Lok Sabha Question No. 4232 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: All Round Development of Children in Educational Institutes
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, Saikia Dilip, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Devji Mansingram Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-4232 ANSWERED ON 27/03/2023

## All Round Development of Children in Educational Institutes

## 4232. SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA: SHRI DILIP SAIKIA: SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK NIMBALKAR: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken by the Government for the all-round development of children in educational institutions to give education based on the theme of the Government 'Come and learn';

(b) whether there is any plan to impart teaching in laboratories to develop experimental and investigative attitude among the students of junior high school and lower classes and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the plans of the Government to encourage investigative interest in the students of classes up to junior high school matriculation?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): 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 wellrounded 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 problemsolving. 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.'

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 21 st century skills with curriculum and teaching methodology to ensure students develop these skills. A handbook on 21 st 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  21 st 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 NEP2020

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