NCERT looks to promote gender equality, shun rote learning

New Delhi: Values like gender equality should be instilled in children starting ideally at the pre-school level and rote learning shunned because it impairs their

New Delhi: Values like gender equality should be instilled in children starting ideally at the pre-school level and rote learning shunned because it impairs their growth, according to the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

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The council, which lays down the curricular framework under which school education is imparted across the country, has for the first time developed a pre-school curriculum that will serve as reference point for the teaching of children at the playschool or nursery level before they begin primary education .

And the mantra that the NCERT is emphasising is that rather than push a formal system of teaching that stresses out a child, the focus should be on fostering creativity and curiosity.

According to a copy of the draft pre-school curriculum, which is set to be released soon, a premature effort to instil knowledge in a child or teach her skills can actually harm her ability to develop a positive attitude towards learning.

“Rote based, teacher directed learning, which is devoid of meaningful context with undue pressure on the child to perform is harmful,” says the NCERT’s draft curriculum, a copy of which has been reviewed by HT.

The pre-school years should, in fact, be the time when gender stereotypes are broken and an attitude of inclusion, especially towards the differently abled, is encouraged.

The draft lists a number of steps to inculcate gender equality/ Equal respect, attention and opportunities should be provided to both girls and boys, it says. And only those books or plays should be chosen to teach them that are free of gender bias. Use stories, songs, activities and facilitation aids that depict girls and boys, including some with special needs, in the same roles, according to another suggestion.

The curriculum also emphasises the need to sensitise parents to support these practices at home.

In the draft, the NCERT has also turned its attention to the tendency of schools to thrust English on children including those whose background may not allow a familiarity with the language.

“Starting children on reading and writing without ensuring their oral language base results in children learning to read mechanically but without much comprehension,” the draft says. It asks schools to be sensitive to the diverse needs of their students.

“The commercial interests of schools and the ambitions of parents often results in situations where children are forced to undergo structured formal learning In dull and monotonous environs. This is detrimental for the child. The attempt is to come up with norms in consonance with the developmental needs of the children,” said a senior official involved in the preparation of the draft.

The NCERT has also suggested learning outcomes for children aged three to six years.

Significantly, the outcomes for a three-year-old child mention areas like resolving minor conflicts with the help of elders or participation in activities like music or dance. For a child aged four,they include asking ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions or telling a story ; for children aged up to six, the draft suggests identifying basic colours, shapes and so on .

The learning of the English alphabet or digits from one to 100 or more, which is often the focus at most schools, is missing.

“While pre-school learning is an area of crucial importance, no comprehensive curriculum that can act as guideline for schools across the country has been there. This is the first time that the NCERT has with the help of experts come up with a framework for them. It is in advanced stages and likely to be released soon,” said a senior human resource development ministry official.

“This is a well intentioned initiative. Children learn more from the environment around them. There are value education classes in schools. If the right kind of environment is missing, no matter how much you lecture a child, it will not have the desired effect. Therefore, any policy based on sound research that aims to create the right ambience is welcome,” said Delhi based lawyer Kunal Sharma, whose daughter studies in the kindergarten wing of a leading Noida school.