By Naman Jain
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) as a vision document aims to catapult India into the league of super-developed nations with a population of young people who have a strong foundation in value-based education. At its best, the document reflects an ideal culmination of traditional Indian values for a globally connected world where students of today can be successful leaders of tomorrow. The NCF focuses on two segments a bit more comprehensively than the others and these are early childhood education and higher learning. For the purpose of school education, the focus on foundational learning will require significant modifications within the existing system.
As per the NCF proposal, students in the age group of three to six years must not be taught using any prescribed textbooks. Instead, simple worksheets should be used to meet the curricular goals. For the age groups over six years, an interactive curriculum that has storytelling at its core must be used. Some of the teaching tools prescribed include board games and stories from the Panchatantra (a collection of Indian fables and folk tales) for the age group of six-eight years. This foundational learning experience brings into limelight the use of narrative storytelling techniques as a pedagogy where students must be asked to look at objects and ideas within their immediate environments. Students and teachers are encouraged to explore folk tales of local heroes and traditions in an attempt to look inward for knowledge gathering instead of mugging information from textbooks about distant or alien lands.
This is an excellent idea for not only it eliminates any dependence on rigid textbooks, but it allows students to learn and engage more with their immediate surroundings. It has been found that mugging from books without realising the real-life implications of what’s in the textbooks has created robotic minds that struggle to apply learning into their real lives and are rather isolated from their immediate surroundings. A lack of interest in one’s own background and history plagues the current generation and this proposal is a great way to bridge that gap. However, while these are excellent ideas in principle, implementing them will require an overhaul of the current system. For instance, currently, despite their flaws, textbooks offered some standardisation which allowed teachers to manage medium to large class sizes. Especially in primary classes, a curriculum that does not have textbooks generally works well with smaller groups as there is better scope for interaction and discussions. Additionally, parents may feel anxious if they do not see a tangible and tactile curriculum. For this system to work effectively, adequate counselling and trust-building with parents will have to be undertaken so that they feel assured and confident in a system that does not rest solely on books.
Apart from the no textbook till age six, the NCF also recommends that the mother tongue be the primary medium of instruction for children till eight years of age, in both public and private schools. This is among the easier to execute policy proposals as across many States, this is already the case. English may be introduced at some point and the policy mandates that students should develop strong oral language skills (including listening comprehension, vocabulary, and oral expression) in at least two languages by the end of the foundational stage. This proposal of using the mother tongue as a medium of instruction is also connected with the principle of helping a child becoming more aware of their social and cultural environment and integrating them with the same.
There is also an element of building a sense of community by knowing the key symbols and figures that are significant within one’s local environment. An emphasis on using toys as a teaching aid suggests that the role of teachers as we know it is set to undergo a major transformation. Teachers are the link who will enable the transition from the older system to these new ideas. While training them to cope with the initial teething troubles will be a significant requirement to ensure effective results, this policy also reimagines teaching, not be an individual activity but a community exercise.
Unlike several other reforms, the NCF is a reform of the mindset of all stakeholders, be it teachers, students, parents, or policymakers. Schools are not likely to face any radical challenge, but the transition will certainly take time before it starts feeling smooth to all. Teacher education and training is the key. Most of these significant elements and mandatory needs are to be taken to the notice and teaching-learning practices being provided by the B. Ed colleges too as most of the pass outs from the B. Ed colleges would, in the initial stages of their career would opt for being a primary teacher. As one could gather and going by the talks around, it is expected that the NCF for foundational learning will be implemented in Delhi first before other states follow suit. So far, the rationale documents have been shared by the government. But as and when more teaching materials and samples are released, there will be a greater sense of ease and comfort with the new system.
There is ample evidence to suggest that textbooks alone are not the best pedagogical tool. A truly progressive curriculum focused on specific learning goals and mechanisms to build capacity, skills, and competencies, as proposed by the NCF, is capable of creating students poised for success in the future. The focus on value-based learning and a greater engagement with one’s surroundings are the key pillars on which the system is built. This should not be too hard to imbibe or ingrain for schools, but the best results will only be possible when all stakeholders come together to collaborate with the best interests of students at their hearts.
The author is director, Silver Line Public School, Ghaziabad. Views expressed are personal.