Lok Sabha Question No. 3216 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Education Policy under NEP
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Hema Malini

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3216 ANSWERED ON 20.03.2023

## Education Policy under NEP

## † 3216. SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI :

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether suggestion in the 'National Education Policy 2020' has been made that the objective of school curriculum and teaching-art is to equip the students with major skills/practical knowledge of the 21st century and reducing the syllabus for their integrated development along with raising necessary knowledge acquisition, inevitable contemplation, focusing on empirical teaching;
- (b) whether necessary steps have been taken by the Government in view of the above suggestion of 'National Education Policy 2020'; and
- (c)  whether the results of those necessary steps are positive and according to the objectives?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ( SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI )

(a):  National  Education  Policy  (NEP),  2020,  in  para  4.4,  provides  that  'The  key  overall  thrust  of curriculum and pedagogy reform across all stages will be to move the education system towards real understanding and towards learning how to learn - and away from the culture of rote learning as is largely present today. The aim of education will not only be cognitive development, but also building character  and  creating  holistic  and  well-rounded  individuals  equipped  with  the  key  21st  century skills. Ultimately, knowledge is a deep-seated treasure and education helps in its manifestation as the perfection  which  is  already  within  an  individual.  All  aspects  of  curriculum  and  pedagogy  will  be reoriented  and  revamped  to  attain  these  critical  goals.  Specific  sets  of  skills  and  values  across domains  will  be  identified  for  integration  and  incorporation  at  each  stage  of  learning,  from  preschool to higher education. Curriculum frameworks and transaction mechanisms will be developed for  ensuring  that  these  skills  and  values  are  imbibed  through  engaging  processes  of  teaching  and learning.  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  will  identify  these required  skill  sets  and  include  mechanisms  for  their  transaction  in  the  National  Curriculum Framework for early childhood and school education'.

Further,  para  4.5  of  NEP,  2020  provides  that  'Curriculum  content  will  be  reduced  in  each subject  to  its  core  essentials,  to  make  space  for  critical  thinking  and  more  holistic,  inquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning. The mandated content will focus on key concepts, ideas, applications, and problem-solving. Teaching and learning will be conducted in a more interactive manner; questions will be encouraged, and classroom sessions will regularly contain more  fun,  creative,  collaborative,  and  exploratory  activities  for  students  for  deeper  and  more experiential learning.'

(b) & (c): As a follow-up of the NEP, 2020, following initiatives have already been taken:

1. NCERT has initiated  the  process  of  development  of  National  Curriculum  Frameworks  by taking  inputs  from  various  stakeholders  including  Ministries/Departments,  States  and  UTs, drawing from grass root levels in a de-centralised manner. States/UTs have also started the process  for  preparing  their  State  Curriculum  Frameworks  (SCFs)  through  district  level consultations,  mobile  app  survey  and  development  of  position  papers  by  the  State  Focus Groups in identified areas/themes as per the NEP 2020 including Early Childhood Care and Education  (ECCE),  School  Education  (SE),  Teacher  Education  (TE)  and  Adult  Education (AE).  The  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education (NCFECCE), at the Foundational Stage, has been developed by NCERT. It is the first ever integrated  curriculum  framework  for  children  between  ages  3-8  in  India.  It  is  a  direct outcome of the 5+3+3+4 'curricular and pedagogical' structure that NEP 2020 has come out with for school education. Some transformative ideas for implementation of quality school education are included in the Framework, which are toy-based pedagogy, play as the core of the teaching-learning process, a lifestyle for the environment, and learning about the external world. The framework has provided for stimulating experiences for the child's development in  all  dimensions-cognitive,  social-emotional,  and  physical,  to  enable  the  achievement  of foundational literacy and numeracy for all children.
2. Launch of National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN)  Bharat  Mission  for  strengthening  foundational  literacy  and  numeracy  including skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, etc.
3. Launch  of  a  collection  of  Learning  -Teaching  Material  entitled  -  Jaadui  Pitara  for  the foundational stage to help teachers for the holistic development of children through play as a core pedagogy.
4. National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic  Advancement  (NISHTHA), an integrated teacher training programme, has been launched for Secondary Stage, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) and ECCE.
5. Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  has  advised  its  schools  to  integrate  21stcentury  skills  with  curriculum  and  teaching  methodology  to  ensure  students  develop  these skills. A handbook on 21st-century skills for teachers has also been designed. The board has also  introduced  new  subjects  such  as  Artificial  Intelligence,  Design  Thinking,  and  Data Science, etc to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the 21st century. The Board has been organizing Adolescent Peer Educators Leadership Program to develop  life  skills  among  students.  With  regard  to  the  steps  taken  by  CBSE  to  reduce curriculum load, they have released their syllabi for the year 2022-23 with reduced contents as per the deductions done by NCERT.

These  all  initiatives  are  towards  achieving  the  objectives  of  strengthening  foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood care and Education, holistic development of children, etc, which are the broader objectives of NEP-2020.

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