The Ministry of Education in India has recently unveiled a draft version of the ‘National Credit Framework’ (NCrF). This proposed system is designed to standardize and unify the education system, from primary school up through the university level, using an academic ‘credit’ regime. Public views on this plan have been solicited in order to fine-tune the details before the final version is implemented.
The Structure of the New Credit System
The NCrF is a part of the National Education Policy, and it will redefine an academic year based on student learning hours. Students will receive credits according to the number of hours they have dedicated to their studies over the course of each academic year. The framework was developed following the University Grants Commission’s guidelines for the establishment and operation of an Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education, which were announced in July 2021.
The Credit Level System
A high-level committee proposed credit levels starting at class 5, with students advancing in credit levels all the way up to levels 7 and 8 for post-graduation and doctorate programs respectively. These credit levels will increase by 0.5 after each year of learning.
Earning Credits
Under this plan, ‘Notional Learning hours in a year’ for assigning credits would total 1200 hours. Students could potentially earn a minimum of 40 credits for 1200 hours of learning throughout the year, or 20 credits per each six-month semester. Each credit requires 30 hours of learning. Notion learning hours includes time spent in classroom instruction as well as time spent participating in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, such as sports, yoga, performing arts, music, social work, NCC, vocational education, and more.
Easy Entry and Exit System
The credit transfer mechanism will also provide students with the flexibility to enter and exit the educational ecosystem at any point of time. Work experience or other relevant training undertaken by the learner is given due consideration.
A Shift Towards a More Holistic Education
The new credit framework erases the strict differentiation between curricular and co-curricular activities, offering a more holistic perspective of a student’s learning journey.
Implementation of Aadhaar-enabled Student Registration
An Aadhaar-enabled student registration system will be implemented. Post-registration, an Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) account for each student will be opened, where degree and credits can be deposited. This process will include a knowledge locker similar to DigiLocker.
Expansion of the Academic Bank of Credit
The Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) introduced for higher education will be expanded to include management of credits earned from school education onwards, including vocational education and training.
The Significance of the National Credit Framework
The NCrF will serve as an umbrella framework for skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling, accreditation & evaluation, bringing together educational and skilling institutions. Its implementation will ensure credit recognition for knowledge acquisition, hands-on training, and positive social outcomes. This key step will contribute to achieving 100% literacy in the next 2-3 years and help India progress towards becoming a $5-trillion economy.
