Understanding National Curriculum framework for School Education 2023

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 represents a significant advancement in shaping India's educational landscape by providing a comprehensive framework that covers a wide spectrum of subjects and essential themes
NCF 2023 encompasses foundational to specialized subjects, including Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Arts, Interdisciplinary Areas, Physical Education, and Vocational Education. This breadth ensures that students receive a holistic education that caters to both academic development and practical skills necessary for their future roles in society.
Beyond subject-specific knowledge, NCF 2023 emphasizes crucial cross-cutting themes such as Values, Inclusion, ICT integration, Guidance, Environmental sensitivity, and Indianness. These themes are integrated throughout the curriculum to promote holistic development, ethical values, environmental awareness, and cultural sensitivity among students.
As a dynamic roadmap, NCF 2023 undergoes periodic revisions to adapt to changing educational paradigms, societal needs, and advancements in pedagogical methods and technology. This iterative process ensures that the curriculum remains relevant, effective, and responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities in education.
The framework is designed not only to foster academic excellence but also to cultivate essential values, skills, and competencies that are crucial for students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. By nurturing well-rounded individuals, NCF 2023 aims to empower students to contribute positively to their communities and the broader society.
In essence, NCF 2023 represents a forward-looking approach to education in India, aiming to provide a balanced and inclusive learning experience that prepares students not just for exams but for life. By integrating diverse subjects and emphasizing overarching themes, the framework seeks to create a learning environment that is adaptive, progressive, and conducive to the holistic development of every learner.

1. Understanding National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 A Session By Dr. Nicholas Correa

2. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) A complete transformation of India’s schooling system.

3. NCF–SE is one of the key components of NEP 2020. NCF–SE

4. A transformative initiative of NEP 2020 Prepare India to meet the challenging demands of a 21 st -century knowledge society.

5. The purpose of NCF-SE 2023 : To effect positive transformations in India’s school curricula.

6. ‘Curriculum’ refers to the overall goals, plans, arrangements, and practices that shape the experiences of students in schools in this NCF.

7. Holistic and Integrated Changes in all aspects of Curriculum. To transform the overall learning experiences of our students

8. NCF-SE-2023 Dr. K. Kasturirangan , Chairman, National Steering Committee for National Curriculum. NCF-SE- 2023: Integrated NCF: Ages 3 and 18 in India. NCF-FS - 2022.- released on 10 th October 2022 The pre-draft of the NCF-SE- placed for public comment on 6 April 2023. NCF-SE - 2023 submitted to Education Minister GOI on 29 th July 2023. R eleased it on 23 rd August 2023 .

9. Dr. K. Kasturirangan , Chairman, National Steering Committee for National Curriculum submitting NCF-SE 2023 to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of India on 29 th July 2023

10. NCF-SE 2023 is a vibrant and lengthy document consisting 5 parts and 600 pages.

11. Salient Features of NEP 2020 for School Education

12. 1. Foundational Stage: ages 3-8, 2. Preparatory Stage: ages 8-11, 3. Middle Stage: ages 11-14, and 4. Secondary Stage: ages 14-18. Schooling Design Structure 5+3+3+4 proposed by NEP 2020

13.   Salient Features of NEP 2020: Schooling Design Structure 5+3+3+4 Universal Access to Education from Pre-School to Grade 12. Achieving universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. P romoting multilingualism and Indian languages. The medium of instruction until Grade 5 in mother tongues, preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. A deep-rooted pride in being Indian, among students in thought, spirit, intellect, and deeds.

14.       Salient Features of NEP 2020 ( Cont …) No rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams. Vocational education to start from class VI onwards. Curriculum to integrate 21 st Century skills, mathematical and computational thinking and scientific temper. Increased flexibility and choice of subjects, particularly at the secondary level. Multidisciplinary, Holistic, and Integrated Education.

15.   Salient Features of NEP 2020 ( Cont …) R eduction in the curriculum content in each subject to its core essentials thereby making space for critical thinking and holistic learning. Assessment reform with 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking students' progress for achieving learning outcomes. Board exams to go lighter. Board Exams will be conducted twice during any given school academic year.

16. NCF Proposed by NEP 2020 SN Particulars 1 National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCFECCE) 2 N ational Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 3 National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) 4 National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education (NCFAE)

17. Previous NCFs Prior to NCF-SE 2023

18. NCF 1975, was developed as a follow-up of National Policy on Education, 1968.

19. NCFs of 1988, 2000, and, 2005 were based on NPE 1986 & POA 1992 ( National Policy on Education 1986 and Programme of Action )

20. National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023

21. NCF-SE-2023 is organized into five parts . Part Particulars Part A Articulates the broad aims of school education. Part B Focuses on some of the important cross-cutting themes of NCF. Part C Highlights the learning Standards for stages of schooling. Part E Outlines the requirements for an overall ecosystem of schooling.

22. Part A: Articulates the broad aims of school education Desirable values and dispositions Capacities and skills and Knowledge that are required for achieving these aims. Part A also lays down the principles and approaches for- Content selection Pedagogy, and Assessment Rationale and design principles for the four stages of schooling.

23. The Terms Curricular Area, Discipline, Field & Subject This NCF uses ‘Curricular Area’ as a broader category, to distinguish it from ‘discipline,’ ‘field,’ and ‘subject’: ‘ Discipline ’ is a branch of knowledge — for example, sociology, economics, biology, mathematics.

24. Engineering Public Health Sustainability Field It is often informed by multiple disciplines and used with the connotation of application.

25. ‘ Subject ’ It could be a discipline, a field, or a combination or part thereof. Curricular Area It is a group of disciplines or fields for grouping them together

26. ‘subject’ will continue to be used for what the students study. Subjects will be grouped within ‘Curricular Areas’ in the NCF for practical purposes. Disciplines,’ ‘fields’ used only to refer to the sources of knowledge for the construction of subjects, where required. The usage of this terminology is not a conceptual matter but is merely for the ease of communication of the design of certain critical aspects of this NCF.

27. Part B It focuses on important cross-cutting themes of NCF .

28. There are six themes chosen Each of the above themes lays out an approach to understanding and principles for execution.

29. Part C: Learning Standards defined for all the relevant stages of schooling 5+3+3+4 Guidelines for content selection Guidelines for pedagogy Guidelines for assessments

30. Part C Covers Learning in

31. Languages: The three languages denoted R1, R2, and R3 in this NCF.

32. R1 This is the Language in which literacy is first learnt in school. R1 should preferably be the Language most familiar to the students, which would be the mother tongue. If that is not possible because of practical considerations, then it should be the State Language, which would be a familiar Language. As literacy is first attained in R1, it must be used as the medium of instruction ( MoI ) for other subjects, at least until literacy in another language is attained.

33. R2 Any Language other than R1. R 3 Any Language other than R1 and R2. At least two of these three languages — R1, R2, and R3 — must be native to India. The State or other relevant bodies would decide the choices of R1, R2, or R3 that would be given to students.

34. Mathematics Education: Mathematics Education has never been more important globally for students and for society. .

35. Mathematics Education: Foundation Stage : In the Foundational Stage, attaining foundational numeracy. Preparatory Stage: The focus is on building a conceptual understanding of numbers, the four basic operations, shapes and spatial sense, measurement, and data handling. Middle Stage: T he emphasis moves toward abstracting concepts, Algebra, and abstract geometric ideas are also introduced.

36. 4. Secondary Stage: developing the ability to justify claims and arguments through logical reasoning. Abstractions and other core techniques of Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

37. Science Education: 1. In the Foundational Stage, Science Education begins as part of the cognitive development of the child.

38. 2. Preparatory Stage: The understanding of the physical world

39. 3. Middle Stage: focuses on the scientific exploration. Use mathematical and schematic representations

40. 5. In Grades 11 and 12, specific disciplines within Science such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science. 4. In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage: more abstract scientific theories and conceptual structures the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth sciences

41. Social Science It is the systematic and scientific study of human societies that explores the relationship between the individual and society, social institutions, and organizations.

42. Social Science Education: Preparatory Stage: the students study society as part of their local environment through the interdisciplinary subject of The World Around Us Middle Stage: Social Science becomes a separate school subject, and the content is organized in a thematic manner. Secondary Stage : Grades 9 & 10 : Geography, Political Science, and Economics as separate subjects. Secondary Stage: Grades 11 & 12 : Social Science is a choice-based option for students where they can choose to do an in-depth study in a particular discipline.

43. Art and Physical Education: Art and Physical Education are given their due emphasis in this NCF.

44. Vocational Education: School education should prepare students not just to understand the world around them, but also to do productive work.

45. Through the Curricular Area of Vocational Education, students would be exposed to and develop basic skills in three forms of work —

46. Vocational Education Curriculum : Preparatory and Middle Stages: would endeavour to build relevant capacities in the abovementioned three forms of work. Secondary Stage of four years: Secondary Stage: Phase 1 : Work towards consolidating these capacities to develop transferable skills that serve students well in any vocation Secondary Stage Phase 2 : Students will be given opportunities to specialize in specific vocations of their choice.

47. . Environmental Education: One of the biggest challenges in the 21st century is the conservation of the natural environment.

48. Environment education: Foundational Stage : spending time in nature is an integral part of pedagogy, insects, and birds Preparatory Stage: through the study of The World Around Us, Middle Stage: concepts related to the environment are integrated into Science and Social Science. Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage : Environmental Education is part of Interdisciplinary Areas.

49. Rootedness and Pride in India: Our country possesses a rich cultural and civilizational heritage with varied traditions

50. Part D It handles school culture and processes that enable a positive learning environment and inculcate desirable values and dispositions.

51. Part E , It outlines the requirements for an overall ecosystem of schooling that would enable the achievement of the aims of the NCF-SE.

52. Speedy and systematic capacity development of all stakeholders.

53. Schools must be welcoming spaces that attract students. Quality, adequacy, and maintenance of infrastructure. Teachers must be the torchbearers.

54. For more holistic learning and upbringing of children, parental and community participation is necessary.

55. NCF SE is the direct outcome of the 4 stages of schooling structure proposed in NEP 2020. Four Stages of Schooling Design Structure:

56. Foundational Stage is for students aged between 3 and 8 years. (i.e. Nursery, Jr. and Sr. KG and Grade I and II) The Learning Standards are based on the development of domains— Physical Development, Socio-emotional and Ethical Development, Cognitive Development, Aesthetic and Cultural Development, and Language and Literacy Development.

57. Preparatory Stage

58. Preparatory Stage is for students aged between 8 to 11 years. (i.e. Grades 3 to 5) The Learning Standards for this Stage have been set for two languages within Language Education (R1 and R2), Mathematics, Art Education, Physical Education, and The World Around Us (as an interdisciplinary area of study). Work and pre-vocational skills are included as part of The World Around Us curriculum.

59. Activity - and discovery-based pedagogy should continue to play a big role in the classroom.

60. 5. Short formal written assessments are appropriate for this Stage. Teachers’ observation of students’ work continues to form an important assessment mechanism. Periodic summative assessments can be utilized to supplement the more regular formative assessments. Summative assessments at the end of this Stage should be based on the Competencies defined in the Learning Standards.

61. Middle Stage

62. 1. Middle Stage is for students aged between 11 to 14 years. (i.e. Grades 6 to 8) 2. Students need to learn three languages denoted R1, R2, and R3. Learning Standards are set for these languages. Separate sets of learning standards are set for Mathematics, Science Education, Social Science Education, Art Education, and Physical Education. Vocational Education finds its own curricular space and Learning Standards.

63. Curricular Areas

64. Secondary Stage

65. This Stage is for students aged between 14 and 18. To enable the vision of NEP 2020, Secondary Stage is divided into 2 phases.

66. Phase 1: Grades 9 and 10 : All students would continue to engage with all the Curricular Areas as in the Middle Stage. However, students engage with a breadth of curriculum across Curricular Areas. Grades 9 and 10 will ensure breadth, building on the learning achieved in the Middle Stage with clear continuity between the two stages.

67. 3 Languages — R1, R2, R3 — at least two of which are native to India. Learning areas or subjects for Phase 1: Grades 9 & 10

68. Groups, Learning Areas/Subjects & Disciplines in Grades 9 and 10

69. In addition, students would study Environmental Education as an Interdisciplinary Area of study. They would develop capacities for reasoning and argumentation for issues in the public sphere along with ethical and moral reasoning. They would use these capacities in the context of Environment-Education. Learning Standards have been set for these areas of study. Board examinations for Grade 10 should be based on the Competencies set for each of the Curricular Goals in that area.

70. Phase 2 — Grades 11 and 12 : 1. Choice-based courses are to be offered with more specialization to enable flexibility and choice for students and to remove hard separations between disciplines and academic areas. 2. Groups and Selection of Subjects : Grades 11 and 12 will enable depth of study based on the choices that students make. Subjects are classified into 4 Groups. 3. Group 1: Students need to study two subjects from Group 1, i.e. Language Education. A tleast one language subject must be a language native to India. Literature subjects are also contained in Language Education at this level.

71. 4. Other Four Subjects: Students need to choose four subjects (with an optional fifth subject) from at least two of the following three groups. Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Art Education, Physical Education, Vocational Education Social Science and Humanities, Interdisciplinary Areas Science, Mathematics, and Computational Thinking.

72. 4. This scheme allows for both breadth of study as well as gaining disciplinary depth. To allow for interesting combinations, there should be no further restrictions for students to choose specific streams. 5. An illustrative list of subjects that can be made available within each Group is given below.

73. Examples of Illustrative List of Combinations:

74. 12 th Board Certification

75. To get a Grade 12 certificate, the students should pass the following Board examinations: a) 2 Examinations in Languages b) 4 Examinations from at least 2 Groups (with one additional optional exam) c) Subjects in Group 2 (Art Education, Physical Education, and Vocational Education) would have local assessments with Board certification.

76. Textbooks, Pedagogy & Assessment at Secondary Stage: 1. Textbooks play a significant role in organising content in Grades 9 and 10. In Grades 11 and 12, students should be encouraged to source content from multiple channels. Course compendiums can be utilised in Grades 11 and 12 to make the choice of content more dynamic and flexible.

77. 2. Pedagogy at Secondary Stage should expect more independent learning from the students. More opportunities for self-study and group work should be encouraged. Classroom interactions should also be diverse — didactic, Socratic, and inquiry-based methods are all appropriate for this Stage. 3. Students should be given opportunities to engage with higher-order capacities of analysis and synthesis through meaningful yet challenging assessments.

78. Implications for Schools and Boards of Examinations: 1. Schools and Examination Boards should be prepared to offer and assess subjects from all the ten Curricular Areas for Grade 10 right from the beginning of the implementation of this NCF. 2. Schools and Examinations Boards should be prepared to offer a minimum of two languages for Grades 11-12 from the beginning of the implementation of this NCF. 3. All Board examinations must move towards becoming ‘easier’ without any compromise on assessing genuine learning, by testing basic concepts and Competencies across subjects, rather than rote learning.

79. 4. Schools should be prepared to offer subjects from at least two Groups amongst Groups 2, 3, and 4 immediately. Within 5 years, schools should be ready to offer subjects from all four Groups. Within 10 years, schools should offer many more subjects covering all Curricular Areas, and students should study subjects across all four Groups.

80. 5. The Secondary Stage has been divided into two Phases — Grades 9 and 10, and Grades 11 and 12. In 10 years, all school systems should move to a single Secondary Stage, where students have choice and flexibility right from Grade 9, following the current curricular structure of Grades 11 and 12. Thus, realizing the NEP vision of the Secondary Stage as being ‘four years of multidisciplinary study’ across all Curricular Areas.

81. 6. The current system of study in annual and two-year patterns should move to a semester and/or annual design. This would allow for greater flexibility in the design of courses as well as course options for students. 7. In ten years, Boards of Examination should be prepared to offer certification through modular examinations — ‘that each test far less material and are taken immediately after the course is taken in school.’ [NEP 2020, 4.38

82. Source used for the session: National Education Policy 2020 National Curriculum for School Education 2023 NCERT Website and CBSE Website Images: Courtesy- Google This is in brief about National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. This session gives you the understanding of the fundamentals of NCF School Education 2023. I have tried to cover the spirit and the essence of the NCF. However, Principals , Teachers, and curriculum developers must read the entire NCF document to enable them to implement the NCF as per the guidelines of the respective Boards. All the best for the next course of action. Thank you and God bless you.