Policy Frameworks for Education Test - 1

The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 also termed the Kothari’s Commission advocated the idea of neighbourhood schools.

• One of the main goals of NPE 1986 was setting up schools for promoting equality and equity which led to the starting of common school systems, neighbourhood schools, and alternative schools.
• The main aim of this goal was to “bring the different social groups and classes together to promote an egalitarian integrated society”.
• The common school system (CSS) was to provide an equitable education to all children irrespective of their caste, creed, community, religion, language, gender or other social discriminations.
• The neighbourhood school was an integral part and central idea for the CSS.
• NPE 1986 recommended that each school in the CSS should be attended by all children in the neighbourhood irrespective of their caste, creed, community, religion, or other social discriminations.

National Education Policy 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. This policy replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE),1986.

Key Points

Important Highlights of National Education Policy 2020: 

• New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 % Gross Enrolment Ratio in school education by 2030.
• The current 10+2 system to be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre-schooling. 
• New Policy promotes Multilingualism in both schools and higher education as multilingual education stresses using a student's mother tongue, or native language, to teach students as it makes learning effective.
• Classrooms that use multicultural education use various strategies to help students learn in their native languages. The NEP, 2020 recommends regular, formative, and competency-based and focuses on ‘assessment for learning.

​Hence, we can conclude that National Education Policy 2020 recommends Multilingualism.

NCF 2005 is one of the three national curriculum frameworks In India published by NCERT. It provides a guideline to teachers and schools to choose learning experiences to give children. The main aim of teaching mathematics as per NCF 2005 is to develop the mathematization ability of students.

According to NCF 2005, the objective of teaching mathematics is:-

• Learn the concepts of mathematics from different branches of mathematics, which are algebra, trigonometry, geometry, etc.
• Use proper mathematical concepts to solve problems.
• Use different types of mathematical representation like diagrams, formulae, chart tables, etc.

 Key PointsThere are two types of aims of teaching mathematics which are higher aim and narrow aim.

Narrow aim of teaching mathematics:-

• To develop numeracy related skills
• To develop useful proficiency in number, number operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and measurement, decimal, etc.
• To develop generalization ability.

Higher aim of teaching mathematics:-

• To appreciate the usefulness, power, and beauty of mathematics.
• To develop problem-solving skills
• To develop visualization, representation, and optimization skills
• To develop mathematical communication.

Hence, the teaching of numbers and operations at the primary level caters to the narrow aim of education.

The National Advisory Committee’s (NAC) Report authored by Prof Yash Pal was titled as ‘Learning without burden’.

• This was also called the Yash Pal Committee Report.
• The Ministry of HRD of the Government of India had set up the NAC in March 1992 to reform the higher education system in India.

Yashpal Committee’s Report:

• The objective is to reduce the burden or load to the children in India.
• It observes that learning has become a burden for students. It visions to initiate certain systematic change, ensuring quality education for all and making examinations flexible and non-threatening.

NOTE: In the context of environmental studies, learning without burden implies to reduce a load of incomprehension by connecting knowledge to life outside the school and by shifting away learning from the rote method.

Hence, it becomes clear that a load of incomprehension needs to be reduced implies 'learning without burden' in the context of environmental studies.

The National Council of Teacher Education functions to improvise the overall standard of teacher education. It monitors and coordinates the teacher education system and maintains its own rules. It also standardizes selection process and tests conducted for selection of teachers through proper tests. It also gives more importance to research in education. It also controls the functioning of teacher education institutes.

National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) is an advisory body of the Indian government which was established in May 1993 by an Act of the Parliament.

Key Points

• NCTE is a policy designed to achieve planned and coordinated development of the teacher education system.
• NCTE mainly designs 'Teacher Education Program' or 'Teacher Training Programme' which emphasizes upon:
  • developing self-confidence in the teacher.
  • developing a proper attitude towards teaching.
  • equipping teachers with innovative pedagogic skills.
  • understanding of major principles of child psychology.
  • enabling the teacher to understand the significance of individual differences.

Hence, it could be concluded that the NCTE stands for National Council of Teacher Education.

National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is one of four National Curriculum Framework published n 1975, 1988,2000 and 2005 by the National Council of Education Research and Training NCERT in India. It serves as a guideline for syllabus, textbooks, and teaching practices for the school in India. 

Aim of teaching Science at the upper primary stage according to NCF :

• At the upper primary stage, the student gets their first exposure to science, it must be chosen to make sense of everyday experiences to cultivate scientific thinking.
• Learning science aims to learn the facts and principles of science and its application, with the stage of cognitive development.
• To nurture the natural curiosity, aesthetic sense, and creativity in science and technology. 
• Constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that learning is the result of "mental construction." In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes. The teacher must encourage and give chance to students to devise their own thinking strategies.
• To form a developmental and historical perspective of science
• To relate to and appreciate global and local issues at the interface of technology, science, and society
• To obtain the theoretical knowledge and as well as practical skills to enter the professional field
• To imbibe certain values – honesty, cooperation, integrity, preservation of the environment, and concern for life – and cultivate critical thinking

Additional Information

Constructivism is based on the maxim that the learner constructs his understanding by reflection on his experiences.  According to constructivist epistemology, knowledge cannot be transferred intact from the teacher to the learner. Different in terms of personality, intelligence, motivation, curiosity, experiences, approach, background, support system, and so on. Therefore, every learner cannot be benefitted from the same method.

Essential factors of constructivist pedagogy are as follows:

• An authentic and real-world environment is necessary for learning.
• Learning should involve social negotiation and mediation
• Content and skills should be understood within the framework of learners‘ prior knowledge
• Content and skills should be made relevant to the learner
• Students should be assessed formatively, serving to help them acquire further learning experiences. 
• Students should be encouraged to become self-regulatory, self-mediated, and self-aware of learning 
• The teacher should serve primarily as a facilitator of learning, not an instructor
• The teacher should provide for and encourage multiple perspectives and representations of content.

Hence, we can conclude that National Curriculum Framework (NCF) strongly recommends that Science education at the upper primary stage should follow a constructivist approach for teaching and learning the subject.

The NPE 1986 was further revised by introduction of PoA 1992 by the then Prime Minister, Shri. P.V. Narasimha Rao. This revision was done to envisage conduction of joint entrance exams for admissions on All-India basis for admission to technical education. The exams are conducted as a three-exam scheme – JEE and AIEEE at national level and SLEEE at state level

Operation Blackboard is an educational scheme introduced in 1987- 88 under NPE 1986.

The main aim of this scheme is to increase human and physical resource availability in primary schools of India.

It is related to the supply of minimum essential facilities like at least one room for each class, two teachers, separate toilets for girls and boys, appropriate TLMs, etc to all the primary schools.

Several committees and commissions were constituted to analyze the problems in the education system and suggested the way forward. It was felt that Universities could play a significant role in the development process. Therefore, It was suggested that the duties and responsibilities of the Universities were significant and needed in the light of the leadership they were expected to provide in politics, administration, the professions, industry, and commerce. They were expected to enable the country to free itself from want, disease, and ignorance by developing scientific and technical knowledge. So the following Commissions were formed:

Key Points

Kothari Commission (1964-66):

• It was set up under the Chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari to formulate a coherent education policy for India.
• The Commission was most comprehensive in nature, it reviewed almost all aspects of the education system without limiting itself to any one particular aspect, unlike the Commissions that came before and after it.
• Two of the unique features of the Report are:
  1. its comprehensive approach to educational reconstruction; and
  2. its attempt to project a blueprint of a national system of education for India.
• According to the Commission, education was intended to increase productivity, develop social and national unity, consolidate democracy, modernize the country and develop social, moral, and spiritual values.
• The crucial role of education in national development appears in all its vividness throughout the report, appropriately titled “Education and National Development”.
• The Commission identified the three important facets that would bring about the desired educational resolution, they are:
  1. internal transformation so as to relate it to the life needs and aspirations of the nation;
  2. qualitative improvement so that the standards achieved are adequate and become internationally comparable; and
  3. expansion of educational facilities broadly on the basis of manpower needs with an emphasis on equalization of education opportunities.

Yashpal committee's Report (2009):

• In 1993 Dr. Yashpal gave a report named 'Learning without burden'.
• The main objective of the committee was to advise on the ways and means to reduce the load on school students at all levels particularly the young students while improving the quality of learning including the capability for life-long self-learning and skill formulation.

• Parts of the report :

  1. First part: Introduction. It explains the objectives of constitute of the committee and discusses its method of working. 
  2. Second part: Problem of curricula load. It discusses the prevalent school education and its problem. 
  3. Third part: Roots of the problem:
     • Knowledge vs information. 
     • Centralized the character of the curriculum 
     • Convention of teaching the text.
     • Competition-based social ethos. 
     • Absence of academic ethos.
  4. Fourth part: Recommendations:
     • Reduce the burden of school bags
     • Greater involvement of teachers in framing curriculum and preparing of the textbook. 
     • Tests or interviews for admission in pre-school should not be performed. 
     • Homework should not be there and project work at the primary stage. 
     • Extensive use of audio-video material and enforcing teacher-pupil ratio 1:40.

National Policy of Education (1986-1992):

• The 1986 National Policy on Education was modified in 1992 by the P. V.
• Program of Action (PoA) 1992, under the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 envisaged conducting a common entrance examination on an Indian basis for admission to professional and technical programs in the country.
• The main objective of the National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme of Action, 1992 was to establish a national system of education that implies that all students irrespective of caste; creed, sex, and religion have access to education of comparable quality.
• The National Policy on Education (NPE) was adopted by Parliament in May 1986.
• Based on an in-depth review of the whole gamut of the educational situation and formulated on the basis of a national consensus, it enunciated a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in its entirety.
• Regarding Elementary Education, the major objectives of the National Policy of Education 1986 are mainly: Universal access and enrolment.
• Universal retention of children up to 14 years of age.
• A sustainable improvement in quality education to enable all children to achieve the essential levels of learning.
• One of the objectives of education is to conserve scientific and democratic attitudes.

National Knowledge Commission (2007):

• National Knowledge Commission was an Indian think-tank charged with considering possible policies that might sharpen India's comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.
• It was constituted on 13 June 2005, by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.
• In particular, the Commission was to advise the Prime Minister's Office on policy related to education, research institutes, and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy.
• The Commission was to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation; as well as consider whether the Government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.
• As of July 2014, the National Knowledge Commission is defunct as the incoming government of India, elected in the summer of 2014, discontinued it.

Hence, it can be concluded that the objective of the Kothari Education Commission (1964-66) was to inculcate protection and consolidation of democracy through education.