National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005), CTET Exam Preparation

NCF 2005

National Curriculum Framework 2005 – The All-India Entrance Examination for Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted twice every year. Thousands and lakhs of candidates appear for the exam in the hope of landing a prestigious job. However, only a few hundred are able to crack it.

National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005)

CTET exam syllabus covers a wide range of topics and one such important topic is Salient Features of NCF 2005 or the National Curriculum Framework 2005. Aspirants preparing for CTET and STET exams should have a comprehensive knowledge of the NCF 2005. Today we shall discuss the highlight and discuss the essential aspects of the topic. Read on to know more.

What is NCF 2005?

NCF or National Curriculum Framework is a document that seeks to present a framework within which schools and teachers can select and plan experiences that they feel all children should have. Earlier the National Council of Educational Research and Training in India had published three National Curriculum Frameworks in 2000, 1988, and 1975. The latest NCF was published in 2005. The document offers a framework for making textbooks, syllabi, as well as teaching practices within the educational programs in Indian schools.

Salient Features of NCF 2005

The five basic principles of National Curriculum Framework 2005 are as follows –

• Connecting knowledge to life outside school
• Ensuring that students do not just learn mechanically, without thinking
• Enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks
• Integrating exams with classroom life to make them more flexible
• Nurturing an identity of prime importance informed by caring concerns within the country’s democratic polity

NCF Primarily Focused on –

• Learning without any pressure so that learning turns into a joyful experience, move away from textbooks as a basis for examination, and reduce stress – it suggested significant changes in the pattern of the syllabus.
• To form a sense of self-reliance and individual dignity, which would be the basis of social relations and develop a sense of unity and non-violence across society
• To come up with a child-centered approach to learning, promote universal enrollment and retention up to age 14
• To instill the feeling of unity, democracy, and oneness in students
• P. Naik has described quality, quantity, and equality as the three pillars of the education system in India
• With reference to social context, the recently published curriculum ensures that all schools are provided with a standard framework irrespective of sex, religion, creed, and caste

Development of NCF 2005

• The National Curriculum Framework begins with a quotation from one of Tagore’s essays – ‘Civilization and Progress’ – where the poet reminds us that ‘generous joy’ and ‘creative spirit’ are essential in childhood. However, an unthinking adult world can distort both the elements.
• Under the Chairmanship of Professor Yashpal, the National Steering Committee was established
• After much discussion, it was passed in the Central Advisory Board of Education on September 2005
• The national education policy emphasized on employing educational technology to enhance the quality of education
• The policy led to two centrally sponsored schemes – computer literacy and educational technology
• NCF addresses four issues – educational experience, educational purpose, assessing the learner, and an organization of experience
• While the previous NCFs are based on Behaviourist Psychology, the 2005 curriculum has its basis on Constructivist theory
• The latest NCF owes its present form and shape to the swirl of ideas generated through a string of intensive deliberations by renowned scholars from various disciples – parents, teachers, principals, and the NCERT faculty

Salient Features of NCF 2005: Objective of Teaching Social Science

• Recognize disciplinary markers so that the content does not erode while emphasizing on the integration of themes
• Gender equality and sensitivity to issues of socially deprived tribes and groups must be informed to all social science sectors
• Critically examine economic and social issues, like destitution, child labor, illiteracy, poverty, and other aspects of inequality
• Understand the responsibilities and roles of citizens in a secular and democratic society
• It is important that people from all regions and social groups be able to relate to textbooks

Social sciences in the secondary stage combine elements of history, political science, economics, and geography. The primary focus will be on modern India so the learner is initiated into a more meaningful understanding of the economic and social challenges faced by the nation.

NCF 2005: The Objective of Teaching Mathematics

• Learn and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts from the different branches of mathematics – algebra, number, trigonometry and geometry, discrete mathematics, and probability and statistics.
• Use proper mathematical skills and concepts to solve problems in both unfamiliar and familiar situations
• Choose and apply correctly the general rules of problem-solving
• Prompting students into reasoning and thinking to visualize abstractions and solve problems
• Use different types of mathematical representation – diagrams, formulae, charts, and tables, models and graphs

NCF 2005: The Objectives of Teaching Science

• To obtain skills and understand the processes and methods leading to validation and generation of scientific knowledge
• To form a developmental and historical perspective of science
• To relate to and appreciate global and local issues at the interface of technology, science, and society
• To obtain the theoretical knowledge and as well as practical skills to enter the professional field
• To imbibe certain values – honesty, cooperation, integrity, preservation of the environment, and concern for life – and cultivate critical thinking

Salient Features of NCF 2005: The Objectives of Teaching Language

• To attempt to implement the ‘three-language formula’
• Emphasize to make one’s mother tongue, including tribal language, the primary medium of communication
• Encourage children to be proficient in multiple languages other than mother tongue, including English
• Emphasizes the importance of reading in primary classes

Questions based on Salient Features of NCF 2005 are asked frequently in CTET exams. It is advisable that you go through previous years’ solved papers. CTET study materials are available on Oliveboard to help you with CTET preparation. These study materials and notes also serve well in STET exams.

Once you are fully prepared, do not forget to take the online CTET mock test on Oliveboard Website. The mock tests are designed in the same pattern as questions will appear in the exam. It gives you better exposure and helps you evaluate your performance – so you can rest assured that your preparation is going the right way.

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