Why in the News?

• A draft has been prepared by the Uttarakhand’s State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has proposed Class X students to study 10 mandatory subjects, replacing the current practice of five.
• This decision follows the framework set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework.

Key Points:

=> The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has prepared a draft of the state curriculum framework, aiming to enhance educational standards and better prepare students for future challenges.

=> The new curriculum marks the first major implementation since the NEP of 1986, which succeeded the policy of 1968.

=> The draft of the state curriculum framework, prepared through various committees, will be reviewed by the state government.

=> It includes only those subjects that have been recommended by the NEP.

=> All children studying in government schools will be required to take these subjects.

=> They will have the option to change subjects starting from the 11th grade.

=> The inclusion of new subjects under this policy will foster an entrepreneurial spirit among students.

=> These will include courses in beauty and wellness, drone technology, and various IT-related programmes.

National Education Policy, 2020:

About:

• The NEP 2020 aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”.
• It is only the 3rd major revamp of the framework of education in India since independence.
• The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.

Salient Features:

• Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12.
• Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years.
• New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4) corresponds to the age groups of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively.
• It covers four stages of schooling: Foundational Stage (5 years), Preparatory Stage (3 years), Middle Stage (3 years), and Secondary Stage (4 years).
• No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams;
• Emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages
• Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development)
• A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.