EENET asia Newsletters : Symposium
issue April 2006 Contents
The National Curriculum
Framework 2005
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) has been recently
published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training,
New Delhi, India. It aims at enriching the curriculum so that
it goes beyond the textbooks and make examinations more flexible. It
is based on the guiding principles of linking knowledge to life outside
the school and ensuring that learning is shifted away from rote methods. The
NCF 2005 advocates for teaching through the mother tongue, infusion
of peace oriented values in all subjects, participatory management of
schools, inclusion of human rights, primacy of active learner, fostering
creativity and introduction of topics like HIV/AIDS. It owes its present
shape and form to a flurry of ideas generated through a series
of intensive deliberations and contributions from eminent scholars from
various disciplines and several stakeholders at various levels. Some excerpts
follow.
Why should stereotypes persist?
A matter of serious concern is the persistence of stereotypes regarding
children from marginalised groups, including children belonging to scheduled
tribes and scheduled castes, who traditionally have not had access to
schooling or learning. In India some learners have been historically viewed
as uneducable, less educable, slow to learn, and even scared of learning.
There is a similar stereotype regarding girls, which encourages the belief
that they are not interested in playing games, or in mathematics, and
science. Yet another set of stereotypes is applied to children with disabilities,
caste and physical and intellectual disability perpetuating the notion
that they cannot be taught along with other children. These perceptions
are grounded in the notion that inferiority and inequality are inherent
in gender caste and physical and intellectual disability. There are a
few success stories, but much larger are the number of learners who fail
and thus internalize a sense of inadequacy. Realising the values of equality
is possible only if we prepare teachers to treat children equally. We
need to train teachers to help cultivate an understanding of the cultural
and socio economic diversity that children bring with them to school.
Many of our schools have large numbers of first
generation school goers. Pedagogy must be reoriented when the child’s
home is unable to provide the required direct support to formal schooling.
First generation school goers, for example would be completely dependent
on the school for inculcating reading and writing skills and fostering
a taste for reading, and for familiarizing them with language and culture
of the school, especially when the home language is different from the
language of school. Indeed, they need all the assistance they can get.
Many children are also vulnerable to conditions prevailing at home, which
might make them prone to lack of punctuality, irregularity and inattentiveness
in the classroom. Mobilizing inter sectoral support for freeing children
from such constraints and for designing a curriculum sensitive to these
circumstances therefore is essential.
Common Sources of Physical Discomfort
in School
- Long walks to school
- Badly designed furniture that gives children
inadequate back support and cramps their legs and knees
- Timetables that do not give young children
enough breaks to stretch move and play, deprive older children of play,
encourage girls to opt out.
- Especially for girls, the absence, of toilets
and sanitary requirements
- Corporal punishment- beating, awkward physical
postures.
- Lack of basic infrastructure, including
support books for reading and writing
- Heavy school bags
Adapted from “National
Curriculum Framework 2005,” p.13 and p.23, NCERT, December
2005, webpage: www.ncert.nic.in
EENET asia
Newsletters : Symposium issue April 2006
Contents
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