Recently, the Union Education Ministry has launched the National Curriculum Framework for foundational stage education aimed at children who fall in the three to eight years age group. This important move is done in line with implementing the New Education Policy-2020.
A Breakdown of the National Curriculum Framework
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) comprises four distinct sections: the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, Early Childhood Care and Education, Teacher Education, and Adult Education. This educational framework pays particular focus on the ‘panchakosha’ concept which prioritizes the body-mind connection.
According to the NCF, the framework’s five components include physical development (sharirik vikas), life energy development (pranik vikas), emotional and mental development (manasik vikas), intellectual development (bauddhik vikas), and spiritual development (chaitsik vikas).
An Overview of NEP, 2020
Moving towards a new education progression, the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) strives to transform education in India. The aim is to deliver high-quality education equitably and inclusively. One transformative aspect of NEP 2020 includes a new curricular structure, 5+3+3+4, which integrates Early Childhood Care and Education for children aged between 3 to 8 years.
Educational Provisions and Laws in the Indian Constitution
Part IV of the Indian Constitution, including Article 45 and Article 39 (f) in the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), provides provisions for state-funded as well as equitable and accessible education. In 1976, the 42nd Amendment shifted education from the State list to the Concurrent list, thus enabling Central government to outline broad educational guidelines for state governments to adhere to. However, this is not mandatory, evident by Tamil Nadu straying from the three-language formula prescribed by the first education policy in 1968.
The 86th Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A. Therefore, Article 21A obligates the State to provide free and compulsory education for children aged between 6 and 14 years.
Significant Laws Related to Indian Education System
The Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009 equates education as a fundamental right and aims to provide primary education to all children aged between 6 to 14 years. It also reserves 25% of places for disadvantaged sections of the society.
Government’s Initiative towards Enhanced Education
Following the NEP of 1986, the government has initiated various schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools) and use of Information Technology in education.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Questions
One example of a previous question from the UPSC Civil Services Examination (2018) addressed the Right to Education (RTE) Act, asking whether to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would require to possess the minimum qualification as laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education, and whether a candidate needs to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test as per National Council of Teacher Education guidelines. The answer was option (b), which affirmed the second statement and negated the first.
A Mains question from the 2020 paper pertained to the National Education Policy 2020 and its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030) in restructuring and reorienting the education system in India.
