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Education
Make learning a pleasure, not a burden
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The NCERT's proposals claim to have addressed factors like the vast majority of the first generation school comers, lack of support from parents, lack of facilities at home and school and, the unprecedented increase in enrolment at the school stage. The framers assert that the syllabi prescribed for all the classes are learner-friendly involving children in all activities...
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THE NATIONAL Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared and published the revised syllabi and curriculum for school education (classes I to XII) based on the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2000 (NCFSE), taking into account the load of physical and that of non-comprehension of the age group five to 17. Several implications are discussed here for the benefit of the public. The NCERT's proposals claim to have addressed factors like: the vast majority of the first generation school comers, lack of support from parents, lack of facilities at home and school and, the unprecedented increase in enrolment at the school stage. The framers assert that the syllabi prescribed for all the classes are learner-friendly, involving children in all activities, promoting oral skills in languages and mathematics, encouraging self-learning among students, besides providing for suitable orientation programmes for teachers.
In the scheme of studies at the primary stage (classes I to V), pains have been taken to reduce the burden by prescribing one language (mother tongue/regional language) and arithmetic for std. one and two and, adding a third subject, environmental studies for std. three, four and five. The addition of "Art of healthy and productive living" in all these classes has a focus on the all-round development of the personality of the children. Besides, the syllabus has been prepared for "English" from std. three at the rate of one period a day. This is optional.
The upper primary stage (std. six to eight), has been provided for teaching and learning three languages — 1. Mother tongue 2. Modern Indian language 3. English and knowledge subjects such as mathematics, science and technology and social sciences besides work education, art education, health and physical education. At the secondary stage (std. 9 and 10), the scheme of studies prescribes 1.three languages 2.mathematics 3.science and technology and 4.social sciences, along with the usual subjects.
At the higher secondary stage (std.11&12) greater stress is laid on studies by providing choice of courses depending upon the individual needs, interests capabilities and aptitude that would enable the students to cope with the challenges of the future. It has been prescribed that the scheme of studies will comprise three elective subjects besides languages and literature, work education, physical education and games and sports under the foundation courses.
The scheme of studies provides for vocational stream, prescribing vocational electives. The students of the vocational stream are to study the foundation courses referred to the above. The scheme is not explicit as to the number of languages to be studied, whereas, it has suggested only one language for the vocational stream.
Working schedule
For the Primary stage, a minimum of 180 days in a year has been stipulated for effective instruction. The primary schools should function for five hours a day out of which, four hours are to be set apart for instruction. Syllabi in all subjects have been prepared for std. six to 12, which are to be taught in 180 days in a year with six hours a day out of which five hours should be for instruction. The duration of a class period is to be around 40 minutes (effectively 9 periods of 40 minutes a day for 180 days a year). While prescribing 180 days of work a year, care has been taken to treat the examination days separately.
Evaluation
At the primary stage the purpose of evaluation should not aim at highlighting the weakness of the child. Constant evaluation, child-friendly and stress-free tests at short intervals have been suggested. Hence, the question of detaining a child in a class for another year is not envisaged as the scheme prescribes remedial teaching. At the entire primary level, the base of evaluation would focus on the oral-aural approach: pencil-tests are to be introduced gradually. Diagnostic tests should be administered followed by remedial teaching.
For std. six to eight, evaluation at regular intervals of six weeks of actual instruction has been suggested. Periodic tests carrying a weightage of 50 marks, with 25 marks for written and another 25 marks for oral tests will be taken into account. Hence, only 50 per cent of marks will be taken from the final examination. Chapter tests/unit tests are suggested for std. nine and 10. Evaluation should lay stress on testing the understanding and application of concepts rather than testing the rote memory of the concepts. Provision has been made for peer evaluation and evaluation by the pupil himself. It is stated that the final evaluation should be the sum total of the periodical and continuous evaluation. (An unachievable ambition indeed!)
The two-year course is to be divided into four semesters. The marks of the first three semesters are to be given a weightage at the final examination. Therefore, the paper is silent about the public examination at the end of the course. Different methods of evaluation have been suggested for different subjects!
Revision
Revision of syllabi for classes one to 12 seems to be an exercise at regular intervals of jumbling the existing syllabus from one place to the other or from one standard to another and of adding or pruning certain topics as well. The present exercise excepting for classes one to five, is not different from the customary practice, of course, with tall claims, which it hardly deserves. As stated earlier all attempts have been made to reduce the load at the primary stage. Perhaps another team entrusted with the revision of syllabus for the upper primary stage went haywire by adding unwanted material for the age group, 10 to 12.
As a matter of fact it will be a burden on children, making learning a burden, instead of a pleasure. Mathematics for this age group is heavily loaded, though it is a repetition of the old syllabus, more or less. The syllabi for the secondary stage is reasonably well designed excepting the social sciences again. Topics like economic challenges and social issues and challenges are above the head of the age group 12 to 14. The syllabi for languages are ambitious. Children living in underdeveloped areas will not be able to comprehend the lessons. Again, deliberately the issue of number of languages at the secondary stage has been presented ambiguously.
The NCERT has attempted to translate the views of the Government with regard to the abolition of English as a language from India. In the first two standards the use of the Mother tongue or the regional language has been recommended. The introduction of English in std. three has been conveniently left to the discretion of the States. It is a known fact that only a few States will venture to have English at this level. At the upper primary level, even though three languages have been suggested, English has been relegated to the third position. What makes it untenable is that the States cannot be forced to adopt the three-language formula. Again most of the States will go in for the mother tongue/regional language and Hindi, avoiding English. Some States may choose only one language. For std. nine and 10, two languages have been prescribed with the option of having Sanskrit as the third language. Here again, English is not made compulsory. At the higher secondary stage, the paper is conveniently silent about he number of languages, but for the vocational stream, only one language has been suggested. Hence, it goes to establish beyond doubt that English is virtually banished. Is it not an attempt to force Hindi on all the non-Hindi speaking States by removing the link language-English?
The recently passed 93rd Amendment to the Constitution of India has provided for free education to all in the age group of 5 to 14. In such a situation, the self-financing schools, with English as medium of instruction will be left in the lurch. The coffers are almost empty and hence the Government cannot come forward to support the self-financing institutions. In the absence of self-financing English medium schools, there will be no scope to teach English to the school-going children. Work education, art education, health and physical education, though contain noble ideas and is presented in high-sounding language, it cannot receive the expected treatment when put into practice in schools.
Higher secondary syllabi
As per the higher secondary syllabi, all the suggested 12 electives are very heavy and several chapters prescribed for the degree classes in the respective subjects have been included. Except a small percentage of students who are to pursue professional courses, all the other students will be re-doing, at the degree level, what they had been taught at the higher secondary classes. This should be redrafted taking into consideration the syllabi prescribed for various degree classes by accredited universities.
The prescription of three electives is a welcome move while that of the languages are again an unwanted legacy. The authors have failed to indicate the number of languages to be studied by the students of the academic stream. It would be advisable to prescribe one language as it has been suggested for the vocational stream. A repetition of work education for the students of the academic stream should be avoided providing for more time for the students to concentrate on the electives. In general, the suggested syllabi for various languages and subjects from std. six to 12 are honestly, elitist.
A large chunk of first generation school goers have been left high and dry It would be better if two separate syllabi for various subjects and languages for std. six to 10 could be prepared keeping in mind the socio-economic background of the students and availability of resources. Two separate syllabi, one at the ordinary level and another at an advanced level may be prepared. The published syllabi may be treated as an advanced one and another, a watered down syllabi may be prepared for the ordinary level which could cater for the majority of the student population living in under-privileged conditions. Students passing the X std. examination may be admitted into the XI std. without reference to the different syllabi studied by them. The semester system suggested for std. 9 to 12 is highly impracticable, considering the number of students in these classes, their age, their ability to face frequent tests and examinations, and the volume of work involved in this exercise. Even the continuous assessment suggested in this paper will become a ritual unless the teachers involved in the evaluation are properly trained well in advance. To be precise, the present practice of having the examinations at the end of the academic year may be left undisturbed. The paper has suggested 180 instructional days prescribing six hours a day. Most of the States adopt five-hour or five-and-a-half-hour-day. Increasing the hours of work per day would be detrimental to the physical and mental health of the students. Taking into account the peak hour traffic, schools have been advised to commence work from eight in the morning.
Physical education
The students not only miss their breakfast and lunch but also lose their playtime and sleep. Though the paper speaks of the importance of physical education, in practice such classes are conducted in hot sun at a time most unsuitable for conducting physical education classes. It will also be unfair to retain the students in schools after 3 p.m. Hence, the syllabi prescribed for physical education will remain in the shelves of the schools and cannot be practised on the playfields. Revising the school timings will not only make physical education meaningful but also make the students comfortable.
It will be worth the while, if the States, while introducing the revised syllabi take into consideration the suggestions offered here. As per the practice, draft syllabi should be published to help the interested educationists offer their suggestions, and the final syllabi prepared on the basis of the views offered by the public and then published for implementation. This principle has been thrown into the winds by the NCERT. It is prayed that the States, at best, adhere to the sacred practice.
To conclude, the framers of the syllabi for six to eight have failed to take into consideration the first generation school goers and children living in under-privileged conditions. There is expression of anxiety to deport "English" from the country. There is anxiety to introduce Hindi at all levels.
There are several unnecessary topics included in social sciences, and introduction of a questionable system of evaluation. No efforts should be spared to make school-going a pleasurable experience for the taught and the teacher as well.
K.S. GANAPATHY
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