New Delhi, Sep 1 (FN Agency) Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said there has been immense improvement in the quality of school education in the country since independence and NCERT has played an important role in it. He said NCERT has done a commendable job during COVID-19 by releasing the Alternative Academic Calendar. The Minister said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will bring a paradigm shift from what to think and how to think. Addressing the 61st Foundation Day of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) via video conferencing, the Education Minister said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 curriculum will explore children’s talent. He said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will provide accessible, affordable and quality education to all.
As a premier national organisation, the Council is committed towards promoting excellence, equity, inclusiveness and quality, in the arena of school education. The significant activities of the Council, spanning six decades of its existence, covers research, development of curriculum, textual and training materials (both face-to-face and online), and supplementary readers, aim to meet the needs of teacher educators, teachers and students. The organisation has significantly contributed in all deliberations and consultations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, organised at all levels including the grassroots. Significant initiatives were taken up in eliciting bench mark information on student’s achievements in all states and Union territories that was collected with the help of the National Achievement Survey (NAS).
Contributions were made in developing Learning Outcomes (LO’s) and in preparing e-contents in all subject areas covering all stages of school education, for concept clarification and better understanding of subjects. Another milestone of achievement included the preparation of ECCE Curriculum and guidelines. NCERT is presently working towards development of National Curriculum Framework for school education, early childhood care and education, adult education and teacher education. It is helping the states to develop their own state curriculum frameworks. During the pandemic time, NCERT developed an Alternative Academic Calendar for students of all classes and subjects so that their learning is not affected when the schools are closed.