By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The pre-draft of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 prepared by the National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks and released by the Union Ministry of education is objectionable in several counts including vagueness and contradictions that they contain in themselves. A modern education system must not be based on the nostalgia of the past and the dream of the future of some communal forces in the dominant community, but should be realistically rooted in the present, since past is gone forever and the future is yet to come.
The document emphasizes on the “Rootedness in India” as it was articulated in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and then goes on how to achieve it afterwards. The document tries to clarify the real meaning of “Rootedness in India” by giving some illustrations. However, in place of clarifying, it further complicates the matter leaving many things vague that is most likely to be misunderstood by teachers themselves and may turn out to be dangerous for development of a child in modern context.
The entire school education has been divided in stages in the NEP 2020 – the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary. Though it emphasizes learning in child’s context, both local and national, it recommends things that cannot be acceptable.
Physical education is one of the themes under which it mentions even about bullock and chariot racing and dice games, which cannot be defended in modern local and national context. Sports and physical activities are an inseparable part of our culture it says betraying the ignorance of the very purpose of the physical education that not only promotes personal health of the children but prepares them to take the future challenges in real life situations, such as during disasters, both natural or man-made. How, can then bullock and chariot racing is likely to serve our children in the future?
The physical education also included Yoga, perhaps but not clearly said, that has been presented simply as an exercise. It recommends regular practice of yoga from the Middle Stage onwards to build breathing techniques, strength, flexibility, and endurance. If the meaning of Yoga is restricted as a simple exercise, it actually denigrates the real meaning of Yoga as told in the ancient Indian sacred texts, such as Patanjali Yogasutra, or as preached by the Lord Krishran in the Srimadbhagvad Gita that says about Karma, Bhakti, Sankhya Yogas etc. The term Yoga is thus used as a misleading word only to capture the majority Hindu imagination and has nothing to do with promotion of the ancient heritage of Yoga system. Moreover, it is sectarian, since the curriculum makers totally ignored Jainism, that teaches just the opposite “Ayoga”.
The another thematical discipline is Arts and the approach to Art Education in the National Curriculum Framework is drawn from ancient Indian texts like the Natayshastra, Abhinaya Darpanam, Shilpashastra, Vaastushastra, and Chitrasutra which have codified the structured the elements, methods, and aesthetic principles of arts. Through different stages, students will develop knowledge of these elements and principles and a vocabulary of the arts used to describe and discuss artworks and their processes, it says. For examples sruti, naada, raaga, taala, laya, bhaava, alankar, nritta, natya, pramaana, saahitya, gamak, meend, rasa.
This is an outdated concept since, it does not acknowledge even multicultural mind of the modern population that has been evolved throughout the ages. No student in India can be found with a monocultural mind, and therefore, they must not be enforced to go back to only the ancient dominant culture, only to find them in conflict with the contemporary culture. Puppetery, pottery, basketry, folk songs and dance etc and such traditional activities cannot satisfy the need of a multicultural modern mind of a student, who must not be cut from the modern days reality in terms of art and culture. The framework neither talks about the composite culture in which a modern student lives nor tries to incorporate other than the modern dominant Hindu culture and tradition. Alienation of students from the contemporary reality cannot be the right education.
As for the language is concerned, it has also been emphasized that teaching in mother language has crucial role to play in keeping students rooted to their country, as it allows individuals to connect with their culture, heritage, and their place in society. At foundational stage students are supposed to be taught in regional language, while later two other languages are intended to be taught. It is easier said than done since India is a country with a rich and diverse linguistic heritage, with over 19,500 languages and dialects spoken across the country. It is not clear how reading material can be bought out and proper teachers are to be found. It must be noted that our students have already multilingual mind because of spread of radio, television, internet, mobile etc. Moreover, a student has the most linguistic talent at the age of 7, and then it is difficult for them to learn other languages. Exposure of only one language in school may harm their learning other languages in later days.
The country that dreams for “Vasudhaiva Kutumakam” (the whole world is a family) must not try to impose the dominant culture and it bias, including the bias of nationalism, which would ultimately alienate the individual students from other communities, which would be bad.
Even in mathematics, the framework talks much about the ancient mathematics of India and contributions of ancient Indian mathematicians. The National framework admits that it makes a deliberate effort to introduce students to these major contributions. It means history of Indian mathematics has to be taught at school stage that may be not suitable for this age.
Similar is the case with science. The framework emphasize of Indian sciences, which itself deviate from purity of the discipline itself irrespective of their place of origin.
Most debatable theme is social science. The framework proposes to teach students the importance of being an Indian (Bharatiya). It would be taught not only the ancient glory of India and its historical underpinning resulting into modern India. The framework betrays the Indian dream of creating a bias free society through its education system. (IPA Service)
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