Mandate Document for National Curriculum Framework Released

National Curriculum Framework UPSC: Relevance

• GS 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

National Curriculum Framework: Context

• Recently, Ministry of Education has released the ‘Mandate Document: Guidelines for the Development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF)’ to decolonize the Indian education system.

National Curriculum Framework: Key points

• While National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the ‘Philosophy’, National Curriculum Framework is the ‘Pathway’ and the mandate document released is the ‘Constitution’ to champion the changing demands of the 21st century and positively impact the future.
• The mandate document will bring about a paradigm shift with focus on holistic development of children, emphasis on skilling, vital role of teachers, learning in mother tongue, cultural rootedness.
• It is also a step towards decolonization of the Indian education system.

What is NCF?

• The new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 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, supported by the Mandate Group, along with the 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).
• The NCF will contribute to building an education system which can stand the dynamics of the changing times and fulfils the need of the 21^st century.
• NCF will also fully account for other initiatives like NIPUN Bharat.

Mandate document to NCF

• The ‘Mandate Document’ guides the development of the NCF.
• The document is the bridge between the NEP 2020 and the NCF.

NCF characteristics

• It delineates the process of the development and the characteristics of the NCF.
• It sets the mechanisms for the development of a coherent and comprehensive NCF, fully leveraging the widespread consultations already under way
• The process designed ensures the seamless integration imagined – vertically (across Stages) and horizontally (across subjects in the same Stage) in the NEP 2020 – to ensure holistic, integrated, and multi-disciplinary education
• It enables the critical linkage between the curriculum of schools with the curriculum of Teacher Education as an integral part of the transformative reforms envisioned by the NEP 2020 in the overall Teacher Education sector, thus enabling rigorous preparation, continuous professional development, and a positive working environment for all our teachers
• It informs the creation of opportunities for life-long learning for all citizens in the country
• Directly ‘useable by’ and ‘relatable to’ the most important stakeholders in education – teachers, students, parents, and communities across the country – to enable and empower, change and improve the reality of education
• Anchored and informed by sound theory and cutting-edge research, yet using simple language with real-life illustrations from classrooms and schools in a variety of contexts
• Outlining a systematic path for step-by-step movement from current reality to the ideal to ensure real progress in education that touches the lives of all.

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