NCERT is a autonomous organization established in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise central and state governments on policies and programs to improve school education qualitatively. It undertakes research, training, publishing, and other programs. The National Curriculum Framework provides guidelines for syllabi, textbooks, and teaching practices for school education programs. NCF 2005 drew from previous reports and focus group discussions. It is divided into five areas and aims to reduce curriculum load while ensuring national integration and quality education.
NCERT and NCF: Providing Framework for School Education
1. Page | 1
NCERT (National Council for Educational
Research and Training)
And
NCF (National Curriculum Framework)
Submitted to
Mrs. Sushama Prabha L
Lecturer in Natural Science
Submitted by
Riji. R
Natural science
Submitted on
01/08/2015
3. Page | 3
INTRODUCTION
NCERT is an apex resource organization to assist and advice the central and state
government on academic matters related to school education. It provide academic and
technical support for qualitative improvement of school education and undertakes programs
related to research development training, extension, international corporation, publication and
dissemination of information.
NCERT is a autonomous organization set up 1961 by the government of
India to assist and advice the central and state government on policies and programmes for
qualitative improvement in school education.
The Government of India's Ministry of Education resolved on 27 July, 1961 to
establish the National Council of Educational Research and Training, which formally began
its operation on 1 September, 1961. The Council formed by merging seven existing
institutions of the National Government including the Central Institute of Education (1947),
the Central Bureau of Textbook Research (1954), the Central Bureau of Educational and
Vocational Guidance (1954), the Directorate of Extension Programmes for Secondary
Education (1958), the National Institute of Basic Education (1956), the National Fundamental
Education Centre (1956), and the National Institute of Audio-Visual Education (1959).
4. Page | 4
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
Objectives
National Council for Indian Education (NCIE) and National Council for Education
Research and Training (NCERT) are two different concerns. Among the top priorities of
NCERT are:
i. Implementation of National Curriculum Framework
ii. Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE)
iii. Vocational education
iv. Education of groups with special needs
v. Early childhood education
vi. Evaluation and examination to reform IT education
vii. Competitive Value education
viii. Education of girl child
ix. Production of teaching-learning experience
x. Improvement in teacher education
xi. Improvement of thought of student
In addition to research development, training, extension, publication and
dissemination activities, the NCERT is an implementation agency for bilateral cultural
exchange programs me with other countries in the field of school education. The NCERT
also interact and works in collaboration with the international organization, visiting foreign
delegations and offers 3 various training facilities to educational personal form developing
countries.
5. Page | 5
Major constituent units of NCERT
The major constituent units of NCERT are located in different regions of the
country.
1. National Institute of Education (NIE) – New Delhi
2. Central Institute of Educational technology (CIT) – New Delhi
3. Regional Institute of Education (RIE) – Mysore
4. North East Regional Institute of Education (NERIE) - Shilong
National Curriculum Framework (NCF)
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is one of 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[2]
document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports on education as
Learning Without Burden and National Policy of Education 1986-1992[4]
and focus group
discussion.[5]
After wide ranging deliberations 21 National Focus Group Position Papers have
been developed under the agies 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., 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 syllabii 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].
6. Page | 6
Main Features of the NCF 2005
The document is divided into 5 areas:
Perspective of NCF
Learning and Knowledge
Curriculum Areas, School Stages and Assessment
School and Classroom Environment
Systemic Reforms
Education under the Indian Constitution until 1976 allowed the state governments to take
decisions on all matters pertaining to school education, including curriculum, within their
jurisdiction. The Centre could only provide guidance to the States on policy issues. It is under
such circumstances that the initial attempts of the National Education Policy of 1968 and the
Curriculum Framework designed by NCERT in 1975 were formulated. In 1976, the
Constitution was amended to include education in the Concurrent List, 4 and for the first time
in 1986 the country as a whole had a uniform National Policy on Education. The NPE (1986)
recommended a common core component in the school curriculum throughout the country.
The policy also entrusted NCERT with the responsibility of developing the National
Curriculum Framework, and reviewing the framework at frequent intervals. NCERT in
continuation of its curriculum-related work carried out studies and consultations subsequent
to 1975, and had drafted a curriculum framework as a part of its activity in 1984. This
exercise aimed at making school education comparable across the country in qualitative terms
and also at making it a means of ensuring national integration without compromising on the
country’s pluralistic character. Based on such experience, the Council’s work culminated in
the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 1988. However, the articulation
of this framework through courses of studies and textbooks in a rapidly changing
developmental context resulted in an increase in ‘curricular load’ and made learning at school
a source of stress for young minds and bodies during their formative years of childhood and
stress for young minds and bodies during their formative years of childhood and adolescence.
This aspect has been coherently brought out in Learning Without Burden, 1993, the report of
the Committee under the chairmanship of Professor Yash Pal. 1.3 NATIONAL
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK In spite of the recommendations of the NPE, 1986 to
identify competencies and values to be nurtured at different stages, school education came to
be driven more and more by high-stake examinations based on information-loaded textbooks.
Despite the review of the Curriculum Framework in 2000, the vexed issues of curriculum
load and the tyranny of examinations remained unresolved. The current review exercise takes
into cognizance both positive and negative developments in the field and attempts to address
the future requirements of school education at the turn of the century. In this Endeavour,
several interrelated dimensions have been kept in mind, namely, the aims of education, the
social milieu of children, the nature of knowledge in its broader sense, the nature of human
7. Page | 7
development, and the process of human learning. The term National Curriculum Framework
is often wrongly construed to mean that an instrument of uniformity is being proposed. The
intention as articulated in the NPE, 1986 and the Programme of Action (PoA) 1992 was quite
the contrary. NPE proposed a national framework for curriculum as a means of evolving a
national system of education capable of responding to India’s diversity of geographical and
cultural milieus while ensuring a common core of values along with academic components.
“The NPE - PoA envisaged a child-centered approach to promote universal enrolment and
universal retention of children up to 14 years of age and substantial improvement in the
quality of education in the school” (PoA, P. 77). The PoA further elaborated on this vision of
NPE by emphasizing relevance, flexibility and quality as characteristics of the National
Curriculum Framework. Thus, both these documents envisioned the National Curriculum
Framework as a means of modernizing the system of education.
CONCLUSION
NCERT is a organization to assist and advice. It undertake aid, promote and coordinate
research a areas related to school education. Prepare and published textbooks supplementary
materials, news letters, journals and other related to literature. It organize pre service and in
service training of teacher. It act as clearing hours for ideas and information in matter related
to school education. The Framework provides the framework for making syllabii,[1]
textbooks
and teaching practices within the school education programmes
REFERENCES
1. Jump up^ "Public Information Services." National Council of Educational Research
and Training. Retrieved on 25 August 2012. "National Council of Educational
Research and Training," Sri Aurbindo Marg, New Delhi-110016"
2. ^ Jump up to:a b
Leading the Change: 50 years of NCERT, NCERT, 19 August 2011
3. Jump up^ Mathews, M. Mohan (2001). India, Facts & Figures. Sterling Publishers.
pp. 82–83. ISBN 9788120722859.