These are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi,
Kashmiri, Konkani, Kannada, Malayalam, Manipuri, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali,
Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Telugu, Tamil and Urdu. Santhali translation
of NCF-05 is in progress. States printed these translated versions and
disseminated to the teachers and teacher educators. The mechanism and the number of programmes
organized vary from state to state. In
some states like Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, the SCERT oriented
DIET faculty and then DIETs organized orientation programmes for the teachers.
In Kerala, 14 focus groups were constituted that deliberated on various issues
raised in NCF-2005.
The
States reviewed their existing syllabi in the light of recommendations made in
NCF-2005. Some of the states then developed state curriculum frameworks whereas
others directly moved on to revision of their syllabi and textbooks. States
such as Bihar, Chattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa and Sikkim have developed
their State Curriculum Frameworks. Seventeen (17) States, namely, Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab,
Sikkim and Uttarakhand have revised their syllabi in the light of NCF-2005. The
revised syllabi of the States were examined by the Syllabus Committee
constituted by NCERT as to what extent the NCF perspective has been reflected
in these syllabi. Several meetings of
the Syllabus Committees for Science, Social Sciences, Mathematics and Languages
were organized by the Curriculum Group. Feedback evolved from these meetings
was provided to the States through interaction meetings between syllabus
development groups of the States and syllabus committees of the NCERT. These
interaction meetings helped states to understand NCF perspective and NCERT to
understand state perspective. Three such interaction meetings for Mathematics,
Science and Languages have already been organized and feedback has been
provided to the States.
On the basis of the
progress made by the different States, following picture emerges:
Twelve (12) States/UTs follow NCERT syllabus
and textbooks for different stages of school education: Andaman & Nicobar
Islands (I-XII), Arunachal Pradesh (I-XII), Chandigarh (I-XII), Jharkhand
(I-XII), Delhi ((IX-XII), Goa (I-XII), Haryana (VI-XII), Himachal Pradesh
(VI-XII), Bihar (IX-XII), Jammu & Kashmir (IX-XII), Sikkim (IX-XII),
Uttarakhand (IX-XII). Andhra Pradesh is also considering to adopt NCERT
syllabus from classes IX to XII. Besides
these States, CBSE has adopted NCERT syllabus and textbooks.
Kerala
and Uttarakhand have tried to develop their own syllabi based on the principles
of NCF-2005. Eight States, namely, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa and Punjab have adapted NCERT syllabus by adding
contextual elements to it. Syllabus of Nagaland and Karnataka are a mix of new
and old syllabus. U.P. has already
initiated action to revise syllabus from classes I to VIII and is also
considering revision of syllabus for secondary and senior secondary classes in
the light of NCF-2005.
Some
of the States such as Tamil Nadu and Haryana have revised their teacher
education curriculum. Some States are
also working on examination reforms, school calendars and time management
aspects of curricular reform.
NCERT
has created a resource team within NCERT drawing faculty from RIEs, CIET,
PSSCIVE and different departments of NIE to provide academic support to the
States for implementation of NCF-2005.
The faculty of Curriculum Group and other departments of NIE and RIEs have
been providing academic support to the States.
Remedial measures:
If
we study the NCF 2005 then we find that the main emphasis propagated in it is
to provide learning without burden. Though it is well written and all the
aspects of child centered learning is discussed but when we want to see as if
it is implemented in schools or not then we find a great failure on the part of
educational leaders. Though we can’t criticize the policies made by
educationalists but what is the benefit of it if we found it old and stagnated.
The main issue is who will take care of the needs of a child? Teacher, parents
or system. Then we will find it that all these three things are required to
furnish the child centered approach. As NCF 2005 is emphasizing that for learning
without burden we should adopt the child centered approach of learning and must
believe in the intelligence of a child. A child should be provided with such
kind of environment where he or she can learn without force or fear.
Conclusion
It is very essential that at the school level right
from primary school, deliberate, planned and sustained efforts are made to
include basic human values among the students. Values are best initiated by a
mother to her small child under her teacher care in the secure atmosphere of
home.
We have two reports. One is by the organization of
Economic, cooperative and development, issued in September, 2001, where it
suggests that the education system should not just be fair to minorities. They
should promote a spirit of equality and tolerance among ethnic and cultural
groups. Then, there is a report on minority rights in education in Estonia,
Latvia, Romania, and Macedonia. It is concluded that learning apart does not
encourage living together and that, there is a danger of a strictly
mono-lingual, mono-religious, mono-cultural or even mono-racial approach
leading to ghettoization of minorities.
Looking from the national perspective, while talking
only minorities’ rights, we must consider that ultimately we don’t want the
minorities to be ghettoized, but it should be a matter of equality and
tolerance among all the communities. Thus a perverted sense of secularism has
thwarted basic education principles being operational.
Looking from the national perspective, while talking
only about minority rights, we must consider that ultimately we don’t want the
minorities to be avoided, but it should be a matter of equality and tolerance
among all the communities. Thus a perverted sense of secularism has thwarted
basic education principles being operational.