Semesters, extra language in curriculum framework

Two Indian languages as compulsory subjects in Class IX and Class X and one in Class XI and Class XII; a semester system for Class XI and Class XII with the option to sit for so-called board examinations twice a year, helping students test immediately in a course they have finished in a semester; and the freedom to choose subjects from arts, sciences, and humanities in these two classes - these are some of the far-reaching and radical changes in the final version of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) released by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Wednesday.

- Fareeha Iftikhar

NCF, drafted by the Union government-appointed national steering committee headed by K Kasturirangan, the former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NEP emphasised on teaching Indian languages and offering them as medium of instruction in school and higher education.

NCF also defines benchmarks for NCERT textbooks used in schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), teaching and learning practices, and assessment methods. To be sure, NCF will remain recommendatory in nature, with states free to accept or reject it. NCF was last revised in 2005.

An early draft of NCF was released by NCERT in April for wider public consultation. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday handed over the final NCF to the recently constituted 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) which will now finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material based on this.

While the final document retains most of the recommendations mentioned in the draft, there are some changes, with the most notable one being that on languages.