Madurai
A network of 40 peoples’ science movements across 25 States in the country has criticised the setting up of the 12-member National Steering Committee with educational administrators and entrepreneurs by the Ministry of Education for the development of National Curriculum Framework.
The members of All India Peoples’ Science Network (AIPSN) fear this would render established institutions of public education subservient.
In a statement issued here on Friday, AIPSN general secretary P. Rajamanickam said, “It is surprising that no faculty members of the NCERT are included, even though it is the apex national body responsible for the development of curricula.”
It is a matter of concern that the NCERT Director was instead expected to only ‘assist’ the steering committee, he added.
The committee, chaired by Prof. K. Kasturirangan, will have a tenure of three years. It is supposed to develop four National Curriculum Frameworks for school, teacher and adult education and for early childhood care and education.
The AIPSN sought reconstitution of the committee with individuals having a deep understanding of learners in diverse and disparate socio-cultural contexts, disciplinary knowledge of school education and domain expertise in teacher and adult education.
“The members appointed should have sound experience of the pedagogical processes because the National Curriculum Framework is meant to provide a sound academic basis to guide a range of curricular interventions, for the development of syllabi, textbooks, teaching, learning processes and assessments,” Mr. Rajamanickam said.
In the past, the Steering Committee for the NCF 2005 had 35 members – 11 from the NCERT and 24 experts from all over India with specialisation in the domain areas.
They comprised eminent academics from branches of social science, science, language and mathematics; schoolteachers, principals of schools and colleges, educationists and leaders of educational and rights-based NGOs.
Experts were also invited as members of the different focus groups to work on the position papers. “There has to be a focus on equity, quality and inclusion to be able to address challenges of education with commitment to the Constitution,” the statement read.
