National Curriculum Framework Review
Overview
Curriculum designing has a special place among the diverse responsibilities envisaged in the charter of NCERT. As an apex national agency of educational reform, NCERT is expected to review the school curriculum as a routine activity, ensuring the highest standards of rigor and deliberative openness in the process. The 1986 National Policy of Education (NPE) and the 1992 Programme of Action assign a special role to NCERT in preparing and promoting a National Curriculum Framework. The policy views such a framework as a means of establishing a National System of Education, characterized by certain core values and transformative goals which might be consistent with the Constitutional vision of India.
This exercise has been initiated following the decision of NCERT’s Executive Committee taken in its meeting held on July 19, 2004. Subsequent to the meeting, a letter from the Education Secretary to the Director, NCERT, reiterated the necessity to review the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2000. Meetings of all Heads of Departments were organized to initiate the review process, and internal meetings in each department were called to ensure the participation of every member of the faculty. Similar meetings have been held in all the RIEs.
Following these deliberations, it has been decided to create five structures to undertake the NCF review with wide-ranging deliberations and rigour. These structures are:
National Steering Committee
National Focus Groups (Position Papers)
Committee for Consultation with States
The 1986 National Education Policy had envisaged a national system of education in
which the States will be key participants in all spheres of decision-making, and reform, including curriculum designing and examination. This vision assumes a highly dynamic and decentralized policy and mode of functioning which might permit a National Curriculum Framework to be implemented with the highest commitment to quality and efficiency. With this objective in view, a Consultation Committee will be set up, specifically for the purpose of eliciting the perspective of the States. It will consist of academic representatives nominated by the States in the different regions of India.
Research Unit
A
small research unit will be set up for assisting the
National Steering Committee and the different focus
groups. This unit will make available
any existing research reports concerning curriculum
policies and designing, and will also commission any
required short-term studies.
Syllabus Revision Committee
Syllabus for Classes I - XII
NCF Debate
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