Curriculum Reforms in India

1. CURRICULUM REFORMS IN INDIA
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Introduction
• The curriculum reforms have been taken up by
Government of India through NCERT and
developed National Curriculum Frame work -2005.
• NCF 2005 studied major issues of curriculum at
school education level
• Information loaded textbooks, and memory based
examinations and traditional teaching and rote
systems of learning.
• No clear connection between concerns, aims and
curricular contains. The pedagogy and the view on
knowledge also remain somewhat not well defined.

3. Guiding Principles Reflected in the NCF 2005
• Connecting knowledge to life outside the school.
• Ensuring that learning is shifted away from rote
methods.
• Enriching the curriculum to provide for overall
development of children rather that remain
textbook centric.
• Making examinations more flexible and integrated
into classroom life.
• Caring concerns within the democratic polity of the
country.

4. Reforms recommended by different
bodies/agencies of Education
• The University Education Commission 1952-53
recommended a diversified curriculum with some
core subjects at the higher secondary stage.
• The Secondary Education Commission 1964-66
considered the working of the entire system of
education in the country and made suggestions for
restructuring the curriculum in the light of
explosion of knowledge.

5. Cont.,
• The recommendations of the Education
Commission led to the formulation of the National
Policy of Education, 1968 which envisaged 10 +2+3
pattern of education for the entire country.
• In 1975, a new curriculum for the pattern of 10+2+3
system was formulated by the NCERT

6. Cont.,
• In 1977, the Ishwarbai Patel Committee, appointed
by the Government of India, suggested the
Inclusion of Socially Useful Productive Work
(SUPW)at the school stage.
• The 1977-78 Committee on Vocational course at
the +2 stage, headed by Dr.Malcolm S. Adiseshiah
reviewed the vocational courses and suggested
guidelines for introducing changes in vocational
courses.

7. Cont.,
• The National Policy on Education 1986,
provided a new direction to the curriculum. It
envisages curriculum as an important
instruction in realizing the ideals of society as
enshrined in the constitution.

8. Cont.,
• During the struggle for independence, it was
realized that the curriculum introduced in India as
a result of Macaulay’s Minute 1835, it was not
accord with the needs and inspiration of India.
• A major effort towards the reforms of education
and curriculum was made by Gandhiji when he
propounded the Basic system of education.
Besides craft, physical and social environment
were also considered very important in school
curriculum.

9. Cont.,
• The visible face of reforms in curriculum consists of
changes in the syllabi and textbooks, but the
invisible face is far more complex.
• The limited context of syllabi and textbook, popular
perception of curricular reforms focuses on
‘revision’, updating or improvement.
• The formulation of the National Curricular
Framework (NCF-2005) by the NCERT initiated a
vast debate across the country on priorities and
problems regarding how knowledge is selected and
represented across the school curriculum

10. Cont.,
• Teacher education is currently a major priority of
curricular reforms in India. NCF-2005 has been
followed up by a National Curriculum Framework
for Teacher Education (NCFTE, 2009).
• The National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE),
the organization statutorily responsible for teacher
education, has started reviewing the curriculum of
teacher training followed in different states.
• This exercise is being guided by the pedagogic
perspective articulated in NCF-2005 and the legal
framework of the Right to Education (RTE) act.

11. Cont.,
• Curriculum and pedagogy are at the heart of RTE’s
goals of achieving universality of elementary
education while ensuring gender parity and
equality among all social groups in an inclusive
classroom environment.
• These goals cannot be achieved by changes in the
syllabus and textbooks alone. Teachers’ belief and
commitment to these changes are going to play a
crucial role.