MODULE 1 – Modern Trends in Curriculum Design, Construction and Development

MODULE 1 – Modern Trends in Curriculum 

           TRENDS AND ISSUES IN EDUCATION

MODULE 1 – Modern Trends in Curriculum Design, Construction and Development

New trends and perspectives in curriculum design and in curriculum constructionconstructivist– cultural studies – holistic curriculum –diversified curriculum – teacher made curriculum.

·         Teaching and learning processes are being focused on how to prepare students for living and thriving in the dynamic and chaotic environment of a changing world.

·         Most countries have undertaken major reforms of their curriculum with increased emphasis on skills and dispositions, which are perceived as relevant to lifelong learning, employment and social participation.

·         Educational content and teaching-learning materials now appear to be more functional, diversified, and operational in nature. An increased emphasis is placed on relevance, flexibility, needs, and competence in curriculum delivery.

·         There is emphasis on the need for teachers to use differentiated curriculum, multiple learning styles and engage in transformational teaching.

·         Learning is linked to the work of learners in the cultural context.

·         Emphasis is being laid on functional literacy, numeracy and strategic communication skills.

·         Functional entrepreneurial skills are infused using the relevant subject contents.

·         Some contents and subjects are consolidated in the basic education context thus reducing subject/content overload.

·         Strategic life-long skills as well as positive national values, civic, moral and ethical education are included as a course of study.

·         Emerging elements of critical thinking are infused.

·         Curriculum made flexible for adaptation to the socially marginalised (including nomadic and other migrant groups), vulnerable communities, adult and special needs learners.

·         The emergent curriculum trends call for new skills, knowledge and ways of learning.

·         In curriculum’s knowledge-building role, there is a great desire for new global skills such as:

·         Critical thinking and problem solving

·         Collaboration across networks and leading by influence

·         Agility and adaptability

·         Initiative and entrepreneurialism

·         Effective oral and written communication

·         Accessing and analysing information

·         Curiosity and imagination

·         The current trends in curriculum could be characterised by meaningful and constructive forms of emergence in terms of:

§  Individual emergence - for example enhanced capacity of teachers to teach.

§  Structural emergence - for example the designation of new roles and systems for teachers and schools to facilitate the new policy.

§  Cultural emergence - for example the refinement of the policy itself as a result of professional engagement of teachers.

Teacher Made Curriculum

·         Teachers have to facilitate the implementation of the emergent curriculum changes.

·         Teachers have to adopt new ideologies and implement them in their teaching within the education system.

·         Teachers who deliver the curriculum will have to provide learning experiences for holistic development of mind, body intellect and emotions to meet the emergent trends.

Implications of Emergent Curriculum Trends for Teachers as Facilitators of Curriculum Changes

·         Most curricular models have emerged when it appears that capacity for school-based curriculum development is limited, causing several implications on the professional input of teachers.

·         In the context of emergent trends in curriculum, the implications and concerns to be addressed by teachers in curriculum and pedagogy are as follows:

·         Understanding curriculum theory and processes

·         Providing differentiated differentiation

·         Facilitating learner centred instruction

·         Utilising multiple instructional strategies, developing global citizens and lifelong learners

·         Developing emergent curriculum integration of technologies for curriculum delivery.

Understanding of Curriculum Theory and Processes

·         Teachers need an increased understanding of curriculum theory to ensure quality teaching.

·         Teachers must understand the theory of the transformation process of learning, from data into information; information into knowledge; and knowledge making use of physiological processes, cognitive processes, environmental and cultural processes.

·         Teachers must be able to use the available tools and techniques to devise a solution that meets the demand at the time.

·         Teachers should give quality curriculum delivery with a thorough understanding of the art of curriculum and must be able to change roles and responsibilities when needed.

·         It is crucial that teachers have an understanding of curriculum theory if they are truly to evoke educational change in the future.

·         Understanding curriculum theory and processes would provide teachers with an understanding of pedagogy and a capacity for collaborative work.

·         Teachers also need to be aware of the cyclical nature of curriculum theory, especially when reviewing needs analysis, methodologies, evaluation, processes, and assessment procedures.

·         Areas of review for teachers of the future should include the following:

·         Historical development of curriculum studies

·         Current theory and practice in the field

·         Macro and micro dimensions in curriculum

·         Ethos and cultural considerations

·         Process of curriculum change and impact of technology on curriculum

·         Models and processes of instructional design

·         Models and processes for developing learning strategies

·         Identification and implementation of appropriate teaching methods

·         Models and techniques of assessment and the evaluation process

·         Staff development needs

·         Practical application of curriculum design and product as per student to work programmes

Facilitating Learner-Centred Instruction

·         A common emergent curriculum trend concerns the positioning of the learner at the heart of schooling.

·         The purpose of education is to train students in skills and procedures they will need in the workplace.

·         The teaching and training is about the efficient production of an end product: the educated person.

·         After successfully completing a programme of learning, the student will have met the terminal objectives set by educators, and therefore fulfil a role in society.

·         To meet the needs of society, teachers should prepare students to be able to function as mature contributing members by being competent and by being able to perform.

·         Teachers should integrate experiential learning to help students to learn how to integrate their new knowledge with existing knowledge (constructivism).

·         Teachers should integrate experiential learning for students to monitor their learning and problem solving (metacognition).

Curriculum policy in India

·         The National Policy for Education (NPE) of 1968 and the Curriculum Framework designed by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) in 1975 were made when education affairs were primarily handled by the state governments.

·         In 1986, a uniform National policy of education was structured which emphasised on national integration and stressed upon the importance of identifying individual competencies and values.

·         Concurrently, NCERT drafted the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) of 1988.

·         Post implementation, NCF 1988 was converted into a course of studies and textbooks and resulted in an increase in the load of curriculum and made learning stressful.

·         Drawing from the lessons learned from NCF-1988, the national curriculum was completely reworked in 2000.

·         However, the NCF-2000 drew severe criticism from educationists and social activists for re-writing history textbooks.

·         Following several public discourses, debates, academic and policy consultations, NCF was redesigned in 2005.

·         NCF 2005 takes into account various interconnected aspects of educating children in India such as aims of education, the socio-cultural contexts of children, the nature of knowledge, and the principles and processes of human development and learning.

·         NCF 2005 proposed five guiding principles for curriculum development:

·         connecting knowledge to life outside the school;

·         ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods;

·         enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks;

·         making examinations more flexible and integrating them with classroom life;

·         nurturing an overriding identity informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country.

·         NCF 2005 emphasises that all pedagogic efforts which includes the creation of syllabi and textbooks for the primary classes should be planned keeping in mind the core values of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).

·         NCF 2005 discusses the nature of knowledge and children’s own strategies of learning as a theoretical basis of the suggestion it makes.

·         NCF 2005 proposes that teaching should aim at enhancing children’s natural desire and strategies to learn and that knowledge should be distinguished from information.

·         NCF 2005 advises on enabling children to learn and express themselves through a variety of activities and suggest systemic reforms in the school system – the manner in which physical setting is visualised and the quality standards defined (NCERT, 2005).

·         NCF 2005 recommends the softening of distinctions between the four core subjects namely Mathematics, Languages, Sciences, and Social Sciences, to encourage integrated knowledge.

·         NCF 2005 insists on the revision of textbooks and pays special attention to the study and practice of artsand crafts, health and physical education, and peace.

·         The previous system and criteria of examination promoted rotelearning that created psychological pressure experienced by children and parents, as well as teachers who then adapt their teaching practices to reinforce rote learning.

·         The Department of Education introduced a new policy titled Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) for evaluating student learning.

·         CCE attempts at supporting continuous evaluation of a child’s progress in schools throughout the year and giving remedial support to a student, if required.

·         With the ratification of the Right to Education Act (RTE), NCF 2005 is no longer an advisory policy document.

·         Under the Right to Education Act, NCF 2005 became mandatory till the central government in consultation with the state governments drafted a new framework in 2009.

·         RTE resonates with NCF 2005 in requiring the education authorities to develop curricula and evaluation procedures in accordance with the values enshrined in the constitution.

·         RTE emphasises the need for the curricula and evaluation methods to ensure the all-round development of the child through a system of child friendly and child centered learning.

·         Reinforced by this development, various state education departments have begun formalising State Curriculum Framework based on the principles underlying NCF and RTE.

A brief description of the policy structure of UNESCO Reportfor 21stCentury education

The following are the recommendations of the members of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century to UNESCO :

·         A policy of strong encouragement for the education of girls and women.

·         The allocation of a minimum percentage of development aid to fund education

·         The development of debt-for-education swaps to offset the adverse effects of adjustment policies and policies for reducing internal and external deficits upon public spending on education.

·         The widespread introduction of the new ‘information society’ technologies in all countries to prevent opening up of gap between rich countries and poor countries

·         Tapping into the outstanding potential offered by non-governmental organisations.

·         Upgrading the quality of teachers, through the adoption of the following policies and measures:

·         The level of pre-service education of teachers should be raised to higher education level.

·         Teachers’ certificates should indicate whether they are for primary school, secondary school, technical or vocational education, teaching the handicapped etc., according to the pre-service education.

·         Recruitment and placementof teachers should reflect an equitable balance between the various subject-areas, experienced and less-experienced teachers, urban and rural areas, etc.

·         In-service training is strongly recommended as lifelong education of all those engaged in the teaching profession to upgrade teaching capacities both in theory and practice.

·         Curriculum development and related matters should be taken into account in the in-service training of teachers.

·         Working conditions of teachers – such as class size, working hours/days and supporting facilities – should be considered.

·         Teachers’ salaries should be high enough to attract promising young people to the teaching profession and a reasonable balance achieved between their salaries and those of other civil servants.

·         The design and development of the curriculum and related matters should be carried out by the authorities and professional groups concerned.

·         The improvement of school management in which school education can be upgraded.

A brief description of the policy structure of NCF2005

The following is the summary of the recommendations made in the National Curriculum Framework, 2005 :

·         Strengthening a national system of education in a pluralistic society.

·         Reducing the curriculum load based on insights provided in 'Learning Without Burden'.

·         Systemic changes in tune with curricular reforms.

·         Curricular practices based on the values enshrined in the Constitution, such as social justice, equality, and secularism.

·         Ensuring quality education for all children.

·         Building a citizenry committed to democratic practices, values, sensitivity towards gender justice, problems faced by the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, needs of the disabled, and capacities to participate in economic and political processes.

·         Reorientation of the perception of learners and learning.

·         Holistic approach in the treatment of learners' development and learning.

·         Creating an inclusive environment in the classroom for all students.

·         Learner engagement for construction of knowledge and fostering of creativity.

·         Active learning through the experiential mode.

·         Adequate room for voicing children's thoughts, curiosity, and questions in curricular practices.

·         Connecting knowledge across disciplinary boundaries to provide a broader frame work for insightful construction of knowledge.

·         Forms of learner engagement - observing, exploring, discovering ,analysing, critical reflection, etc. - are as important as the content of knowledge.

·         Activities for developing critical perspectives on socio-cultural realities need to find space in curricular practices.

·         Local knowledge and children's experiences are essential components of text books and pedagogic practices.

·         Children engaged in undertaking environment-related projects may contribute to generation of knowledge that could help create a transparent public database on India's environment.

·         The school years are a period of rapid development, with changes and shifts in children's capabilities, attitudes and interests that have implications for choosing and organising the content and process of knowledge.

Teacher education programmes need to be reformulated and strengthened so that theteacher can be an :

§  encouraging, supportive and humane facilitator in teaching–learning situations to enablelearners (students) to discover their talents, to realise their physical and intellectualpotentialities to the fullest, to develop character and desirable social and human valuesto function as responsible citizens; and

§  active member of a group of persons who make conscious efforts for curricular renewalso that it is relevant to changing social needs and the personal needs of learners.

·         Availability of multiple textbooks to widen teachers' choices and provide for the diversity inchildren's needs and interests.

·         Sharing of teaching experiences and diverse classroom practices to generate new ideasand facilitate innovation and experimentation.

·         Development of syllabi, textbooks and teaching-learning resources could be carried out ina decentralised and participatory manner involving teachers, experts from universities, NGOsand teachers' organisations.

Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007

·         The Government of Kerala set the direction for the educational system by declaring that the state would provide for:

·         compulsory primary education for all

·         educational expenditure of all children

·         free text books and lunch for the needy

Major initiatives taken by the successive governments of Kerala :

·         providing text books at low prices

·         withdrawing tuition fee

·         allowing concessional rate for students’ conveyance

·         providing free lunch in schools

·         ensuring at least one high school in every Panchayat

·         adopting new approach for promotions to higher classes

·         expanding vocational and technical education

·         taking steps for ensuring higher secondary education for all

·         bringing higher secondary within the fold of school education

·         envisioning IT as a part of the curriculum

·         launching of EDUSAT and VICTERS channels

·         strengthening the school library system

The following initiatives of central and state governments mark their commitment to provide quality education :

·         launching Operation Blackboard (OB) scheme

·         launching Special Orientation for Primary Teachers (SOPT)

·         establishing State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)

·         setting up District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET)

·         establishing Colleges of Teacher Education (CTE) and Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE)

The curriculum in school education was reformed in Kerala in 1996-'97, owing to the need of the society for quality education.

·         The evaluation process and the system of grading suggested by the new curriculum were implemented up to class X in 2004-'05.

·         The curriculum reform was based on the vision of education as a social process.

·         The methodology outlined by the curriculum stresses on activity-based process-oriented learning.

·         It also stresses on enquiry-based learning and liberal democratic learner-friendly approach that lead to the overall development of the learner.

·         As a result :

§  the process of construction of knowledge took the centre-stage.

§  teachers accepted enquiry as a method of learning.

§  the awareness that learning should not be restricted to the classroom alone became part of the curriculum transaction.

§  systematic planning and collective effort of teachers were recognised as an integral part of school culture.

§  continuous and comprehensive evaluation process was introduced.

§  essentiality of the collective effort of the society and its intervention in school activities were felt.

Certain reflections of the curriculum reform experiences of Kerala were visible at the National Level Curriculum reform (NCF - 2005), which are as follows :

·         Need for systemic reform in tune with the curriculum reform.

·         Implementing curriculum reform with commitment.

·         Creating school infrastructure facility for providing learner-friendly atmosphere.

·         Informing the society of the relevance of curriculum reform.

·         Designing strategies for the overall development of the child.

·         Designing curriculum objectives foreseeing the needs of future society.

·         Recognisingthe need for flexible textbooks including all learning materials.

Aims of Education under Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007 are as follows :

·         Social justice : The education system should be capable of promoting a social order based on equality and justice.

·         Awareness on environment : A comprehensive awareness on the need to protect environment and maintain sustainable development.

·         Citizenship : There is a need for empowering each child to grow up and develop as a responsible citizen of the society.

·         Nationalism :Creating a generation upholdingnationalism rooted in a universal vision. Whilerecognising the plurality of Indian societythe nationalistic vision should help incapturing the meaning of unity indiversity.

·         Awareness of one’s rights :Realising the rights accorded to everyindividual by our constitution is of greatsignificance.

·         Education needs to actualisethe rights ensured in our constitution andalso the rights enumerated in UNconventions on children's rights (CRCConventionon the Rights of Children),women's rights (CEDAW – TheConvention on the Elimination of AllForms of Discrimination against Women)and human rights (UNCHR-UnitedNations Commission on Human Rights).

·         All children need to develop anawareness of one's own rights and therights of others.

·         Awareness of Science andTechnology :All learners should get opportunity toacquire current developments in the fieldof science and technology and apply thesame in real life situations.

·         Scientific temper :Learnersshould approach a problem based oncause and effect relationship. Aneducation that develops logical reasoningin children is crucial in this context.

·         Cultural identity :Regional and traditional forms ofknowledge (related to agriculture,irrigation, resource management, art andhandicraft) can be utilised for the development of the society.

·         Vocational skills : Thevalue of labour in developing andtransforming the society needs to be realised and education should focus on thedevelopment of a positive attitude tolabour and inculcate in all children theability to work.

·         Democratic values :Education should help the learner inimbibing democratic values - equality,justice, freedom, concern for others' wellbeing,secularism and respect for human dignity and rights.

·         Resistance :Strength to resist all sorts of invasions(cultural, economic, geographical) andundesirable tendencies triggered byglobalisation is vital for a democraticsociety.

·         Construction of knowledge :Knowledge is never viewed as a finishedproduct andis refined in every act ofsharing. The process of education mustdevelop in learners, the ability toconstruct knowledge through interactionand sharing.

·         Critical approach : The educational system should prepare the learners to shift from the position of passive listeners to active constructors of knowledge.

National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) 2009

Some of the important statements relating to ateacher’s role stated in the NCFTE 2009 are as follows :

·         Teachers need to be prepared to care for children, enjoy to be withthem, seek knowledge, own responsibility towards society and workto build a better world, develop sensitivity to the problems of thelearners, commitment to justice and zeal for social reconstruction.

·         Teachers need to view learners as active participants in their ownlearning and not as mere recipients of knowledge; need to encouragetheir capacity to construct knowledge; ensure that learning shifts awayfrom rote methods.

·         Learning is to be viewed as a search for meaningout of personal experiences and knowledge generation as acontinuously evolving process of reflective learning.

·         Teacher education must engage with theory along with fieldexperiences to help trainees to view knowledge not as external to thelearner but as something that is actively constructed during learning.

·         Teacher education should integrate academic knowledge andprofessional learning into a meaningful whole.

·         Teachers need to be trained in organising learner-centred, activity-based,participatory learning experiences – play, projects, discussion,dialogue, observation, visits, integrating academic learning withproductive work.

·         Teacher education should engage teachers with the curriculum, syllabiand textbooks to critically examine them rather than taking them as given and accepted without question.

·         Teacher education should provide opportunity to student-teachersfor reflection and independent study without packing the trainingschedule with teacher-directed activities alone.

·         The programme should engage teachers with children in real contextsrather than teach them about children through theories alone.

·         The programmeshould help them understand the psycho-social attributes and needsof learners, their special abilities and characteristics, their preferred mode of cognition, motivation and learning resulting from homeand community socialiaation.

·         The programme should help teachers or potential teachers to developsocial sensitivity and consciousness and finer human sensibilities.

·         Teacher education programmes need to broaden the curriculum (bothschool and teacher education) to include different traditions ofknowledge; educate teachers to connect school knowledge withcommunity knowledge and life outside the school.

·         Teacher education programmes need to help teachers appreciate thepotential of hands-on experience as a pedagogic medium both insideand outside the classroom; and work as integral to the process ofeducation.

·         Integrate academic learning with social and personal realities oflearners, responding to diversities in the classroom.

·         Promote values of peace, democratic way of life, equality, justice, liberty,fraternity, secularism and zeal for social reconstruction.

Teacher education curriculum should provideappropriate and critical opportunities for student teachers to:

·         Observe and engage with children, communicate with and relate tochildren.

·         Understand the self and others, one’s beliefs, assumptions, emotionsand aspirations; develop the capacity for self-analysis, self-evaluation,adaptability, flexibility, creativity and innovation.

·         Develop habits and the capacity for self-directed learning, have timeto think, reflect, assimilate and articulate new ideas; be self-criticaland to work collaboratively in groups.

·         Engage with subject content, examine disciplinary knowledge and socialrealities, relate subject matter with the social milieu of learners anddevelop critical thinking.

·         Develop professional skills in pedagogy, observation, documentation,analysis and interpretation, drama, craft, story-telling and reflectiveinquiry.

·         Educational and curriculum planners also seek to provide avenues forthe professional development of teachers as a part of implementing curricularreforms to :

·         Enable teachers to work towards prioritised goals in education such asuniversalisation and inclusion.

·         Influence social attitudes and generate greater commitment toconstitutional values and overcoming discrimination in the classroom.

·         Transform existing practices towards more learner-friendly methodsand methods suited to strengthening conceptual learning andunderstanding rather than rote learning.

·         Enable teachers to implement and achieve specific targeted aspects inthe curriculum, such as the use of a type of technology, or the additionof topics such as AIDS and adolescent education.

·         Prepare teachers to play enhanced roles in the education system asresource persons, or head teachers, etc.

Justice Verma Commission (JVC) Report 2012 andits recommendations

A Commission was appointed by the Honourable Supreme Court to examinethe entire issue which have bearing on improving the quality of teacher education as well asimproving the regulatory functions of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).The Chairman of this Commission was HonourableJustice J. S. Verma, former Chief Justice ofIndia.

Justice Verma Commission (JVC) has attempted a close scrutiny of the existing provisionsand the quality of teacher education to facilitate identification of the deficiencies therein, andthen to enable it to make recommendations which can rectify the defects and provide thelevel of teacher education necessary to produce quality teachers.

The JVC Report is in three volumes:

·         Volume I contains the main report divided into seven chaptersalong with the final conclusions and recommendations.

·         Volume II contains all the discussion andmaterial related to the 291 recognisedinstitutionsWestern Region of Maharashtra.

·         Volume III contains all the Annexure.

Terms of Reference of JVC Report

·         Whether in the context of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 the Regulations on Recognition Norms and Procedure that lay down the norms and procedure for various teacher education courses which are adopted by NCTE are adequate or need review.

·         Whether further reforms are necessary to improve quality of teacher training and inservice training.

·         To review the Recognitions on Recognition Norms and Procedure currently in force as laid down by the NCTE are being properly enforced. If not how to evolve a fair and transparent manner in which these norms and standards may be enforced.

·         To review the existing practice of appointment of members to the NCTE are undertaken, so that the NCTE discharges its crucial role in providing vision and direction in the functioning of NCTE.

·         To evolve standard and norms for evaluating teacher performance and audit teachers.

·         To review whether the present provisions empowering withdrawal of recognition of institutions are adequate.

·         To determine what the methodology should be to examine / enforce quality in teacher education institutions.

·         To review whether the 291 institutions in the Western Region qualify to be recognised as Teacher Training Institutions.

Existing Scenario of Teacher Education as found by the JVC report

The Commission of the JVC report pointed out the following findings :

·         Classroom practice is closely tied to the manner in which teachers learn to engage with teaching as a practical and social activity.

·         The institutions of teacher education operates as a system of well-established conventions that structure social interaction, reproducing shared habits of thought through the conventions and rituals of teacher preparation.

·         The bulk of secondary teacher education institutes offering programmes leading to the B. Ed. degree are outside university campus.

·         Elementary teacher education institutes leading to the D. Ed. degree are not linked to the Universities.

·         Teacher education institutes function as closed spaces with the sole mandate of training teachers.

·         Most teacher education programmes (B. Ed. and D. Ed.) do not adequately engage with subject knowledge.

Quality of Curriculum Content

The Commission examined the curriculum and found the following :

·         Initial teacher preparation, both at the elementary and secondary levels, is facing a number of problems. Some of them are common while others are specific to a stage of education.

·         The teacher education curriculum either in the D. Ed. or the B. Ed. programmes does not effectively engages student-teachers with subject knowledge. It focuses only on generic methods of school subjects. Any new developments in specific disciplines that make up school subjects do not receive the due attention.

·         Current programmes fail to integrate the knowledge the knowledge about learners and the knowledge of the subject with knowledge about the socio-cultural context and philosophical basis of education and learning. Teaching is practiced as a mechanical delivery of a given a number of lessons, rather than reflective practice.

Quality in Mode of Teacher Preparation

The commission of the JVC report studied the mode of teacher preparation and viewed the following :

·         Quality of training through distance mode was poor.

·         Current teacher education institutes are isolated from universities and the system of higher education.

·         Initial training of teacher education suffer from isolation, low profile and poor visibility in view of it being a non-degree programme.

·         There is an urgent need to up-grade pre-service elementary teacher education by enhancing the duration of training; making it equivalent to an integrated degree programme and locating the management and control of elementary teacher education with universities.

Recommendations made by the JVC Commission

·         The Commission recommends the Government should increases its investment for establishing teacher education institutions and increase the institutional capacity of teacher preparation, especially in deficit states.

·         Government may explore the possibility of instituting a transparent procedure of pre-entry testing of candidates to the pre-service teacher education programmes, keeping in view the variation in local conditions.

·         Teacher education should be a part of the higher education system. The duration of programme of teacher education needs to be enhanced, in keeping with the recommendations of the Education Commission (1966), the implementation of which is long overdue.

·         It is desirable that new teacher education institutions are located in multi- and interdisciplinary academic environment.

·         This will have significant implications for the redesigning of norms and standards of various teacher education courses specified by the NCTE.

·         This will have also implications for employment and career progression of prospective teachers.

·         Existing teacher education institutions may be encouraged to take necessary steps towards attaining academic parity with the new institutions.

·         Current teacher education programme may be redesigned keeping in view the recommendations in the National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCTE, 2009) and other relevant material.

·         In keeping with the recommendations of the Education Commission (1966), every pre-service teacher education institution may have dedicated school attached to it as a laboratory where student teachers get opportunities to experiment with new ideas and hone their capacities and skills to become reflective practitioners.

·         There is a need to establish a national level academic body for continual reflections and analysis of teacher education programmes, their norms and standards, development of reading material and faculty development of teacher educators.

·         As a matter of policy, the first professional degree/ diploma in teacher education should be offered only in face-to-face mode.

·         Distance learning programmes and the use of blended learning material may be developed and used for continuing professional development of school teachers and teacher educators.

·         The institutional capacity should be increased for preparation of teacher educators.

·         There is need to make Masters in Education programme of two years duration with the provision to branch out for specialisation in curriculum and pedagogic studies, foundation studies, management, policy and finance, and other areas of emerging concerns in education.

·         The NCTE would need to develop broad-based norms for qualification of teacher educators to enable induction of persons with post-graduation degrees in education science, social science, languages and mathematics, along with a professional degree in teacher education or a research degree in education, as teacher educators.

·         The idea of creating opportunities for teaching practioners to teach in teacher education institutions, as visiting faculty, may be explored. Similarly, teacher educators could be considered as visiting faculty in schools.

·         Faculty development programmes for teacher educators should be institutionalised.

·         There is need for enhanced investment in promotion of research in education in general, and in teacher education in particular in the universities; creation of an Inter University Centre in Teacher Education could play a significant role, in this regard.

National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Regulations2014

The regulations relating to teacher education programmes for preparing norms and standards and procedures for recognition of institutions, commencement of new programmes and addition to sanctioned intake in the existing programmes include the following :

·         Recognition for commencement of new teacher education programmes which shall be offered in composite institutions.

·         Permission for introduction of new programmes in existing teacher education institutions duly recognised by the Council.

·         Permission for additional intake in the existing teacher education programmes duly recognised by the Council.

·         Permission for closure or discontinuation of recognised teacher education programmes, or institutions as the case may be:

·         Provided that for teacher education programmes offered through open and distance learning, the respective norms and standards for each such learning programme shall be applicable.

·         More over a general Overview of all Regulations provided by NCTE is desirable. Please go through the link http://NCTE Regulations 2014 for B.Ed. 

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE 2009)

Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 is an act to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years.

Excerpts from the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 :

·         Every child of the age of six to fourteen years, shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till the completion of his or her elementary education.

·         A child with disability shall have the same rights to pursue free and compulsory elementary education.

·         Provided that a child with multiple disabilities may also have the right to opt for home-based education.

·         Where a child above six years of age has not been admitted in any school or though admitted, could not complete his or her elementary education, then, he or she shall be admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age.

·         Provided that where a child is directly admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age, then, he or she shall, in order to be at par with others, have a right to receive special training, in such manner, and within such time-limits, as may be prescribed.

·         Provided further that a child so admitted to elementary education shall be entitled to free education till completion of elementary education even after fourteen years.

·         Where in a school, there is no provision for completion of elementary education, a child shall have a right to seek transfer to any other school for completing his or her elementary education.

·         Where a child is required to move from one school to another, either within a State or outside, for any reason whatsoever, such child shall have a right to seek transfer to any other schoolfor completing his or her elementary education.

·         For seeking admission in such other school, the Head-teacher or in-charge of the school where such child was last admitted, shall immediately issue the transfer certificate.

·         Provided that delay in producing transfer certificate shall not be a ground for either delaying or denying admission in such other school.

·         Provided further that the Head-teacher or in-charge of the school delaying issuance of transfer certificate shall be liable for disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to him or her.

·         For carrying out the provisions of this Act, the appropriate Government and the local authority shall establish, within such area or limits of neighbourhood, as may be prescribed, a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three years from the commencement of this Act.

·         The Central Government and the State Governments shall have concurrent responsibility for providing funds for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

·         The Central Government shall—

§  develop a framework of national curriculum with the help of academic authority.

§  develop and enforce standards for training of teachers.

§  provide technical support and resources to the State Government for promoting innovations, researches, planning and capacity building.

·         The appropriate Government shall :

·         Provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child.

·         The term "compulsory education" means obligation of the appropriate Government to :

§  provide free elementary education to every child of the age of six to fourteen years.

§  ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by every child of the age of six to fourteen years.

·         Ensure availability of a neighbourhood school.

·         Ensure that the child belonging to weaker section and the child belonging to disadvantaged group are not discriminated against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on any grounds;

·         Provide infrastructure including school building, teaching staff and learning equipment;

·         Provide special training facility.

·         Ensure and monitor admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by every child.

·         Ensure good quality elementary education conforming to the standards and norms specified in the Schedule.

·         Ensure timely prescribing of curriculum and courses of study for elementary education.

·         Provide training facility for teachers.

Duties of teachers:

A teacher shall perform the following duties :

·         Maintain regularity and punctuality in attending school.

·         Conduct and complete the curriculum in accordance.

·         Complete entire curriculum within the specified time.

·         Assess the learning ability of each child and accordingly supplement additional instructions, if any, as required.

·         Hold regular meetings with parents and guardians and apprise them about the regularity in attendance, ability to learn, progress made in learning and any other relevant information about the child.

·         Perform such other duties as may be prescribed.

·         A teacher committing default in performance of duties shall be liable to disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to him or her.

·         Provided that before taking such disciplinary action, reasonable opportunity of being heard shall be afforded to such teacher.

·         The grievances, if any, of the teacher shall be redressed in such manner as may be prescribed.

Relevance of RTE in Kerala context - Status of Implementation of the RTE Act :

·         In 2012, around 50% of the Class-5 students were able to do a two digit subtraction as against 71% in 2010.

·         Children in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka had good math skills.

·         Except Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, every state registered a drop in arithmetic learning levels.

·         Poor quality of government run schools is encouraging migration to private schools where enrolment was more than 60 percent in Kerala and Manipur.

·         Quoting DISE (District Information System of Education) data, the report says that Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Goa have more than 60% of private enrollment in primary schools.

·         The highest private sector enrollment is in Kerala, where successive governments claim commitment to welfare policies, particularly on education and health.

·         In 2012, more than 40% of children (age 6-14 years) in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya are enrolled in private schools. This percentage is 60% or more in Kerala and Manipur.

·         The poor quality of education and rate of decline were not uniform across India. Some states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were low in quality, but were staying where they are while some states like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab had higher levels of education, which were neither improving nor deteriorating.

·         For all children in class 5, the major decline in reading levels (of 5 percentage points or more) between 2011 and 2012 was seen in Haryana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala.

·         Even private schools in Maharashtra and Kerala, with a large proportion of aided schools, showed a decline in reading ability for class 5 students.

·         In Kerala there is a significant improvement in the strength of the cohort in class 5 from the year 2011 to the year 2012.

·         Although the RTE Act puts the applicable age-group at 6-14 years, the Kerala government has changed it to the age-group of 0-18 years.

Integrated programmes

Outlined below is a short synopsis of the vision and features of a four-year integrated programme of Elementary Teacher Education, drawn from the Bachelor of Elementary Education Programme approved by the NCTE :

·         Foundations of Education located in the sociological, historical, economic, ecological, philosophical, cultural and political context and thought in education.

·         Core courses to engage with subject-content with the aim to revisit and reconstruct concepts and perspectives.

·         Engagement with theory of pedagogy and hands-on experience in understanding the learner, his/her context and processing of thinking and learning as a base to evolve relevant and appropriate pedagogic strategies.

·         Pedagogic courses designed in the frame of broad disciplinary areas such as, Sciences, Social Sciences, Languages and Mathematics rather than individual school subjects.

·         Theory courses designed to enable inter-disciplinary engagement as well as to engage with theory in the light of personal experiences and social realities.

·         Theory courses to include in-built field-based units of study to enable porous boundaries between theory and practice.

·         Rigorous study of a chosen liberal course out of a pool of courses in languages, mathematics, sciences and social sciences.

·         Opportunities for developing the self through drama, craft, music, self-development workshops along with a critical engagement with theoretical constructs of identity development and the individual-social interface.

·         Extensive and intensive practicum courses to equip teachers with a grip over existing systemic issues in education, a developing capacity to rise to the uncertainties of a learning environment and changing learner needs and a capacity to feel empowered to make a difference.

·         Practicum courses to develop other professional capacities and sensibilities:

§  the ability to understand learners in context,

§  evolve developmentally and contextually relevant pedagogies,

§  re-arrange subject-matter to communicate effectively with learners,

§  design and choose appropriate learning experiences activities,

§  learn to observe and document, analyse, synthesise, interpret and reflect.

·         Sustained engagement with schools to appreciate the given constraints of a system and to learn to strategise to think out of the box.

·         Understand and learn to negotiate formal learning spaces as sites of struggle, contestation and social transformation.

Composite Institutions

·         Under the notification of the National Council for Teacher Education, a composite institution means a duly recognised higher education institution offering undergraduate or postgraduate programmes of study.

·         A composite institution can be an institution offering multiple teacher education programmes.

·         The programmes of study can be in the field of liberal arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, commerce or mathematics.

Teacher education universities

·         Teacher training course in India is designed for aspiring teachers to learn interactive and better ways of teaching to make a subject interesting.

·         Teaching methods have to be different for different age groups, for instance primary level teaching is a lot different from secondary or college level.

·         The educational requirement for a primary and secondary teacher is also different.

·         People who wish to teach primary school should minimum pass higher secondary examination with 50% marks whereas for teaching at secondary school, one needs to be postgraduate in the subject one wishes to teach.

·         There are several schools and colleges in India which cater to teacher training schools in India and these offer teaching courses for different levels.

·         Teacher education is provided by several Universities, affiliated colleges, private and open Universities in India.

·         Teacher education in India is institution based, along with internship programs in real classroom settings.

·         Teacher education curriculum is generally too technical and obsolete, which is not applicable in contemporary Indian school and society.

·         Because of this, drastic changes are required to bring a big change to the curriculum.

·         These changes are slow but can be seen as international teaching agencies with a more advanced teaching curriculum is helping to shape better teachers in India.

Inter university centre for teacher education

·         The University Grants Commission (UGC) establishes autonomous Inter-University Centres within the university system under Clause 12(ccc) of the UGC Act.

·         The objectives for setting up these centres are:

§  To provide common advanced centralised facilities/services for universities which are not able to invest heavily in infrastructure and other inputs.

§  To play a vital role in offering the best expertise in each field to teachers and researchers across the country.

§  To provide access for research and teaching community to the state-of-the-art equipment and excellent library facilities which are comparable to international standards.

·         The Nuclear Science Centre at New Delhi (now called Inter University Accelerator Centre) was the first research centre established in 1994.

·         Inter University Centres functioning within the university system, are as follows:

§  Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC),New Delhi

§  Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astro-Physics (IUCAA),Pune

§  UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research (UGC-DAECSR),Indore

§  Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET),Ahmedabad

§  Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), New Delhi

§  National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore

§  Inter Universit