This document discusses issue-based curriculum in Kerala, India. It provides background on curriculum and defines issue-based curriculum as focusing on knowledge generation by learners through addressing issues faced by society. While novel, issue-based curriculum poses challenges for facilitators in lesson preparation and assessment. Research is needed to properly define issues by level, identify age-appropriate issues, develop inclusive textbooks, and train teachers in new methodologies. The conclusion notes issue-based curriculum is ideal in theory but difficult to implement without reflection and philosophical grounding.

1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
Topic: Issue Based Curriculum
Submitted to
Miss. Ansa Jose
Submitted by
Miss.Nirupama. Renjith. P
Roll no:5
B.Ed English

2. INTRODUCTION
“Curriculum embodies all the experiences which are utilized by the schoolto
attain the aims of education”
- Munroe
The term curriculum is derived from the Latin word ‘currere’ which means
path. In this sense curriculum is the path through which the student has to go
forward in order to reach the goal envisaged by education. Usually the term
curriculum is understood to mean a group of subjects prescribed for study in
a particular course. But curriculum is not confined to this narrow concept.
The curriculum should in no way be considered as synonymous with courses
of study. Curriculum should be considered as a broad-based term
encompassing every aspect concerning the study of the course. The different
types of curriculum are as follows:
 Subject centered curriculum
 Activity centered curriculum
 Child centered curriculum
 Issue based curriculum

3.  Experience centered curriculum
 Undifferentiated curriculum
 Core curriculum
 Hidden curriculum
 Spiral curriculum

4. ISSUE BASED CURRICULUM
Issue Based Approach (IBA) to curriculum transaction is a novel and unique
one in the history of school curriculum development in Kerala. This
approach is a clear departure from the traditional ‘knowledge transmission’
models of curriculum transaction and focuses on ‘knowledge generation’ by
learners. The Issue Based Approach aims to sensitize the learners about the
numerous issues faced by our society through the learning material itself.
These issues are developed and sensitized using various discourses which
provide a linguistically rich environment in the classroom.
Being a novel one, the Issue Based Approach poses a number of challenges
to facilitators with respect to the preparation of teaching manual, lesson
transaction, learner assessment etc in the classroom. It is really a hard task to
the facilitator to bring in various social issues in an appropriate form into the
framework of formal education. The challenge of the facilitator is to
generate contextualized knowledge in developing and transacting Issued
Based Approach lesson.
The National Curriculum Framework of 2005 (NCF) heralds a paradigm
shift in school education. It seeks to affect a break from the existing syllabi

5. and pedagogic practices. In the making of curriculum NCF suggested the
following five principles.
 Connecting knowledge of life outside the school.
 Ensuring that learning is shifted away from rote method.
 Enriching the curriculum to provide for over all development of
children rather than remain textbook centric.
 Making examination more flexible and integrated into classroom life.
 Nurturing an over-siding identity informed by caring concern within
the democratic policy of the country.
The KCF 2007 is actually a refinement of the prevailing system, and
explores new possibilities. The main change is that in that in the previous
system the textbooks were prepared in the basis of contents conceived in the
syllabus, while in the new system of textbooks are prepared on the basis of
issue based content .An innovative aspect of the KCF is its issue based
approach for the preparation of syllabi and text books. The issues are
identified for the preparation of text books are as follows:-
 Absence of a vision of universal humanism.
 Lack of human resource development.

6.  . Lack of understanding of the specificities of cultural identity and its
need to develop freely.
 Inability to see agriculture as a part of culture.
 Lack of scientific approach to health and public health.
 Lack of due consideration towards marginalized groups.
 Lack of scientific management of land and water.
 Lack of eco-friendly industrialization and urbanization that issues are
posed in a negative manner, has been a point of criticism.
Even though issue based approach is a byproduct of critical pedagogy,
which is relatively a new area and the research work in this field are scarce.
Even if researches have been conducted, it is not made available for wide
public use. To implement a new approach in our educational system, it needs
a thorough research base. The main areas of research in the field of issue
based approach are discussed below:-
 The issues are not properly defined as level specific, presenting the
same issue in all levels or presenting issues that targeted on adults
should be restructured to level of children. So there needs adequate
research base for detailing and categorization of various issues, that
are identified in the issue based curriculum in a futuristic manner.

7. Because issues that are prominent today may be out of focus in near
future.
 While considering the level, the needs, experiences and interests of
students in different levels are varied. So the issues, presented in pre-
primary class should be entirely different from primary and that of
secondary and so on. Hence the issues are presented in accordance
with the needs and experience of students. In order to identify the
issues to be presented in each level, we need proper research.
 While preparing textbooks, we need to know what should be included
in the textbooks of each level in integrated inclusive manner.
 Majority of teachers who are in service at present is under the
influence of a system which can be traced to the colonial past. Only
by conscious and deliberate efforts that they can imbibe a new
democratic spirit. One way of achieving it is through teacher training
programmes. Hence new methodologies are to be applied in the
teachers training programme for that adequate research base is
needed.
 Since teachers play a pivotal role of a ‘facilitator’ in the new
paradigm, the handbooks and source books become the tools to show
the right path. Handbooks provide necessary guidance for the

8. effective transaction of the curriculum. So for the preparation of
handbooks, and source books, necessary research work is essential.
Textbooks are constructed in such a way that to satisfy the needs of each and
every student. So care should be taken for its preparation to make it as
comprehensive and learner friendly as possible. Hence, preparing textbooks
in accordance with the dimensions of the new curriculum, research is
inevitable to identify the needs of various sections of the society.
Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF) 2007, draws upon National
Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005, introduced the concept of issue based
approach, from the academic year 2008-2009. KCF 2007 was prepared after
holding discussions with academics, organizations of teachers, students,
non-governmental organizations and the general public. The issue based
approach aims at social reformations should provide opportunities to work
for social justice, to generate better citizen, to promote a naturalistic spirit,
etc. The problems are learned in such a way that the local issues should be
analyzed in a global context. Critical pedagogy and issue based approach has
recently in practice in the state of Kerala.

9. The school curriculum is on revision. The new curriculum has several
distinctive features to its credit. It is framed on the basis of the guidelines of
National Curriculum Framework (KCF) 2007. It is theoretically grounded on
the social constructivism and critical pedagogy. The present curriculum aims
at enabling the learner to actively involved in addressing the issues of the
society and constructing ideas, forming positive attitudes and framing
opinions towards the need for their quick and effective remediation. The
curriculum focuses on the development of the linguistic competences the
learners require for the purpose. It views that the knowledge the learner
constructs may be the knowledge for social goodness. It may emerge from
the premises of problems and issues being faced by the contemporary
society. The knowledge construction process concludes only when the
constructed knowledge is applied to meet social needs and challenges. Thus
it becomes knowledge for social goodness.
In the case of language, issue based approaches inspire learners to interact
more actively. It develops their skills of listening and speaking. It makes
learning more meaningful and creates interest in them to involve in the
process of teaching and learning with increased enthusiasm and confidence.

10. CONCLUSION
Issue based Approach though fascinating in ideology, practicing is not so
promising. Predetermining issues is as against the postulates of critical
pedagogy. Practice without reflection and imposing the practice without
adequate philosophical interventions are the major criticisms to issue based
approach to curriculum in practice in the state of Kerala. Curriculum should
be related to the dynamics of everyday life of the learners. It is based on
social needs and aspirations. It may recognize the importance of cultural
differences of individuals communicating across various social and political
borders.

11. REFERENCES
 Effective Teaching Of English; K. Jamaluddeen
 English Language Education; Dr. K. Sivarajan
 NCERT (2005). National Curriculum Framework 2005, New Delhi:
NCERT.
 SCERT (2007). The Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007.
Thiruvananthapuram, SCERT.