The National Curriculum Framework will help students of the Class 11 & 12 in selecting courses of their choice for the 4-year undergraduate program. The National Character Framework will also focus on cognitive growth of these children in order to make them well-rounded individuals.
As suggested in the draft National Curriculum Framework, the multidisciplinary experience in classes 11 and 12 will aid students in selecting their major and minor courses for the four-year undergraduate programme. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh shared his views on the matter.
From incorporating student performance from previous classes into the final 10 & 12 results, conducting “modular exams” for grades 11 and 12, switching to a semester system for class 12, emphasising multidisciplinary education in classes 11 and 12 with “no hard separation” between science, arts, and commerce, to choosing newer assessment methods, are some of the recommendations made in the draught of the new National Curriculum Framework. The new NCF is in keeping with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and was created by the national steering group, which was formed by the union government and is led by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan.
National Character Framework : Classes build on character growth as well
Jagadesh believes that the National Character Framework (NCF) was created in accordance with the National Education Policy-2020’s goal that the purpose of education would not only be cognitive growth but also character building and generating holistic and well-rounded individuals, in classes 11 & 12.
A paradigm shift in how education is viewed overall has been brought about by the National Curriculum Framework, which was unveiled in October of last year. It curates a clear framework for how India can carry out one of the major aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Currently, the curricula for public schools follow the 10+2 system. According to NEP, there will now be four academic levels for classes: foundation, preparatory, middle, and secondary.
National College Fund : Upskilling students in various classes & streams is key
Speaking on the alignment of pursuing various subject combinations in class 11 & 12, the National College Fund (NCF) supports students’ mobility across fields and institutions and extends from secondary education to higher education and skill education. With the replacement of the existing practice of separating students into scientific, arts, humanities, and commerce streams, students will be able to gain both depth in their chosen fields and breadth by engaging with a variety of courses across streams.
According to NEP 2020, the UGC Chairman reinstates that a four-year bachelor’s degree will be the most popular choice since it enables holistic and multidisciplinary learning by concentrating on the chosen major and minors as per the student’s desire. To allow the implementation of the NCF, the UGC produced “Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes,” stipulating that students are not needed to select the courses they have already taken at the Class 12 level.
Student mobility across different classes in universities
Throughout the first year of the UG programme, students will also have diverse exposure to more fields. Students will choose their major and minor at the conclusion of the first year after having exposure to several subjects in classes XI and XII and the first year of the UG programme. Universities will undoubtedly adjust their admissions practices given the emphasis placed in NEP and NEF on bridging rigid disciplinary boundaries.
Jagadesh further emphasises on the requirement of more latitude in the admissions processes & procedures in these classes. If necessary, universities can urge such students to enroll in some bridge courses. This is a much-needed strategy for promoting multidisciplinary in higher education. Well-known universities should proactively put these enabling measures in place to allow for student mobility across fields in various classes.
