The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) committee will start revising the curriculum for elementary education in a month’s time, where the main challenge would be to incorporate the Right to Education (RTE) Act, said G. Ravindra, Director, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Speaking on the sidelines of the diamond jubilee celebration of Tamil Nadu Thodakka Kalvi Aasiriyar Kootani, Prof. Ravindra said creating awareness on the RTE and Rashitrya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) are his immediate plans in the new position.
“While the NCF 2005 covered everything (both elementary and secondary), the revision would focus only on elementary education and how best concerns on bridge courses, no detention policy and other changes can be covered,” he said.
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Prof. Ravindra said for a common man it would take over a year to understand the RTE, but it is a landmark Act that would empower parents and the society.
For instance, he spoke of how government school teachers can question the authorities if they are deployed on work other than what is assigned by the government.
NCERT, on its part, would create awareness through its five regional centres, through the EDUSAT and programmes on Doordarshan, he said.
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Quoting a study conducted by All India Teachers Federation, Prof. Ravindra said that the teacher absenteeism rate is alarming in the country. All over India, around 25 per cent of teachers abstain from work, with Uttarakhand at 33.8 per cent, Orissa at 23.5 per cent and Tamil Nadu at 11.5 per cent.
“Teachers need to be made accountable to their work. Action must be taken on teachers absenting themselves,” he said. Only commitment and dedication can ensure that the RTE is well implemented, he added.