New Delhi, Aug 23: Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan today released the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), marking an important and transformative step towards the implementation of National Education Policy.
The Minister addressed the 1st Joint workshop of the National Curriculum Framework Oversight Committee and the National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee today. The development of the NCF-SE was guided by a vision to align education with the demands of the 21st century and the ethos of the Indian knowledge system. Under the stewardship of Prof. K Kasturirangan, a Steering Committee was formed to create a curriculum aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, emphasizing the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling. This framework addresses the entire educational journey from the foundational to secondary stages. The framework introduces multidisciplinary education, nurturing values, fostering creative pedagogies, and preparing students for practical problem-solving.
Speaking on the occasion Dharmendra Pradhan said that the world has high expectations from India. In order to live up to our global responsibilities, we have to develop a technology-driven educational system that meets the expectations of the world’s community alongside India, he added. He highlighted the framework's role in shaping a holistic, contemporary, and Indian-rooted educational landscape. He further said that it is a momentous boost to implementation of NEP with the release of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education and efforts are on to make new textbooks available from next academic year. The textbooks for classes 3-12 are to be aligned with 21st-century requirements, making them rooted and futuristic, he added.
The NCF-SE's comprehensive nature ensures that it covers all stages of schooling. It sets clear learning standards and competencies, enabling teachers to foster critical thinking, creativity, and genuine understanding. The framework empowers educators, encourages engaging pedagogies, and emphasizes the importance of school culture and values.
Art Education, Physical Education and well-being, Environmental Education, and Vocational Education are reinvigorated under the NCF-SE. Multilingualism, conceptual understanding in Mathematics, and capacities for scientific inquiry also receive renewed attention. The curriculum's interdisciplinary approach encourages students to study the relationships between individuals, society, and the environment.
The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) is the curriculum framework for the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling as proposed by the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). It also recommended the formulation of a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) to respond to this four-stage school design. The entire curriculum framework for all four stages – Foundational Stage, Preparatory Stage, Middle Stage, and Secondary Stage – was released.
