National Curriculum Framework 2023: Understand Major Changes and the Evolution of India’s Education System

The National Curriculum Framework is the central element of the Indian education system, developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

NCF is a guide to developing curriculum, creating textbook content, and teaching methods that align with India’s educational goals. NCERT regularly publishes NCF to enhance the Indian education system. The latest version of NCF was published in 2023, reflecting the aspirations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

This article will thoroughly discuss the history, importance and latest updates of the National Curriculum Framework, providing a comprehensive overview of the Indian education system.

Before discussing the guidelines and provisions of NCF 2023, let’s understand its history first. 

Historical Background of the National Curriculum Framework

The NCF has undergone various updates in the past; 3 significant updates are discussed below. 

The first NCF was published in 1975. The primary objective of this NCF was national development, modernization, and the promotion of social change. It also tried to promote social justice and democratic values through its updated curriculum. Apart from this, it emphasized the importance of work experience in bridging the gap between education and the world of work. Therefore, NCF increased the content of science & mathematics in the curriculum, developing rational thinking and introducing the modern world to the students.

In 1988, NCERT published the second edition of NCF. This curriculum framework focuses on socio-cultural values and makes education much more inclusive for the country’s overall development. 

The government released the third edition of NCF in 2000. It was one of the most comprehensive updates of NCF. It provided detailed guidelines on various elements of the education to enhance the quality of it. 

The critical point of NCF 2000 was making education learner-centric instead of teacher-centric. It ensured the active participation of students in every educational activity to make learning more engaging, eventually improving the quality. 

Reduction of curriculum load, technology integration in education and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) were some of the other key highlights of NCF 2000.

What is the National Curriculum Framework 2023?

National Curriculum Framework 2023 sets clear guidelines and provides valuable recommendations to address the needs of children aged 3 to 18 years. It applies to all the stages of the 5+3+3+4, which was introduced in 2020’s NEP. 

The NCF, 2023 aims to enhance India’s education system with an inclusive approach and leverage new cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence. 

The NCF 2023 is intricately linked to NEP 2020’s 5+3+3+4 education model, making it crucial to understand this model first to comprehend the NCF 2023.

NEP 2020’s 5+3+3+4 Education Model

The 5+3+3+4 Education model was first introduced in NEP 2020, replacing the old model of 10+2 education. The new model was launched to make Indian education more inclusive and modern to meet the needs of today’s technology-driven world. Eliminating all the issues created by the 10+2 model was also one of the significant reasons behind introducing the 5+3+3+4  model.

Here is the breakdown of 5+3+3+4 Model – 

Foundational Stage

Targeted Age – 3 to 8

Focus – Care and education for young children.

Objective – Introducing basics of subjects & activities such as reading, writing and basic mathematics

Approach – Play-based and experiential learning

Preparatory Stage

Targeted Age – 8 to 11

Focus – Building foundational learning

Objective – Introducing basic concepts of science, numeracy, language as well as life skills

Approach – Formal Classroom Learning

Middle Stage

Targeted Age – 11 to 14

Focus – Providing an in-depth understanding of subjects.

Objective – Developing critical thinking, analytical skills and application of concepts

Approach – Specified learning with integration of technology

Secondary Stage

Targeted Age – 14 to 18

Focus – preparation for higher education and building a solid foundation for careers.

Objective – Providing advanced and in-depth knowledge of chosen subjects

Approach – Theoretical, Practical and Project-based learning

6 Key Principles of NCF 2023

The provisions of the NCF 2023 is based on the following principle, let’s quickly go through them – 

Holistic Development – 

NCF 2023 acknowledges the importance of holistic development in students, emphasizing that students’ growth should not be restricted to academic achievements alone. The latest National Curriculum Framework (NCF) highlights the significance of nurturing students’ social, physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being, aiming to foster a well-rounded approach to education.

Inclusivity – 

The NCF 2023 focuses on making education more accessible, ensuring inclusive education and growth. It also deals with making education more interactive and engaging by leveraging the power of modern technology. Technology will help educational institutions provide education to all corners of the country, ensuring inclusive education and growth. 

Foundational Learning – 

Essential elements of education, such as language, social interaction, and numeracy, build the foundation of students’ future growth. Therefore, NCF 2023 focuses on the foundational learning of students. 

Building Life Skill – 

Critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication are the most essential life skills for growing academically, socially, and personally. NCF 2023 ensures through its proposed curriculum that students successfully develop all these life skills smoothly, without putting extra pressure on them.

Multilingualism

The latest NCF has proposed the 3 language model to increase students’ language literacy in at least 1 Indian Language. Additionally, to improve the efficiency of the assessment process, NCF 2023 suggested numerous changes in the pattern of Board Examination. This new exam pattern will be more comprehensive and reflecttudents’ skills and abilities. 

Technology Integration – 

Technology integration is one of the core principles of NCF 2023. The NCF highlights the importance of technology integration in education to improve the quality of education in India. According to the NCF, the technology will help teachers make learning more engaging and interactive. 

These are the six core principles of the National Curriculum Framework of  2023. Apart from these six principles, we can also sense 2 other principles as well, both of which are discussed below.

Collective Efforts – 

Unlike previous NCF updates, the latest NCF highlights the collective efforts of teachers, educational institutions, and parents to promote student growth. It believes a supportive environment created by teachers and students will automatically improve their student’s academic performance. The NCF also mentioned the need to train teachers to enhance the quality of education. 

Flexibility – 

As you know, due to the strict partition of subjects or fields such as Arts, Commerce & Science, students do not get to learn their favourite subjects. This limits students’ career flexibility, narrows the learning experience, puts unnecessary stress and hinders innovation. To tackle this problem, the latest NCF proposed various solutions mentioned in the following heading.

10 Key Highlight of the Latest NCF 2023

The National Curriculum Framework of 2023 has introduced numerous changes in the Indian education system, aiming for positive outcomes for the nation’s youth. Some of the most critical components of NCF 2023 are discussed below – 

1. The latest NCF addresses the educational needs and issues of the ages 3 to 10. 

2. It made learning three languages (2 Native Indian & 1 other) mandatory for classes 9 and 10.

For classes 11 & 12, students need to study at least 2 languages, one of them would be Indian. These provisions aim to increase the “Literary Level” of students in at least one Indian language 

3. The Proposed changes allow students of classes 10th and 12th to take board exams twice a year, providing flexibility. 

This provision was added to assess students’ abilities as evaluation methods of old board exams are no longer effective. 

4. To pass the class 10th’s board exams, students must complete at least two courses from a pool of 8 curricular areas. 

5. Students of 11 and 12 classes will have the same set of curricular areas and a wide range of courses. That means students will no longer need to stick with only fields of education such as Art, Commerce or Science. For example, students can learn history subjects along with Physics & Accounting.

6. To obtain a class 12 certificate, students must pass six exams, including two language exams and four from at least two curricular groups, along with an optional exam.

7. Optional subjects will be divided into 3 groups – 

First Group –  Physical Education, Vocational Education and Art Education

Second Group – Humanities, Interdisciplinary Areas and Social Science

Third Group –  Mathematics, Science and Computational Thinking

8. NCF 2023 also focuses on environmental education to spread environmental awareness and promote sustainable lifestyles.

9. To achieve the goal of inclusive learning, NCF also emphasizes running various social campaigns to increase student enrollment.

10. Emphasis on Integrating education with modern technology such as AI and VR (Virtual Reality) is one of the critical highlights of NCF 2023.

Take a Step Toward NCF 2023’s Vision for Education with SENSES 

The National Curriculum Framework of  2023 highlights the need to integrate technology in education to create interactive learning environments and to foster digital learning. SENSES Intelligent Interactive Panel/Smartboard will help you achieve these goals and make the teaching and learning process engaging. 

SENSES Interactive Panels come with several unique features that align with not only the need for modern classrooms but also the goals of NCF 2023:

• In-built AI
• Shape/Text Recognition
• Math Solver
• 3D Model Insertion
• 4K Display with Intel i5 Processor for smooth and efficient teaching

But that’s not all. One of the core features of SENSES is its Cloud Storage. It will enable you and your students to access lessons and materials anytime.

Additional Futuristic Features Include:

• Voice Recognition
• Endless Canvas for free-flowing ideas
• Support for 20+ Indian Languages
• Intelligent Search
• Multi-Finger Gesture Control
• Dual Operating System
• 50,000 Hours of Life Cycle

Over 70,000 educators and 8,000 schools have installed SENSES interactive panels, creating a future-ready learning environment.

Want to See SENSES in Action?

If you want to experience the futuristic feature of SENSES, we can bring it to your place. You just need to Fill out the form to book your DEMO!

You can also watch our YouTube Video here. 

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to upgrade your classroom with modern technology that aligns with NCF 2023’s goals. 

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