FOURTH YEAR OF NEP-2020 AND VIDYA BHARATI

✍ D. Ramakrishna Rao

During the year under report, Vidya Bharati’s focus has been on the implementation and follow-up of the National Curriculum Framework. We have also explored ways to educate and train other stakeholders in the Bharatiya educational ecosystem.

1. NCFSE-23: The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE-23) was put in the public domain in July 2023. It is a very detailed and exhaustive document with a long list of suggested best practices to be followed in schools and detailed principles for framing syllabi for all subjects. It is gratifying that many of the best practices observed by the steering committee in our schools were included in the NCF. Panchakosatmaka Vikas, Panchapadi learning process, and other school processes and cultures were also mentioned in the document.
2. NSTC and NOC Formation: The National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee (NSTC) and the NCF Oversight Committee (NOC) were formed in August 2023. Our experts were closely involved in monitoring and supervising the implementation of NEP and NCF. Twelve curricular area groups were formed, drawing subject experts from across Bharat, including several senior members from Vidya Bharati.
3. Orientation Programme for Textbook Writers: The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Bharatiya Bhasha Samithi organized an orientation program for textbook writers on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of September 2023 in Noida. Vidya Bharati was invited, with 99 representatives participating from almost all states. The theme was the orientation on the NCF structure and the identification of experienced and committed textbook writers.
4. Workshop on Competency-Based Assessment: NCERT organized a workshop on competency-based assessment from the 9th to the 13th of October 2023. Four Vidya Bharati experts in Social Science, Mathematics, Science and Hindi were among those invited.
5. Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam: The Ministry of Education, Government of Bharat, organized the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam in Delhi to mark three years of NEP-2020. This event took place for 2 days on the 29th and 30th of July 2023. Vidya Bharati was invited, and a few national-level experts participated.
6. Teacher Orientation Workshops: Vidya Bharati organized workshops across the country to orient teachers on the NCF foundational and secondary stages, along with Jadui Pitara and Bal-Vatika, concentrating on ECCE. A continuous training program of 30 days for our master trainers is being held at our Gandhidham (Gujarat) center. Here it is pertinent to inform you all that Saraswathi siksha mandir, Gandhidham, was given “Gijubhai Badheka Shrestha Bal vatika award” for the year 2024, for its exemplary performance by Children’s research university, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) with a testimonial and one lakh cash reward.
7. Books on Panchakosatmaka Vikas and Panchapadi Learning Process: Efforts to educate the entire education ecosystem of Bharat on Panchakosatmaka Vikas, holistic development, and the Panchapadi learning process are going on. The book on Panchakosatmaka Vikas has already been released, and a book on the Panchapadi learning process is getting ready. Efforts are underway to publish these books in English and other regional languages.
8. National Workshop on ITEP: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) organized a national-level workshop on the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) on the 22nd and 23rd of June 2024 at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA). Vidya Bharati, along with other institutions, participated with 110 master trainers from almost all states attending. The program focused on the stage-wise four-year ITEP course and reforms brought by NCTE as per NEP. The changing role of teachers and the paradigm shift in education were also discussed. The workshop was organized by NCTE, in collaboration with Vidya Bharati and Mata Sundari College for Women, Delhi.
9. Meeting with Spiritual Organizations: NEP aims to build good human beings, provide quality education for all, and foster school-community linkage with social responsibility. In line with this, we invited 29 spiritual organizations with a national educational presence, such as Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Aurobindo Society, Mata Amritanandamayi Ashram, Art of Living, Satya Sai Trust, DAV, etc. Vidya Bharati organized a get-together on the 29th of March 2024 in Delhi to discuss man-making initiatives and national educational responsibility as per NEP. The meeting was fruitful, and we plan to meet again on the 14th and 15th of October 2024 in Chennai.
10. Vocational and Skill Education: Vocational and skill education is being given a push through our ‘Daksha Bharati’ initiative. Vidya Bharati is being recognized as an ‘awarding body’ by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) of the Ministry of Skill Development. The process is halfway through, and we expect to receive the letter of intent (LOI) within a fortnight. After that, we will have to submit qualification packs for approval and Implementation in our schools.

(Author is Retired Principal and National President of Vidya Bharati.)

Read More : 3 Years of NEP–2020 and Vidya Bharati