NCF and KCF

NCF, KCF AND ITS RELEVANCE IN EDUCATION

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

A Curriculum framework is an organized plan or set of standards or outcome based education that defines the contents to be learned in terms of clear and definable standards of what the student should know and be able to do.

The framework is the first step defining clear, high standards which will be archived by all students. The curriculum is then aligned to the standards and students are assessed against the standards. as compared with traditional education, which is only concerned about delivering content, a standard based education reform system promises that all will succeed if, all are held high expectations. When the standards are reached, there will be no Achievement gap where some groups are allowed to score lower than others, or the disabled are offered different opportunities than others. All will meet world class standards and be qualified for good colleges and trained for good jobs which pay good wages. In a Traditional education system, the curriculum was defined by those who created textbooks rather than government bodies which assembled groups of stakeholders to create standards based on consensus of what students should know and be able to do.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is one of four National Curriculum Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005 by the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

The Framework provides the framework for making syllabus, textbooks and teaching practices within the school education program in India. The NCF 2005 document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports on education as Learning Without Burden and National Policy of Education 1986-1992 and focus group discussion. After wide ranging deliberations, 21 National Focus Group Position Papers have been developed under the aegis of NCF-2005. The state of art position papers provided inputs for formulation of NCF-2005. The document and its offshoot textbooks have come under different forms of reviews in the press.

The approach and recommendations of NCF-2005 are for the entire educational system. A number of its recommendations, for example, focus on rural schools. The syllabus and textbooks based on it are being used by all the  schools, but NCF-based material is also being used in many State schools.

NCF 2005 has been translated into 22 languages and has influenced the syllabii in 17 States. The NCERT gave a grant of Rs.10 lakh to each State to promote NCF in the language of the State and to compare its current syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a plan for future reforms could be made. Several States have taken up this challenge. This exercise is being carried out with the involvement of State Councils for Educational Research and Training [SCERT] and District Institutes of Education and Training [DIET].

The document is divided into 5 areas:

1. Learning and knowledge
2. Perspectives of NCF
3. Curricular area, school stages and assessment
4. School and classroom environment
5. Systematic reforms

Relevance in vocational education

• To make learning a joyful.
• It emphasize on learning without burden.
• Move away from textbooks to be a basis for assessment.
• To remove stress from children.
• It recommends major changes in the syllabus.

• To develop a sense of self-reliance an

• To develop a child centered approach.
• To promote universal enrolment and retention up to the age of 14.
• To inculcate the feelings of oneness, democracy and unity among the students.
• The curriculum is enabled to strengthen our national education and to enable the new generation re-evaluate.
• J.P. Naik, has described equality, quality and quantity as the exclusive triangle for Indian education.
• It has ensured that irrespective of caste, creed , religion and sex all are provided with a standard curriculum.

KERALA CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

The existing curriculum in Kerala is based on Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007. Activity oriented learning is emphasized in the syllabus and the teaching process is student centric. teachers role is more like that of a scaffolder than that of a guide or instructor. even though there were serious concerns about the existing syllabus, it was later well admitted and appreciated by experts all over India. It has certainly brought about a positive change in clads rooms and the benchers who were not responding getting involved.

There may be a need for revision of syllabus as periodic revision of syllabus inevitable. But this is that it should be carried out after elaborate preparation and deliberation. Prior to the formation of a framework, discussion with all teacher organization is needed. The main contention against the present curriculum reform is that it is being done without extensive discussion on the framework and textbook revision is progressing and nearing completion.

Discussions at various levels were conducted before the finalization of KCF 2007. This is not done in the care of present curriculum revision. KCF2007 was introduced with the strong support of NCF 2005 which was a paradigm shift from the existing system. Curriculum reforms should be multi faceted and comprehensive.

 RELEVANCE IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Though as a part of educational policy of 1986, extensive planning for vocational education had been done. In order to implement vocational education effectively, there must be thorough changes in all fields of education such as curriculum, text books, teacher training, monitoring, evaluation etc.

In Kerala, there are 3 types of institutions in vocational education sector.

1. Technical high schools
2. Technical high schools and higher secondary schools under IHRD
3. Vocational higher secondary

The approach of KCF to vocational education includes;

• An activity-based curriculum that equips the learner to acquire self-confidence and self-sufficiency should be introduced
• The learner should be given opportunity to interact with his peers and society.
• The learners should utilize their reasoning ability to analyze and react to learning experience.
• The learner should be able to choose a vocation of their choice from the high school level.
• Vocational education should be given more importance at higher secondary level.
• Academic subjects should also be included.
• As part of the course, the learners must visit various institutions that are related to their particular vocation and must get trained. Hospitals and industrial units should be utilized for this purpose.
• Workshop training should be provided with the assistance of experts and the local work units.
• Dairy farm should be ensured where courses on agriculture and cattle rearing are given.
• Case study should be carried out to understand the issues in the job market.
• Opportunities should be made to hold interviews with experts in the field  and there should also be provision for conducting short term projects.
• Scope for practical application should be given more importance than learning theory.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that knowledge and labor are complementary. We must realize the value of labor in developing and transforming the society. In this context, education should focus on the development of a positive attitude to labor and inculcate in all children, the ability to do work.