NCF, or the National Curriculum Framework, has proposed a new curriculum for classes 1 and 2, which includes lessons from Panchatantra, Jataka, Hitopadesha, and other Indian fables. According to the draft, it will help inculcate the feeling and ethos of Bhartiyata and the core value of seva (or service) in the young minds.
The draft guidelines of the NCF propose that such lessons should be included to educate children as young as three to six years old. Children should be taught about the lives of local heroes, and fun fables such as Panchatantra (a collection of Indian fables and folktales about animals), Jataka (the experiences in the different incarnations of Lord Buddha), Hitopadesha (another collection of Indian folktales) should be introduced in the syllabi to arouse the spirit of being Bhartiya (Indian) in the new generation, emphasizing “rootedness and pride in India.”
The document recommended that all students in the K-12 bracket should learn about Indian philosophers in all subjects, like history, science, maths, arts, social sciences, languages, etc. For example, the draft guidelines suggest that the contributions of Indian mathematicians such as Aryabhatta, Baudhayana, Bhahmagupta, Ramanujan and Bhaskara be included in the curriculum of students studying mathematics to raise awareness of their contributions. It also suggested that the fear of maths in students can be diminished by incorporating it with arts, sports, and language.
The NCF draft also states, “One of the key curricular goals is for students to appreciate the importance of being an Indian by understanding the country’s glorious past and its rich diversity, geographical and cultural.”
In a nod towards an idea already proposed in the NEP (National Education Policy) 2020, the draft suggests that students will learn at least three languages in their school years.
The NCF draft has been actualised by a team of experts led by ISRO Chief K. Kasturirangan. This document, when finalised, will form the benchmark for the curriculum in all CBSE schools across India. The education ministry has already announced that the revised NCERT textbooks in alignment with the NEP 2020 will be a part of the curriculum from the 2024-25 academic year.
