Draft NCF calls for teaching value of service at foundational stage
A panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation chief Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has prepared the draft in line with the National Education Policy 2020
The draft document of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) released on Thursday has recommended teaching students about great Indian heroes, and India’s contribution to fields such as mathematics.
A panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation chief Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has prepared the draft in line with the National Education Policy 2020 that emphasises “rootedness and pride in India” in the school curriculum.
The NCF will set benchmarks for NCERT textbooks primarily taught in the Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated schools, teaching, learning practices, and assessment methods. It will remain recommendatory for state education boards as education is a state subject.
The draft has suggested stages of learning. It says the students should be taught the “value of seva (service)” through stories, music, arts, and games, from the local context at the foundational stage.
“Children are given the opportunity to read and learn from the original stories of the Panchatantra, Jataka, Hitopadesha, and other fun fables and inspiring tales from the Indian tradition. Stories from the lives of great Indian heroes of history are also seen as an excellent way to inspire and introduce core values in children,” it says.
The draft recommends children be taught India’s contribution to arts, mathematics, science, social sciences, language, and physical education during the remaining preparatory, middle, and secondary stages.
It calls for making students appreciate the importance of being Indian by understanding India’s glorious past and its rich geographical and cultural diversity. “Indian contributions to democratic ideas which flourished in ancient, medieval, and modern periods are also an important part of student learning,” the draft document says.
In the case of mathematics, the document says its curriculum should introduce students to the major contributions of Indians during the foundational stage. “Students at the Middle Stage will be able to understand the development of important mathematical ideas over a period and locate the contribution of Indian mathematicians eg, recognizes how concepts evolved over a period in different civilizations and the contributions of specific Indian mathematicians - Baudhayana, Panini, Pingala, Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Virahanka, Bhaskara, Madhava, and Ramanujan,” it says.
“At the Secondary Stage, students will learn about the contribution of Indian mathematicians to advanced mathematical ideas like algebra and coordinate geometry.”
It recommends the focus should be to discuss Indian contributions to scientific knowledge in areas including astronomy, metallurgy, health and hygiene practices, space sciences, etc.
“The content will demonstrate the progress of Indian thought in a comparative chronology, the unique nature of Indian contributions, and their role in nation-building,” the draft NCF says.
It recommends introducing students to Indian scientific ideas through observation in the local community and contributions by Indians to major scientific discoveries and ideas at the middle and secondary stages.
The draft NCF recommends making Indian games, including wrestling, archery, chariot racing, and bullock racing, etc integral to the curriculum across stages.
