It took Dr. BR Ambedkar two years, eleven months, and eighteen days to draft the Constitution of India.
What was so important that he dedicated this much time?
He knew he had to build a blueprint that acts as the guideline for the whole country to work in unison.
NCF, that is the National Curriculum Framework is also a blueprint in Indian Education that decides what and how students should learn in schools.
It is a guideline document that was prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
The focus being to set the direction for the educational policies, designing of curriculum, methods of teaching, and assessments across schools in India.
It is not a fixed syllabus that schools and students have to follow dutifully, but is a guiding principle that helps schools in designing their curriculum.
This ensures that every school covers the basics required to groom the students while also having the flexibility to add something new.
Generally, the NCF helps in
Setting the learning objectives that should be there in different stages of education.
Strategising the teaching methods so that learning is made more effective.
Providing guidelines for schools to assess and evaluate the students easily.
Knowing whether education is modern, updated, relevant, and applies to real life skills too.
This overall ensures that Schools cover all the necessary and required things in their curriculum and adds in making Indian education better.
In the past, India has had four previous versions of NCF. There’s -
NCF 1975
NCF 1998
NCF 2000
NCF 2005
And all introduced new reforms to update Indian Education with the needs of the time. And NCF 2023 is their last update where the version aligns with the rapid advancements in technology and the changing job market. So let’s understand NCF 2023 in more detail.
It is the latest curriculum framework which was introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The updated version focuses on making education more student-centric, skill-based, and aligned with modern needs.
NCF 2023 sets the guideline for schools to focus on:
Moving away from rote learning (because memorizing for exams isn’t enough)
Sharpening their critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
Have a more practical and hands-on approach to learning.
Focusing on holistic development of the child by including arts, sports, and life skills into the curriculum
Having flexibility in choosing subjects and career paths.
And this way, the framework is divided into four stages as the 5+3+3+4 structure:
Foundational Stage (Ages 3-8)
Preparatory Stage (Ages 8-11)
Middle Stage (Ages 11-14)
Secondary Stage (Ages 14-18)
The aim, ambition and goal of NCF 2023 is also to stay updated with the recent requirements. It strives to make education more meaningful and enjoyable for students so that they don’t just memorize but also understand it and are able to apply it in their real life.
NCF 2023 focuses on mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Now art, music, and sports are essential subjects and not just extracurricular activities. Now the education is focussed more on communication, teamwork and leadership bringing life skills more into importance than just learning facts and data.
The guidelines emphasize more focus on hands-on projects and activities. There should be real-world problem-solving in classrooms and have assessments which are based on practical application, instead of just writing exams.
With the rise of the digital era, it is time for students to learn it at an early age. And NCF 2023 has taken good care of it. Their guidelines have made technology a key part of education. There’s suggestions of smart classrooms with digital tools, coding and AI basics, and even online learning and digital resources too.
There’s change in the examination system. Now Board exams will be held twice a year. This way stress on students does not build up. And not just two exams, there is a choice that they can choose their best scores instead of just relying on a single exam result. This way, they get a better understanding and a chance to shape their future better.
There’s no hard division between subjects. Now students do not have to pick strict streams between Science, Commerce or Arts, but can mix Physics and music or maths and painting. This way students have multiple career options.
Schools are asked to focus more on the learning outcomes rather than just completing the syllabus. This way, the focus of teachers is on whether students are actually understanding the concepts, and not just on completing their syllabus.
There’s also inclusion of practical skills like carpentry, gardening, coding, financial literacy, and more.
Now there will be less textbook pressure on the Preparatory and Foundational stage (Ages 3-11), instead they should include more on games, storytelling, and hands-on projects.
And the most important is the introduction of AI and AR while keeping emphasis on digital literacy.
Keeping the overall concept of NCF 2023 in mind, Mittsure has launched ThinkTrail for Grades 1-8. It brings AI, AR, and 3d Educational Videos, for students to have an immersive and engaging educational experience. Teachers can access Mittsure Teachlite and make teaching planned and organized while students can immerse into detailed concepts in Science, Maths, and SST, with Mittsure Lens. This way, Mittsure makes sure that schools stay NCF aligned and updated with the recent changes and requirements in education.
