SALIENT FEATURES OF NCF 2005

The National Curriculum Framework is one of four National Curriculum

Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005 by the National Council of
Educational Research and Training NCERT in India.
The document provides the framework for making syllabi, textbooks and teaching
practices within the school education programmes in India. NCF 2005 has been
translated into 22 languages and has influenced the syllabi in 17 states.
The NCERT gave a grant to each State to promote NCF in the language of the
State and to compare its current syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a
plan for reforms could be made.
The Five Basic Tenets of the National Curriculum Framework 2005 are:
1. Connecting knowledge to life outside the school
2. Ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods
3. Enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks
4. Making examinations more flexible and integrating them with classroom life, and
5. Nurturing an overriding identity informed by caring concerns within the
democratic polity of the country.
NCF focused on
Learning without burden to make learning a joyful experience and move away
from textbooks to be a basis for examination and to remove stress from children.
It recommended major changes in the design of syllabus.
To develop a sense of self-reliance and dignity of the individual which would for
the basis of social relationship and would develop a sense of nonviolence and
oneness across the society.
To develop a child centered approach and to promote universal enrollment and
retention up to the age of 14.
To inculcate the feeling of oneness, democracy and unity in the students the
curriculum is enabled to strengthen our national identity and to enable the new
generation reevaluate.
J. P. Naik has described equality, quality and quantity as the exclusive triangle for
Indian education.
With respect to social context NCF 2005 has ensured that irrespective of caste,
creed, religion and sex all are provided with a standard curriculum.
The document is divided into 5 areas:
1) Perspective
2) Learning and Knowledge
3) Curriculum Areas, School Stages and Assessment
4) School and Classroom Environment
5) Systemic Reforms

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Perspective
It provides the historical backdrop and the rationale for undertaking the revision
of the National Curriculum Framework.
It discusses curricular reform efforts since Independence drawing from Gandhiji’s
vision of education as a means of raising the nation’s conscience towards
injustice, violence and inequality entrenched in the social order.
It proposes four guiding principles for curriculum development, namely (a)
connecting knowledge to life outside the school, (b) ensuring that learning shifts
away from rote methods, 9c) enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond
textbooks, (d) making examinations more flexible.
It discusses educational aims as deriving from the Guiding Principles. Education
should aim to build a commitment to democratic values of equality, justice,
freedom, concern for others’ well-being, secularism, respect for human dignity
and rights.
Learning and Knowledge
This chapter emphasizes that gender, caste, class, religion and minority status or
disability should not constrain participation in the experiences provided in school.
This chapter highlights the value of interaction—with the environment, nature,
things, and people to enhance learning.
The curriculum should focus on the holistic development of the students to
enhance physical and mental development in individuals and as well as with the
peer interactions. In order to bring about the overall development of the
students, adequate nutrition, physical exercise and other psycho social needs are
addressed the participation in yoga and sports is required.
Learning should be made enjoyable and should relate to real life experiences
learning should involve concepts and deeper understanding.
Adolescence is a vulnerable age for students and the curriculum should prepare
the students and provide support for social and emotional support that will
inculcate positive behavior.
Constructive learning has to be part of the curriculum. Situations and
opportunities have to be created for students to provide students with
challenges, encourage creativity and active participation for students.
Learning tasks and experiences need to be designed to ensure that children seek
out knowledge from sites other than the textbooks—from their own experiences,
from experiences at home, community, from the library. Heritage sites,
therefore, assume great significance as sites of learning.

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Curriculum Areas, School Stages and Assessment
It recommends significant changes in Language, Maths, Natural Science and
Social Sciences with a view to reducing stress and making education more
relevant to the present day and future needs of children.
Language –
• Three language formula system to be followed.
• Medium of communication should be the home language.
• The First language to be studied must be the mother tongue or the
regional language.
• The Second language – In Hindi speaking States, the second language will
be some other modern Indian language or English, and – In non-Hindi
speaking States, the second language will be Hindi or English.
• The Third language – In Hindi speaking States, the third language will be
English.
Mathematics -
• Main goal of Mathematics is Mathematisation rather than Knowledge of
Mathematics
• The teaching of mathematics should enhance the child’s ability to think
and reason, to visualize and handle abstractions, to formulate and solve
problems. Access to quality mathematics education is the right of every
child.
Science –
 Pedagogy of learning sciences should be designed to address the aims of
learning science is to learn the facts and principles of science and its
applications, consistent with the stage of cognitive development. To
acquired skills and understand the methods and processes that lead to
generation and validation of scientific knowledge.
 Science should nurture curiosity and creativity particularly in relationship
to the environment
 Science teaching should be placed in the context of children’s
environment to help them enter the world of work
 Awareness of environmental concerns
Social Sciences -
 Equip children to think critically on social issues
 Interdisciplinary approach to key national concerns such as gender,
human rights, marginalized minorities, etc.
 Civics to be recast as political science
 Significance of history – conception of past and civic identity

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 Art -
 Arts (folk and classical forms of music and dance, visual arts, puppetry,
clay work, theatre, etc.) and heritage crafts should be recognized as
integral components of the school curriculum
Peace -
 Peace-oriented values should be promoted in all subjects throughout
school years with the help of relevant activities.
 Peace education should form a component of teacher education
School and Classroom Environment
Physical environment has to be maintained favorable to students in terms of
infrastructure, adequate light and ventilation, Student teacher ratio, Hygiene and
safe environment.
Schools should also treat students with equality, justice, respect, dignity and right
of the students. Give equal opportunities for all students to participate in all
activities without any bias.
Critical pre-requisites for improved performance – minimum infrastructure and
material facilities and support for planning a flexible daily schedule
Focus on nurturing an enabling environment
Revisits tradition notions of discipline
Discuss needs for providing space to parents and community
Systemic Reforms
It covers issues of quality and the need for academic planning for monitoring of
quality.
Teacher education should focus on developing professional identity of the
Teacher.
Examination reforms to reduce psychological stress particularly on children in
class X and XII.
Examination Reforms
Shift from content-based teaching to problem solving and understanding
Schools should evolve continuous evaluation for diagnosis and remedial learning
Maths and English board exams at different levels
No board or state level exams at Class 5, 8 or 11
Shift from content-based teaching to problem solving and understanding
Flexible time limit Teacher Education Reforms
View learning as a search for meaning out of personal experience, and
knowledge generation at a continuously evolving process of reflective learning.
View knowledge not as an external reality embedded in textbooks, but as
constructed in the shared context of teaching-learning and personal experience

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 National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE, 2009)
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has prepared the National
Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, which was circulated in March 2009.
The Framework has been prepared in the background of the National Curriculum
Framework (NCF), 2005 and the principles laid down in the Right of Children to Free
and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 which advocates for a transformed framework
on teacher education.
The framework which would be consistent with the changed philosophy of school
curriculum recommended in the NCF, 2005.
The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education of 2009 contains the
following six chapters:
1. Context, Concerns and Vision of Teacher Education
2. Curricular Areas of Initial Teacher Preparation
3. Transacting the Curriculum and Evaluating the Developing Teacher
4. Continuing Professional Development and Support for In-Service Teachers
5. Preparing Teacher Educators
6. Implementation Strategies
1. Context, Concerns and Vision of Teacher Education
The curriculum framework of teacher education needs to be in harmony with the
curriculum framework for school education.
Teachers should be provided with a sufficient understanding of curriculum,
subjectcontent and pedagogy.
By making education less book centered, it should connect knowledge to the life
outside the school.
At all stages of schooling with respect to level, duration and structure there is
requirement of bringing greater convergence between professional preparation and
continuing professional development of teachers.
It is required to upgrade initial teacher education by increasing the entry
qualification and duration of training making it equivalent to a degree programme.
It is desirable within a limited time that the existing one-year Bachelor’s (B.Ed.)
degree programme is structurally transformed to a two year one.
It is important that teachers who manage and perform in the classroom are
sensitized and made conscious about the attitude of inclusive education.
2. Curricular Areas of Initial Teacher Preparation
Teachers as beginners need to engage with and recognize children of different levels
by interacting with them and observing them in varied social, economic and cultural
contexts.
Learning to listen to children with concentration and empathy are essential pre-
requisites to develop teachers who are learner sensitive.
It is suggested that comprehensive, systematic and scientific approaches to health
education and health awareness be included in teacher education curricula.

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 Every theory course should have an in-built field based units of study that leads to
projects and assignments giving emphasis on observations and interaction.
Using the mode of group and individual field-based assignments followed by
workshops and seminar presentations, specific practicum courses should be
designed for student teachers.
It is also important to understand the classroom as a social context, as it provides a
setting for interaction, making of dialogue and the opportunity to appreciate diverse
perspectives on a given issue.
Courses focused on philosophical thinkers in education, theoretical constructs that
facilitate to question and debate issues around aims of education and questions of
epistemology as well.
3. Transacting the Curriculum and Evaluating the Developing Teacher
The emphasis, therefore, has to be on developing professional knowledge and
capacities through a variety of self-directed tasks including case studies, projects,
seminars and research activity.
Attempts must be made to shift from the usual ‘theory to practice’ model to
understanding theory.
Teacher education programmes at all stages should provide opportunities to the
future teachers for understanding the self, develop sensibilities, the ability for self-
analysis and the capacity to reflect.
Theory courses must be designed and transacted such that they provide greater
space to generate a deep understanding of linkages between knowledge, learner,
learning and methods of teaching.
Pre-service teacher education programmes should provide sustained engagement
with learners in school situations, experiences of teaching learners and observing
them and regular teachers in classrooms.
Internship experiences need to be organized in a way that is useful in evaluating
teacher’s ability.
All theory courses will need to be inter-disciplinary in structure and have field-based
units of study.
4. Continuing Professional Development and Support for In-Service Teachers
Keeping in mind the aims of in-service programmes for professional development,
there is a need to be familiar with the variety of types of in-service programmes and
experiences that may contribute towards professional development.
Courses of short and long duration designed to develop either specific skills or areas
of interest could be developed and offered to teachers to attend over the year.
Distance media can be effectively used to keep teachers in touch with other
professionals of their own field.
Attending meetings and conferences connected to the profession could also be
counted towards professional development.

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 Importance and significance of participation of teachers in teacher networks, school-
based networks, school twinning partnerships and union networks.
The language proficiency of primary teachers should be enhanced through
specifically designed training modules and programmes offered on the job.
Resource centers set up by pre-service student teachers during school internship
programmes should become the hub of professional development of regular
teachers.
5. Preparing Teacher Educators
The quality of pedagogical inputs in teacher education programmes and the manner
in which they are transacted to realize their intended objectives depend largely on
the professional competence of teacher educators.
The teacher educator should share the underlying educational philosophy and
possess the needed understanding and professional competencies to develop such
teachers.
The basic orientation of the initial training of elementary teachers should be
transformed towards front-line national concerns like access, dropout, participation,
achievement, gender, teaching in difficult contexts.
Mechanisms need to be evolved to promote the entry of talent in teacher education
programmes.
Vertical linkages for post-graduate studies in education, including research
programmes for students from a variety of science and social science disciplines
need to be provided.
Integrated models of teacher education of four or five years’ duration could
comprise of core components that would be common to all teacher education
programmes (pre-primary, elementary, secondary and senior secondary) followed by
specialization of professional development, specific to the stage of education.
Specialization at the post-graduation level in science education, language education,
social sciences education and mathematics education need to be developed.
The distinction between education as a liberal study and education as a professional
preparation needs to be appreciated and post-graduate programme design should
take this into consideration.
6. Implementation Strategies
The document is being uploaded on the website of the NCTE (www.ncte-india.org)
for the benefit of the system at large.
The NCTE will make up a working group of scholars in the field of teacher education
and allied disciplines common to teacher education to develop syllabi and course
outlines, based on the NCFTE.
Existing B. Ed. programmes should be reviewed to make easy the choice between a
4-year integrated model after +2 or a 2-year model after graduation, based on State
requirements and available institutional capacity.

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 A series of professional orientation/training programmes will need to be organized
across the State.
Steps will be initiated to evolve suitable mechanisms to promote the entry of talent
in teacher education programmes through a variety of initiatives.
A study to assess the dominant entry qualification of candidates for pre-service
programmes in elementary education to design state-specific strategies will need to
be undertaken.
A nation-wide review of teacher education curriculum in the light of the school
curriculum regeneration exercise would need to be undertaken.
Important Dimensions of the Framework
Reflective practices are considered to be the chief aim of teacher education.
Pupil-teachers should be provided opportunities for self-learning, reflection,
integration and expression of new ideas.
Developing competencies for self-directed learning and ability to think, be critical
and to work collectively.
Providing adequate opportunities to student-teachers for observing and engaging
with children, communicate with and get linked to children.
The Framework has pointed out the centre of attention, objectives and broad areas
of study in terms of academic and practical learning.
To well execute the curricular operations and assessment related strategies for the
various preliminary teacher education programmes.
The sketch also outlines the elementary issues that should direct formulation of all
programmes of these courses.
The Framework has emphasized on the approach and methodology of in-service
teacher training programmes.
It has also pin pointed the strategy for implementation of the Framework.

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