On Wednesday (23 August), the Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan released the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education in Delhi. The textbooks for the same will be developed for the 2024 academic session.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan releases National Curriculum Framework for School Education in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ziCaGfO1Cj
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2023
In the NCF, the Ministry has made a major announcement that from now on board exams will now be conducted at least two times a year. As per the new framework, students will be allowed to retain their best score.
The Ministry said, “Board exams will be offered at least twice a year to ensure students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a board exam in subjects they have completed and feel ready for. They will also be allowed to retain the best score.”
Board exams to be conducted twice a year, students will be allowed to retain best score: MoE’s new curriculum framework
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 23, 2023
Apart from this, students of Class 11 and 12th will have to study two languages, out of which at least one language must be an Indian language. The NCF gives more flexibility to the students and their choices of subjects will not be restricted to streams.
The new framework will also ask the school boards to develop capabilities to offer ‘on-demand’ exams in the near future. The NCF has also given due focus to improving the skills of evaluators and those who make board exam papers. Now, they will have to go through university-certified courses mandatorily to join their work.
“In due course of time, school boards are to develop capacities to offer ‘on demand’ exams in due course of time. Besides board exam test developers and evaluators will have to go through university-certified courses before taking up this work,” the document said.
Board exam test developers, evaluators to go through university-certified courses before taking up this work: MoE's new curriculum framework
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 23, 2023
Further, the Ministry will end the age-old practice of covering textbooks and will also optimise the cost of textbooks. Rather than months of coaching and memorisation, the board exams will now assess the understanding, and achievement of competencies.
The Joint Workshop
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also addressed the Joint Workshop of National Curriculum Framework Oversight And National Syllabus and Textbook Committee (NSTC).
Informing about the same, the Minister said, “Under the guidance of Kasturirangan, the steering committee has prepared the curriculum for the new National Education Policy. They submitted it to the government. The government gave it to the NCERT. NCERT has made two committees, the National Oversight Committee and NSTC. We expect both these committees to prepare a syllabus according to the requirements of the 21st century and based on original Indian thinking. We want them to prepare futuristic teaching and learning material for classes 3 to 12.”
#WATCH | On Joint Workshop of National Curriculum Framework Oversight And NSTC Committee, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, "Under the guidance of Kasturirangan, the steering committee has prepared the curriculum for the new National Education Policy. They… pic.twitter.com/CTmdeWj1hr
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2023
Apparently, the first orientation meeting of these committees set up by NCERT took place today.
Notably, with the aim to bring various reforms in school education and higher education including technical education, the Union government introduced the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).
