Elementary School Syllabi for Rajasthan State: Perspective & Approach Document

Transcription

1 Elementary School Syllabi for Rajasthan State: Perspective & Approach Document 1

2 Preface The Department of School Education and Sanskrit, Government of Rajasthan and ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth are collaborating on a six-year partnership for the Rajasthan State School and Teacher Education Reform Programme. Aimed at comprehensive reform, the Programme covers the crucial aspects of curriculum reform for both teacher and school education. With respect to school education, the Programme includes developing new syllabi and textbooks for all subjects at the primary level and the English and Social Sciences for classes VI to VIII. The Programme has identified these as its focus areas, understanding the need for curricular revision in the context of the changing educational discourse with the coming in of the NCF 2005, RtE Act 2009 and NCFTE The revision of the elementary level syllabi has been guided by National Curriculum Framework, 2005 This document emphasises that curriculum, syllabus and textbooks should enable the teacher to organise classroom experiences in consonance with the child s nature and environment, and to provide an inclusive learning opportunities to all children. It requires shift from the traditional teacher-centred learning approach to a learner-centred one, encouraging inquiry and analysis, independent learning, situating and drawing from the social-cultural context of the child. It also emphasises that syllabi and textbooks should keep the principle of equity and inclusion at the forefront, proactively break extant stereotypes to reflect sensitivity to gender and caste, peace, health and the needs of differently-abled children. As a part of the agreement, SIERT, Rajasthan and ICICI Foundation joint teams embedded in the Unit for Teacher Education initiated work on Syllabus development for the elementary stage from the month of May, Toward this, in the first phase of this process, a Teacher Educator Group (TEG) was formed comprising teacher educators from across the DIETs and teacher education colleges in Rajasthan, and teachers from Govt. elementary schools (the list of TEG is annexed). The members in TEG were selected through a rigorous process. The selection was based on information gathered from the faculty of all DIETs, IASEs, CTEs and private universities on their previous experience in curriculum and textbooks and their interest in this work. In addition care was taken that the selected TEG members also represented the geographic and socio-cultural diversity of Rajasthan, besides maintaining a balance in terms of gender and representation of diverse social groups. It was also ensured that school teachers were sufficiently represented in the process so that the material developed would be closer to the reality of the schools in Rajasthan. The TEG, along with the SIERT subject-based faculty was entrusted the responsibility of developing the syllabi and textbooks in consonance with the principles of the NCF 2005 and RtE Act They were guided by the state and national level resource persons and the ICICI Foundation team. 2

3 The core group anchoring this process comprised the SIERT faculty, select members of TEG, external resource persons and ICICI Foundation team members. The core group had the responsibility of ensuring that material being developed is in congruence with the principles and recommendations of NCF 2005, RtE Act Since the formation of the TEG, a series of workshops were conducted to provide in-depth exposure and orientation to the members on the emerging perspectives in school education as mandated in the NCF-2005 and RTE Act This was done with the view to level the knowledge gap, deepen their understanding on the proposed shift in teaching learning processes and to enable them comprehend the need for curriculum reform, discern the pedagogic shift and to then be able to contribute to the syllabus and textbook development. In the second phase, the SIERT and ICICI Foundation established the task of reviewing the existing curriculum of Rajasthan, new syllabus and textbooks of NCERT and other states like Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. This was followed by a comprehensive process of deliberations, discussions and reflections through which the group developed the syllabus and textbook guidelines for each subject. Based on those guidelines, the syllabus for each subject was evolved over a series of workshops spanning six months by subject based groups comprising the TEG and external resource persons drawn from NCERT, Jamia Milia, Delhi University and various state Universities of Rajasthan. The draft document was finalised by the TEG was finally reviewed by the core group members. About 10 workshops were organised for reviewing and developing of the syllabi. Each workshop had a clearly defined outcome and built upon the work done in the preceding workshop. The national level experts played an important role in guiding the proceedings of the workshop. The SIERT and ICICI Foundation teams were assigned specific responsibilities of guiding the subject based group work to ensure quality outcomes from the group and consolidating it in a presentable form. 3

4 Acknowledgements The focus of the entire process of syllabi development was jointly assigned to the SIERT and ICICI Foundation collaborative teams in the Unit for Teacher Education. This team has worked under the Coordination of Mr. Pradeep Paneri, Head of Curriculum and Evaluation Department and assisted by Ms. Gauri Sharma, UTE Member-ICICI Foundation. Dr. Sudhanshu Joshi and Dr. Anju Saigal, both from the ICICI Foundation, guided the process and strategy toward the realization of various outputs. This involved bringing external resources into the process, working closely with these experts, who led the perspective building of the TEG members, the Perspective & Approach document, and the work in the subject-based groups toward bringing forth quality outputs. Dr. Ranjana Arora, NCERT along with Mr. C.N. Subramaniam, Eklavya, Dr. Ashutosh Wazalvar, NCERT, Dr. Lata Pandey, NCERT, Dr. Indu Kumar, NCERT and Dr. Jayasree Subramanian, TISS, Hyderabad led the perspective building process on the NCF 2005 with the TEG. This group consolidated the discussions in the various groups toward the development of the Approach paper for the School Syllabi. The subject specific core group members played an important role in guiding the whole process of syllabi development. The Hindi syllabus process was led by Dr. Lata Pandey, NCERT, assisted by Ms. Anjali Kothari, SIERT and Dr. Manoj Kumar Gupta, Lecturer, Boys UP School, Jahalaward. The EVS curriculum and syllabus process was led by Ms. Rashmi Paliwal and Mr. Himanshu Srivastava, both from Eklavya, and Dr. Indu Kumar, NCERT, assisted by Mr. Prakash Joshi, SIERT, Mr. Sunil Shekhar Sharma and Mr. Arvind Sharma, both from ICICI Foundation, Mr. Dharmesh Jain, Lecturer, DIET, Dungarpur, and Mr. Pramod Chamoli, Sr. Teacher, Govt. School for Blind Students, UPS, Bikaner. The Mathematics group was led by Ms. Jayashree Subramanian, TISS, Hyderabad and Mr. Ashutosh Wazalwar, NCERT, assisted by Ms. Renu Chaudhary and Ms. Ranjana Kothari, both from SIERT, Mr. Mohd. Umar, ICICI Foundation and Ms. Shreya Khemani, Eklavya. The Draft Syllabus document has been prepared essentially by the TEG. The TEG members included teacher educators from the DIETs, IASEs, CTE, State Universities and teachers from Rajasthan Elementary Schools. The detailed list of experts and TEG members is presented in annexure I. 4

5 Introduction School education is a sector of fundamental importance to individual, society and national development processes. Schools as institutional spaces for communities of learners, including both students and teachers operate through curriculum 1. The rapid growth of knowledge, the emergence of new societal and national concerns and as well as means and methods of communication make it essential that the curriculum at the school stage is renewed continuously to respond to the future challenges. Rajasthan Government has recently taken initiative in this direction by undertaking review of school syllabi and textbooks at elementary stage in the context of emerging issues in school education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, National Curriculum Framework-2005, RTE Act 2009 and also the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan, placed before the States/UTs and the Country as a whole. This perspective and approach document has been prepared based on NCERT s experiences in recent curriculum reform to help Rajasthan Govt. and ICICI Foundation for Elementary Education in guiding the process of development of syllabi, textbooks and providing enabling school environment to students of Rajasthan for enhanced learning and completing their elementary education of eight years successfully. This perspective document has been divided into five sections. First four sections deal with the academic aspect of review of syllabi and textbooks and the fifth section deals with the modalities involved in this process. Section wise objectives of the perspective and approach document are given below: Section I Objectives: 1. To provide an overview of curriculum scenario in the country. 2. To provide highlights of the processes of recent curriculum reform in the country. 3. To provide an outline of the perspectives of the National Curriculum Framework-2005 on various aspects such as learner, learning, knowledge, classroom pedagogy, assessment, syllabus and textbooks. Section-II Objectives: 1. To emphasize RTE Act 2009 concerns for curriculum, evaluation procedures and enabling school environment. 5

6 2. To present an outline of the connectivity between RTE and NCF on the aforesaid concerns. Section-III Objectives: 1. To discuss present status of Rajasthan State Syllabi. 2. To present an overview of curricular, pedagogic, national and state-specific concerns that needs to be considered for the revision of syllabus and textbooks in Rajasthan. Section IV Objectives: 1. To present proposed overall guidelines for elementary stage syllabus. 2. To present a brief of textbook development guidelines. Section V Objective: 1. To discuss the modalities of syllabus and textbook process. 1. Background Section I School Curriculum Scenario in the Country Education as a process of human development has been playing a very crucial role in nurturing societies and nations. It has tremendous potential not only to influence the society but also to transform the whole society. Education, by its very nature, influences and gets influenced by the whole development process. There is hardly any field of activity which does not have its impact on the education system which encompasses school and higher education in view of providing education in formal settings with purposes of social and national development. Therefore, the dynamics of education and its role in social transformation and national development makes it essential that the content and processes of education are continuously renewed in order to make them in consonance with the changing needs, aspirations and demands of the society. School education is a sector of fundamental importance to individual, society and national development processes. Schools as institutional spaces for communities of learners, including both 6

7 students and teachers operate through curriculum 1. The rapid growth of knowledge, the emergence of new societal and national concerns and as well as means and methods of communication, make it essential that the curriculum at the school stage is renewed continuously to respond to the future challenges. In order to fulfill its role as a vehicle for social change, the school curriculum has to be dynamic enough to respond to the changing national priorities and long term development goals of the country. 1.1 Curriculum Scenario in the Country Education Commissions set up to address the issues related to education such as Secondary Education Commission popularly known as Mudaliar Commission ( ), Education Commission ( ) popularly known as Kothari Commission provided the basis for deliberations on the transformation of the educational systems, which further reflected in the recommendations of country s education policies i.e. National Policy on Education 1968 and the National Policy on Education Education under the Indian Constitution until 1976 was a state subject where state governments were allowed to take decisions on all matters pertaining to school education, including curriculum, within their jurisdiction. The centre could only provide guidance to the States on policy issues. It is under such circumstances that the initial attempts of the National Education Policy of 1968 and the Curriculum Framework designed by NCERT in1975 were formulated. The acceptance of a common educational structure, i.e pattern of education all over the country after the adoption of the NPE 1968, could be considered as an important step in the efforts for evolving a national system of education. The concept of a national system of education implies that, up to a given level, all pupils, irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex, have access to education of a comparable quality. In 1976, the Constitution was amended to include education in the Concurrent List and for the first time in 1986 the country as a whole had a uniform National Policy on Education. The NPE (1986) recommended a common core component in the school curriculum throughout the country. The policy entrusted National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) with the responsibility of developing the National Curriculum Framework, and reviewing the framework at frequent intervals. This was followed by steps to provide the nation a National Curriculum Framework for School Education for ensuring the school education system in country to work under the broad guidelines comprehensive of all educational process, fully integrated with the socio-cultural milieu and intended to develop potentials of individuals. The NPE 1986 proposed NCF as a means of strengthening the national system of education conceived on the principles embodied in the Constitution of India and 7

8 capable of responding to India s diversity of geographical and cultural milieus while ensuring a common core of values alongwith academic components. The NPE-PoA envisaged a child-centered approach to promote universal enrollment and universal retention of children up to 14 years of age and substantial improvement in the quality of education in the school. (PoA, p. 77) The NPE 1986 also recommends periodic review of the NCF in view of emerging societal, national and global needs, aspirations and concerns. The common core components comprise the following: India s common cultural heritage It is under this backdrop, the first curriculum Egalitarianism, democracy, and secularism framework developed by the NCERT in 1975 Equality of sexes (gender equality) Curriculum for Ten Year Schooling A Protection of the environment Framework was reviewed in 1988 when the Removal social barriers NCERT presented a new national curriculum framework entitled National Curriculum for Observance of the small family norm(populat Elementary and Secondary Education- A education) Framework. However, the articulation of this Inculcation of the scientific temper framework through courses of studies and textbooks in a rapidly changing developmental context resulted in an increase in curricular load and made learning at school a source of stress for young minds and bodies during their formative years of childhood and stress for young minds and bodies during their formative years childhood and adolescence. This aspect has been coherently brought out in Learning Without Burden, 1993, the report of the Committee under the chairmanship of Professor Yash Pal. Further, in spite of the recommendations of the NPE, 1986 to identify competencies and values to be nurtured a different stage, school education came to be driven more and more by high-stake examinations based on information-loaded textbooks. Then again in the year 2000 review of 1988 curriculum framework was undertaken by the NCERT, yet somehow the vexed issues of curriculum load and the tyranny of examinations remain unsolved. Perhaps this is why, further, in 2004, it was almost after five years of 2000 curriculum reform, need for another review aroused. The NCERT initiated the exercise of curriculum review to address the future requirements of school education at the turn of the century. In this endeavor, several interrelated dimensions have been kept in mind, namely, the aims of education, the social milieu of children, the nature of knowledge in its broader sense, the nature of human development, and the process of human learning. NCERT has brought out the NCF-2005 through a process of wide ranging discussion and deliberation, which got approval of the Central Advisory Board of Education in September, Considering the connectivity of curriculum framework, syllabi and textbooks, NCERT has also brought out syllabi and textbooks for all the subject areas across all the classes. The history of India s Freedom Movement The constitutional obligation National Identity 8

9 Under the mandate of the National Policy on Education which considers the National Curriculum Framework as a means of evolving a national system of education capable of responding to India s diversity of geographical and cultural milieus while ensuring a common core of values along with academic components, the NCERT has initiated its support programme for all the states/uts, for the review of their existing syllabi and textbooks and bringing improvement in the classroom processes in consonance with the NCF-2005 perspective. 1.2 NCF-2005 Perspectives: Knowledge and Understanding Knowledge can be conceived as experiences which we receive while living in world. These experiences are organized in two ways: One way is through language into pattern of thought (or structures of concepts), thus creating meaning, which in turn help us understand the world we live in. The other way is through patterns of activity with thought, contributing to acting in the world, and the creating and making of things. Over time many bodies of knowledge have been evolved which include a repertoire of ways of thinking, of feeling and doing things, and constructing more knowledge. All children have to re-create a significant part of this wealth for themselves, as this constitutes basis for further thinking and for acting appropriately in this world. It is also important to learn to participate in the very process of knowledge creation, meaning making and human action, i.e. work. Conceiving knowledge in this broad sense directs us to the importance of examining knowledge in terms of not only the product, but also the underlying principles of how it is created, how it is organized, who accesses it, and what it is used for. It suggests that in the curriculum, there must be as much focus on the process of learning, on how learners engage with and reconstruct knowledge, as on the content of what is learnt. In this view of knowledge the learner dynamically engaged with the world through observing, feeling, reflecting, acting, and sharing. Presently, knowledge is regarded as a finished product and hence organized in the form of information to be transferred to child s mind and in this view of knowledge, the learner is conceived as a passive receiver. Hence when the question arises, What should be taught to the young? it further leads us to more deeper question, namely, what aims are worth pursuing in education? The answer is a vision of the capabilities and values that every individual must have and a socio-political and cultural vision for society. This is not a single aim, but a set of aims. So also the content selected seeks to do justice to the entire set of aims Aims of Education: 9

10 Seeking guidance from the Constitutional vision of India as a secular, egalitarian and pluralistic society, founded on the values of social justice and equality, certain broad aims of education have been identified in National Curriculum Framework. These include: Independence of thought and action Sensitivity to others well being and feeling, Learning to respond to new situations in a flexible and creative manner, Pre-disposition towards participation in democratic processes and The ability to work towards and contribute to economic processes and social change Further, in view of achieving these aims of education, the NCF-2005 deliberates upon the following: Curricular Burden The focus of this entire exercise is on curricular burden faced by children at all stages in our school system, which was also the theme of a committee appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Its report was published by NCERT under the title Learning Without Burden in Learning at school cannot become a joyful experience unless we change our perception of child as a receiver of knowledge and move beyond textbook teaching and examination. We lack faith in children s own creative instinct and their capacity to construct knowledge out of their experience. This is why, pressure to include new topics mounts and the effort to synthesise knowledge and treat it holistically gets weaker. The sense of burden felt by both children and teachers has to do with the systemic tendencyreflected in both syllabus and textbook preparation as well as in teaching and examination- to treat information as knowledge. The NCF observes that the learning has become a source of burden and stress on children. Because of this, there appears a deep distortion in educational aims and quality. To correct this distortion, the present National Curriculum Framework proposes five guiding principles for curriculum development: Five Guiding Principles: (i) Connecting knowledge to life outside the school; (ii) Ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods; (iii) Enriching the curriculum to provide for overall development of children rather than remain textbook centric, (iv) Making examinations more flexible and integrated into classroom life 10

11 (v) Nurturing an over-riding identity informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country Primacy of Learner Giving primacy to children s experiences, their voices, and their active participation is essential for practicing child-centred pedagogy. This kind of pedagogy requires us to plan learning in keeping with children s psychological development and interests. The learning plans therefore must respond to physical, cultural and social preferences within the wide diversity of characteristics and needs. The National Curriculum Framework, while placing the learner as the constructor of knowledge, emphasizes that curriculum, syllabus and textbooks should enable the teacher to organize classroom experiences in consonance with the child s nature and environment, and providing opportunities for all children. Significant changes are recommended with a view to making education more relevant to the present day and future needs in order to alleviate the stress children are coping with today. The NCF recommends the softening of subject boundaries so Curricular and Systemic Concerns: Multilingualism and Language Education The document-taking note of the multilingual nature of the Indian society aims to use it as instrument for learning. The multilingual character of the Indian society is seen as a resource to promote multilingual proficiency in every child. Reading and writing, listening and speech contribute to the child s progress in all curricular areas and must form the basis for curriculum planning Mathematics Education Mathematics education, it is proposed, should enhance the child s resources to think and reason, visualize and handle abstractions, to formulate and solve problems Science Education Science Education should be recast so that it enables children to examine and analyze everyday experiences. Concern for the environment should be emphasized in every subject and through a wide range of activities involving outdoor project work Social Science Education Social Science learning in the NCF proposes to recognize the disciplinary markers while emphasizing integration in Social Sciences from the perspective of marginalized groups. Gender justice and 11

12 sensitivity towards tribal and dalit issues and minority sensitivities must inform all areas of Social Sciences Art Education, Health and Physical Education, Education for Peace and Work and Education The NCF also draws attention to the four other areas such as work, arts and heritage crafts, health and physical education and peace and suggests their infusion across the areas of learning while giving them an identity of their own at relevant stages. NCF-2005 states that we must bring these areas squarely into the domain of the curricular areas. The document states that certain radical steps to link learning from the primary stage upwards with work are suggested on the ground that work transforms knowledge into experience and generates important personal and social values such as self-reliance, creativity and co-operation. Art as a subject at all stages is recommended, covering all four major spheres, i.e. music, dance, visual arts and theatre with an emphasis on interactive approaches rather than instruction. The goal of art education is to promote aesthetic and personal awareness and the ability to express oneself in different forms. The importance of India s heritage crafts both in terms of their economic and aesthetic values should be recognized as being relevant to school education. The success of the child at school depends on the nutrition and a well-planned physical activity programme. The NCF recommends that resources and school time must be deployed for the strengthening of mid-day meal scheme and efforts to ensure that girls receive as much attention in health and physical education programmes from pre-school stage upto senior secondary stage as boys. Peace has been recognized as a pre condition for national development and as a social temper. It is proposed that the potential of peace education for socializing children into a democratic and just culture should be created through appropriate activities and judicious choices of topics in all subjects at all stages Enabling School Environment Another major concern the framework proposes to address is the school ethos as a dimension of the curriculum. The primacy of the child within the aims of education and strategies of learning is necessary for success at school. As a resource, school-time needs to be planned in a flexible manner for which locally planned, flexible school calendars and time tables are required. A policy of inclusion needs to be implemented in all schools and throughout our education system. The participation of all children needs to be ensured in all spheres o their life in and outside the school. Schools need to become centres that prepare children for life and Systemic Reforms Decentralised Governance and Common School System 12

13 Advocating reform in the system, the document calls for strengthening the Panchayati Raj institution through the adoption of a more streamlined approach to encourage community participation as a means of enhancing quality and accountability. Further, to ensure comparable quality in different regions of the country and also to ensure that when children of different backgrounds study together, it improves the overall quality of learning and enriches the school ethos NCF emphasizes on evolving a common school system. Reformulation of Teacher Education Courses (Pre-service and In-service) In view of changing role of teacher as per the shift in the perception of knowledge and learning the document advocates for reformulated teacher education programme that places thrust on the active involvement of learners in the process of knowledge construction, shared context of learning, teacher as a facilitator of knowledge construction, multidisciplinary nature of knowledge of teacher education, integration of theory and practice dimensions, and engagement with issues and concerns of contemporary Indian society from a critical perspective. Work as a Pedagogic Medium The document identifies productive work on pedagogic medium in school curriculum from preprimary to senior secondary stages. It pointed out that vocational education and training to conceived and implemented in a mission mode. Reform in Evaluation Practices at the Elementary Stage As per the NCF-2005, a good evaluation system should be an integral part of the learning process and benefit both the learners themselves and the educational system by giving credible feedback. The purpose of evaluation is: To motivate children to learn under stress free environment To encourage collaborative learning To identify the deficit areas of learning To provide adequate intervention to ensure learning. To improve the teaching-learning process and materials To review the objectives those have been identified for different school stages. 13

14 NCF-2005 emphasises on continuity in evaluation and states that routine activities and exercises need to be employed effectively to assess learning. Teachers need to collect, analyse and interpret students performances on various measures of the assessment and come to an understanding of the extent and nature of the students' learning in different domains. Well-designed assessment and regular report cards provide learners with feedback, and set standards for them to strive towards. They also serve to inform parents about the quality of learning and the development and progress of their wards. On the typology of questions the NCF-2005 states that the types of questions that are set for assessment need to go beyond what is given in the book. Often children's learning is restricted as teachers do not accept their answer if they are different from what is presented in the guidebooks. Questions that are open-ended and challenging could also be used. Designing good test items and questions is an art, and teachers should spend time thinking about and devising such questions. Every classroom interaction with children requires evaluation of their own work, and a discussion with them about what should be tested and the ways of finding out whether the competencies are being developed or not. Even very young children are able to give correct assessments of what they can or cannot do well. The role of teaching is to provide an opportunity to each child to learn to the best of his or her ability and provide learning experiences that develop cognitive qualities, physical well-being and athletic qualities, as also affective and aesthetic qualities. For elementary classes the NCF-2005 suggests that at classes I and II, assessment must be purely qualitative judgments of children's activities in various domains and an assessment of the status of their health and physical development, based on observations through everyday interactions. On no account should they be made to take any form of test, oral or written. From class III onwards, a variety of methods may be used, including oral and written tests and observations. Children should be aware that they are being assessed, but this must be seen by them as a part of the teaching process and not as a fearful constant threat. Grades or marks along with qualitative judgements of achievement and areas requiring attention are essential at this stage. Children's own self-evaluation can also be a part of the report card from Class V onwards. Rather than examinations, there could be short tests from time to time, which are criterion based. Termwise examinations could be commenced from Class VII onwards when children are more psychologically ready to study large chunks of material and, to spend a few hours in an examination room, working at answering questions. Again, the progress card must indicate general observations on health and nutrition, specific observations on the overall progress of the learner, and information and advice for the parents. Partnerships between the school system and other civil society groups The NCF in its last part recommends partnerships between the school system and other civil society groups, including non-governmental organization and teacher organizations for moving ahead. The 14

15 innovative experiences already available should be mainstreamed and awareness of the challenges implied in the U.E. should become a subject of wide ranging cooperation between the state and all agencies concerned with education. Discipline and Corporal Punishment The NCF-2005 observes that forms of disciplining such as corporal punishment and, verbal and non-verbal abuse of children, continue to feature in many schools, and are used to humiliate children in front of their peers. Yet many teachers and even parents still believe that such punishment is important, unaware of the immediate and long-term detrimental effects of these practices. It is important or teachers to reflect on the rationale that underlies the rules and conventions that govern schools, and whether these are consistent with our aims of education. Inculcating the value/habit of self-discipline is important for the systematic pursuit of learning and development o the child s interest and potential Teaching-learning in child s mother tongue The school must affirm the child s mother tongue(s) and ensure that it is never stigmatized in the curriculum. Further, multi-lingualism which is a feature of the Indian linguistic landscape must be used both as a resource and as a strategy. The language programme must build on the child s linguistic potential and further enrich it through literacy and learning scripts including brail. Children with language related impairments must be introduced to standard sign languages which can support their continued growth to the fullest. Language education is not confined to the language class room. All subjects involve the learning of terminology, understanding concepts and the ability to discuss and articulate critically. Children must be encouraged to consult books, talk to people in different languages and access materials from the internet fostering a policy of learning language across the curriculum in a multi-lingual ethos. The language class offers unique opportunities for children to learn through stories, poems, songs and drama, linking them to their own cultural heritage and also opportunities for creative expression and fantasy and for reflection on their experiences and empathies with experiences of others. Locally available resource persons skilled in storey telling and folk narration and theatre can be brought into the class room. Grammar is learnt effortlessly from indirect activities rather than explicit grammar lessons. The school must pay special attention to ensure that all children can read, write and speak with understanding in their own language by the end of their primary school. The learning of second and third languages builds on this basic competence. A culture of reading must be built in at all stages and for this class room, school and community libraries must be nurtured. A range of supplementary materials in a variety of styles and on varied themes must be provided. Teachers must also be introduced to creating rich environment to support 15

16 first generation school goers in the acquisition of reading. Children must also develop ability to write through non-routine imaginative and critical ways. Section II Interplay between RTE ACT 2009 and NCF-2005 on Curricular Concerns 2.1 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 Education has become a fundamental right with the implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 implemented since April This Act shows nation s commitment to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years. Section 29 of the act emphasizes that while designing elementary school curriculum the institutions need to adhere to principles that promote constitutional values, all round development of child, building of child s knowledge, potentiality and talent, development of physical and mental abilities to the fullest extent, use of pedagogic approaches based on discovery, exploration and activities, freedom of child from fear and trauma, use of mother tongue, use of continuous and comprehensive evaluation and prohibit mental harassment and physical punishment of child. As per the Act, there is a need to address state/uts curricular and related policies in the light of NCF-2005 perspectives. 2.2 Curricular concerns enshrined in section 29 of the RTE Act, 2009: The eight principles mentioned under the section 29 of RTE Act 2009 regarding laying down the curriculum and the evaluation procedures relating to different aspects of education focus on: All round development of child as the basic aim/objective of education which includes Building up of child s knowledge, potentiality and talent; Development of child s physical and mental abilities to the fullest extent This can be achieved through designing a curriculum: Having conformity with the values enshrined in the Constitution Incorporating child-friendly and child-centered pedagogy for promoting learning through activities, discovery and exploration To provide teaching-learning in child s mother tongue as far as practicable 16

17 To provide enabling school and classroom environment where child feels free of fear, trauma and anxiety and expresses his/her views freely Ensuring progress in child s understanding of knowledge and his or her ability to apply the same by implementing continuous and comprehensive evaluation procedures. 2.3 Provisions in NCF-2005 and Concerns of RTE 2009 The National Curriculum Framework-2005, being the latest national document needs to be examined as to what extent it can be helpful in review the current state curriculum including syllabus and textbooks under section 29 of RTE The insights/provisions enumerated in the NCF-2005 corresponding the concerns of RTE Act 2009 have already been discussed in previous sections. Section III Curriculum Scenario in the State of Rajasthan and Emerging concerns in School Education 3.1 Present Status Rajasthan s Shikshakram (popularly called as syllabus) meant as education system for primary and upper primary classes (as it includes broader guidelines for school as well as teacher education including subject-wise listing of themes) was revised in 2000 taking into considerations the following bases: National Policy on Education 2. National Curriculum Framework for Elementary and Secondary Education (1988) 3. Minimum Levels of Learning (1990) 4. Public opinions 5. Educational researches and surveys 6. Review report of textbooks published in 1997, 1998 and Rajasthan s shikshakram NCERT Shikshakram s framework Educational Innovations in Rajasthan such as Gurumitra, Shiskshakarmi, Sarawati Yojna, etc. This shikshakram outlines the following concerns to be taken into consideration for teachers and textbook writers: 1. Equality and freedom 2. Environmental concerns 3. Child-centredness in the classroom processes 4. Psychological perspectives of learning 5. Practicality of knowledge 6. Gender sensitivity 7. Value education 17

18 8. Lifelong peace and happiness 9. Curiosity, thinking capability and experiences of Child. 10. Evaluation as a part of teaching process. 11. Preparation of teacher as value oriented, creative and curious person who is able to participate in process of social transformation as a progressive representative. In the year, 2010, Govt. of Rajasthan took a decision to adopt the NCERT textbooks at upper primary stage and higher stages. However, after one-year of implementation it is realized (as per the feedback received from the field) that the textbooks for English (VI-VIII) and Social Sciences (VI-VIII) need to be made contextualized with respect to the geographical, social and cultural milieu of Rajasthan. For Science and Mathematics (Classes VI to VIII), the NCERT textbooks were found suitable. 3.2 Rationale for review of State Syllabi: I. Emerging Educational Concerns: As discussed in section I and II, in view recommendations of RTE Act 2009 on curriculum and evaluation procedures as well as the perspectives of NCF-2005, state syllabi and textbooks need revision. II. Further, as per NPE 1986 mandate: 1. State syllabi have not been revised for last ten years (even-though the school education system of the country has come across with two curriculum reform as a follow-up of NCFSE-2000 and NCF-2005) 2. State textbooks have been revised two three times but on the basis of old syllabi. 3. In similar way, pre-service teacher education curriculum has been revised yet taking into consideration the old syllabi. 4. Further as discussed earlier the state experience of implementing NCERT textbooks at the upper primary level revealed the need of context-specific textbooks in Rajasthan. III. Analysis of Shikshakram Taking into consideration linkages between different stages, deliberations among NCERT experts, state functionaries and curriculum developers as well as members from ICICI Foundation, emphasized the need for the review of state syllabus for the elementary stage in the subject areas Languages, EVS, Social Sciences and Mathematics prior to textbook development process in continuum. Further analysis of shikshakram revealed the following: 18

19 1. The subject-wise syllabus formulated in view of these concerns lacks reflection of these concerns and does not provide textbook writers and teachers clarity about how these concerns will be translated into textbooks and also into the classroom processes. 2. Moreover, state syllabus is presented in the form of competencies which are broken up into detailed sub-competencies and sub-skills, assuming that the sum of these sub-skills is the competency. This logical yet mechanical listing of sub-skills and rigid timetables for their achievement does not reflect either the concerns that learning and use of the competency may itself be more flexible, or that the cycle over which competencies are learnt need not follow the timing or pace described, or that the whole may be greater than the sum of the parts. 3. With regard to subject specific syllabi, the language syllabi (Hindi) presents language skills as learning areas including stage-wise sub-skills and content areas separately without guiding teachers and textbook developers how meaningful contexts will be created for developing these skills. For example, for class I First sub-skill is to understand listening to simple song, poem and story is included. But it is not mentioned- what will be the age-appropriate context of the story. Whether, it will be on family (which includes birds and animals as well because child sees them as a part of her family) or any other context which is meaningful for children. 4. In similar way mathematics syllabi without taking care of fear and phobia which prevail in children because of mathematics lists the competencies and sub-competencies and does not provide any guidelines as how teacher or textbook developers will deal with these competencies. Connection of competencies with day-to-day life of children is also lacking. 5. Further syllabi of Environmental Studies although appear to cover wider content but it does not provide children an opportunity to see them in the larger context as part of a community, the country and also, more tacitly, as located in this world. Moreover divided into part I (Science) and part II(Social Sciences) the EVS syllabi do not follow integrated approach. 6. Content load in all the subject areas is more in view of developmental stages of children e.g. EVS syllabi includes abstract themes such as motions of earth, matter and energy, work and speed, etc. IV. State Specific Issues: Following are some state-specific Issues which further point out the need for syllabi revision: 1. Rajasthan still figures among the larger states and Union Territories which have registered above 20% growth rate. In fact, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have all recorded above 20% growth rate, a level where Kerala and Tamil Nadu were 40 years ago. 19

20 2. Woman s literacy rate of 52.66% places Rajasthan at the bottom of the national chart, the men s literacy ratio, which stood above the national mark in 2001 has also come down now. 3. Overall 926 girls out of 1000 and 823 female child (0-6 years age group) out of In Rajasthan, agriculture and allied activities still provide over 60% of all jobs, with industry (construction, cottage and handicrafts, gem polishing, horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry, food processing and agro- industries as well as manufacturing ) and services (mainly trade, hospitality, Government and Community Services) accounting for the rest of employment. 5. In June 2004, only lakhs persons were engaged in organized sector in Rajasthan, comprising of 9.33 lakhs under public sector and 2.42 lakhs under private sector. The only solution to the problem of unemployment lies through promotion of substantial gainful employment opportunities in the un-organised sector. The data available with the employment exchanges reveals that about 7.93 lakhs unemployed persons were registered in district employment exchanges as on 31 st December, There is decrease in learning achievement of Class V students (as per Mid-term National Achievement Survey, 2008) from Baseline Achievement Survey to Mid-term Achievement Survey. Aforesaid Issues and Challenges emphasise on the need of initiating syllabus and textbook reform process: 1. To provide meaningful and useful elementary education for eight years to each and every child of 6-14 years of age. 2. To ensure learning and successful completion of elementary education by all learners (reducing curriculum load and developing a feasible scheme of continuous and comprehensive evaluation). 3. To provide space to varied contexts of Rajasthan across the subject areas and school ethos. 4. To provide stress free and trauma free school environment to each and every child entering in the school. 5. To involve community for areas such as arts, heritage craft, health and work for bringing more quality in school education and developing in child skills such as problem solving, decision making, communication, expression, collaboration, cooperation, etc. Section IV Syllabus Guidelines for Elementary Education for Rajasthan Context of Elementary Schooling In the context of concerns which have been dealt in detail in the previous sections of this perspective and approach document, it is suggested that in view of making Shikshakram an enabling document for teachers and textbook developers make rational choices and decisions, following issues needs to be considered for discussion: 20

21 4.1 An overview of Elementary Schooling 1. The period of elementary school (from Class I to Class VIII) is as the period of compulsory schooling vides the constitutional provision under education as a fundamental right. 2. This period of eight years is one of tremendous cognitive development, shaping reason, intellect and social skills, as well as the skills and attitudes necessary for entering the work place. 3. The beginning of this period marks the formal introduction of the child to reading, writing and arithmetic, culminating in the introduction of the formal disciplines such as the sciences and the social sciences towards the end of elementary school. 4. There is need for plurality and flexibility without compromising on standards. Education during this period must be of an integrated character, enabling children to acquire facility in language and expression and to grow in self-confidence as learners, both within and outside school. 5. The first concern of the school is on the development of the child's language competence: oral expression and literacy, and the ability to use language to create, to think and to communicate with others. 6. Special stress is needed to ensure opportunities for those who wish to study in their mother tongue, including tribal languages, even if the number of students is small. The ability of the system to promote and nurture these options, along with working out mechanisms to ensure that future options remain open, is a marker of its ability to provide for quality education. There must be a creative and concerted effort to maintain the multilingual genius of Indians and implement the three-language formula. While English may be taught during this period, it must not be at the expense of learning Indian languages. 7. The development of mathematical thinking, beginning with learning numeracy and moving towards the enjoyment of and facility with more abstract ideas, needs to be supported with concrete experiences and work with manipulations. Diagnosing learning difficulties and addressing this through remedial work in language and mathematics must begin in the early years. 8. Concrete experiences are also essential in the integrated study of the environment through which children's intuitive knowledge of the world is integrated into school knowledge. Over the years, this study should move towards a more disciplinary approach, but with integrative themes, within which there are opportunities to develop concepts and learn the vocabulary and methods of the discipline. 9. The study of arts and crafts promotes the development of aesthetic sensibility, learning how to manipulate materials and attitudes and skills essential for work. The exposure to practical life skills, work experiences and physical development through sports activities are also a must. 10. A variety of activities at this stage of schooling should be made available, including participating in cultural programmes, organising events, travelling to places outside the school, providing experiences to develop socially and emotionally into creative and confident individuals. 11. The approach to the whole curriculum should be process oriented rather than outcome oriented. All these arenas of development should be made available to all children. Care must be taken to ensure that the curriculum does not reinforce stereotypes about preferences, choices and capabilities of different groups. The gradual inclusion of vocationally oriented skills would make the curriculum more inclusive. 4.2 How children (in their formative years) learns: 21