Lok Sabha Question No. 1267 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: National Curriculum Framework for School Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana, Margani Bharat

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1267 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## National Curriculum Framework for School Education

## 1267. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

SHRI MARGANI BHARAT:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) places a strong emphasis on promoting multilingualism and proficiency in local languages; (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  5+3+3+4  Curricular  and  Pedagogical  restructuring  of  School Education  as  envisioned  in  the  NEP  2020  and  how  the  NCF-SE  is  reflecting  this structure; and

(d)  the  manner in which the NCF integrates vocational education in all schools and promotes the equal status to all subjects and learning domains?

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

(a)  &  (b)  The  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCFSE),  2023  lays emphasis on promoting multilingualism and proficiency in local languages keeping in view of the social linguistic diversity and how the social multilingualism enables children in school develop  multilingual  proficiency  beginning  their  schooling  in  their  mother  tongue  /  home language / local language and move on to add many more languages i.e. mother tongue based multilingualism.

(c)  The  NCF-SE,  2023  provides  suggestions  for  context,  pedagogy,  competencies  and assessment for all the stages taking care of development concerns as envisaged in NEP 2020. The 5+3+3+4 Curricular and Pedagogical restructuring includes 5 years of foundational stage, 3 years of preparatory stage, 3 years of middle stage and 4 years of secondary stage. NCERT has  also  brought  out  NCF for  Foundational  Stage  separately  keeping  in  view  the  needs  of children in the age groups of 3-8 years

(d) The  NCF-SE,  2023  provides  comprehensive  guidance  to  help  students  make  informed decisions about their educational and career paths, considering both academic and vocational options. It emphasizes the importance of holistic development, recognizing that academic and vocational  skills  are  both  crucial  for  a  well-rounded  education.  It  recommends  ways  of integrating vocational elements into academic subjects to emphasize their interdependence at the  Preparatory,  Foundation,  Middle,  and  Secondary  stages  of  education.  The  NCFSE  has provided  outlines  for  designing  an  interdisciplinary  curriculum  that  combines  traditional academic subjects with vocational courses. At the first phase of Secondary stage (Grades 9 & 10), vocational education is contextualized within the broader academic curriculum to help students understand the relevance of academic subjects to their vocational pursuits and vice versa. At the second phase of Secondary stage (Grades 11 & 12), the general education will allow students to choose vocational subjects alongside traditional academic subjects.

The NCFSE also promulgates establishing dual enrolment programs that allow students to simultaneously  earn  academic  credits  for  general  education  courses  and  gain  practical experience in vocational subjects under the National Credit Framework (NCrF). This will help bridge the gap between academic and real-world applications. Competency-based assessment methods  that  evaluate  both  academic  understanding  and  practical  skills  will  be  adopted, including  project  assessments,  portfolios,  and  performance-based  evaluations  to  promote holistic development of children in schools and development of competencies. Ensuring equal access  to  both  academic  and  vocational  opportunities  for  all  students  would  be  crucial  for promoting inclusivity and equity in education.

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