NCERT new advisory pushes for equal emphasis on art, sports

Srinagar, Sep 01: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has framed an advisory to all the schools for the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education-2023 in schools

The advisory issued on August 14 of this year emphasizes the development of conceptual understanding, critical thinking, creativity, values and dispositions as central to student learning.

The NCERT in its advisory has stressed equal emphasis on all the students taught in schools.

"One of the most important ideas in the NCF-SE 2023 is equal emphasis on all curricular areas to ensure a holistic educational experience for all students," the advisory reads.

It states that Art Education and Physical Education will be now taught as school subjects on par with all others across grades.

"Schools must ensure that they are given adequate space in the school day, adequate resources and adequate focus across all the Grades," it reads.

The NCERT advisory has stressed for introducing vocational education in Grade 6th as a separate area of study integral to the school curriculum.

"Schools must ensure that Vocational Education is given adequate space in the school day, adequate resources and adequate focus on it," the NCERT advisory reads.

The advisory has further stressed teaching new textbooks while following appropriate pedagogy

"The classroom is a place of formal learning where there must be a balance of direct instruction and opportunities for activity, discussion, exploration and inquiry. The focus must be on conceptual understanding and reasoning rather than rote learning or recalling facts," it reads.

The advisory has stressed encouraging group study, and group discussions citing that it builds important life capacities of working in teams and working with different kinds of people.

"Homework is important and can be designed in very exciting ways that are both fun and challenging for students. This will help students absorb, practice and apply what they have learnt," it reads.

The NCERT has further advised the schools that the textbook should not be treated as the only source of learning and instructed them to encourage students to search for answers from books, from their and others’ experiences.

"Help students to access and choose appropriate material that will help them learn further," it reads.

The advisory has also stressed attaining learning standards and asked schools to understand and work towards achieving the standards set out in the NCF-2023 for Grades 3 and 6.

"Specific learning outcomes for each Grade are granular milestones of learning and usually progress in a sequence leading to the attainment of each competency. Learning outcomes help teachers to plan their content, pedagogy, and assessments towards achieving specific competencies," the NCERT advisory reads.