Abstract
The
present article is an attempt to discuss in passing the curriculum systems of Nepal and India. The terms Nepal and India may sound vague and too broad
therefore I would like to be very specific. I will try to make a comparison
between the underlying systems of Higher Secondary Education Board known as
HSEB with those of National Council of Educational Research and Training
popularly known as NCERT which represent Nepal
and India
respectively. Though there are different Boards that take care of Higher Secondary
Education in India,
the underlying system that operates them is more or less similar as it stands
for the broader objectives set for
achieving at this level of education and
an outline of major functions assigned to those institutions to achieve them. Modern
curriculums of these type are too broad to discuss in detail so I will choose
NCERT that oversees them all.
Into
the overlapping terms
Before I enter into the subject matter let me
touch upon the terms coarse of study, syllabus
and curriculum in passing
because these are sometimes overlapping and confuse the readers.
The
term curriculum has been defined variously. For some it is course of study that
the students are expected to follow, for others it is a planned learning experiences, still for
others a syllabus. If we define each of these separately, there is most likely
that one can easily get confused. For instance, it is often believed that a syllabus is an outline and summary of topics to be covered
in a course. It is often set out by an examination board, whereas a syllabus usually
contains specific information about the course. Then one may ask: What is a
course? These terms are defined
differently in the British and American traditions. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably in loose
sense and an overlapping meaning confuses a reader. Many use curriculum for
syllabus. Others use course of study and curriculum interchangeably. It depends
on their convention, so sometimes it is difficult for one to distinguish one
from the other. To cite an example, Houghton and Mifflin Dictionary has defined
curriculum as: All the courses of study offered by an educational
institution, or alternatively, group of
related courses, often in a special field of study: such as the engineering curriculum.
For our purpose a clear cut distinction should be drawn among
these concepts. When we do so, a course is a particular subject of study, for
instance, science course of study for grade xii, mathematics course of study
for grade xi. etc. Many courses constitute a syllabus; conversely, a syllabus
contains different courses of study. For instance, science syllabus for Primary
level, English syllabus for Secondary level etc. Thus, a smallest bit of the
educational activity of teaching and learning is a course, a collection of
courses is a syllabus and an overall term that comprises many syllabuses is a
curriculum. Thus a hierarchical relationship is subsumed among the three—a
curriculum being on the top like an umbrella under which two lower levels are
contained. Thus one may label a package of syllabus as curriculum such as High School
Curriculum or University Curriculum.
Curriculum defined
A curriculum is program of studies and a sequence of courses or a set of performance objectives. It is everything that goes on within the school,
university or an academic institution including extra-class activities, guidance,
and interpersonal relationships.
A curriculum is usually a state level enterprise which contains
the ambitions of a nation, its academic, scientific and social goals that can
be attained through education. Education in its broadest sense is any act or
experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character
or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the
process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge,
skills
and values
from one generation to another. In fact a curriculum follows the spirit of the
national constitution, values contained in this are inculcated in a learner
through a curriculum. But it should free a learner's mind, not enslave in
bondages because the ultimate goal of education is to free a learner from all
ignorance and misconception as India's
curriculum reflects the vision of secular, pluralistic society based on justice
and equality. In the same way it is high time for Nepal to reshape and restructure
HSEB curriculum in consonance with great changes that the nation has undergone
of late. Let me quote two definitions of
curriculum.
Wojtczak (2002) has defined
curriculum as: An educational plan that spells out which goals and
objectives should be achieved, which topics should be covered and which methods
are to be to be used for learning,
teaching and evaluation. This definition does not specify whether it is a course
of study or a curriculum that is pursued.
Unlike this Coles (2003) argues that a curriculum is much more than that. For him, a curriculum is more than a list of topics to be covered by an educational programme, for which the more commonly accepted word is a ‘syllabus’. A curriculum is first of all a policy statement about a piece of education, and secondly an indication as to the ways in which that policy is to be realised through a programme of action. In practice, though, a curriculum is more than even this; it is useful to think of it as being much wider. As a working definition of a curriculum I would say that it is the sum of all the activities, experiences and learning opportunities for which an institution (such as the society) or a teacher (such as a faculty member) takes responsibility—either deliberately or by default. This includes in such a broad concept of curriculum the formal and the informal, the overt and the covert, the recognised and the overlooked, the intentional and the unintentional. A curriculum is determined as much by what is not offered, and what has been rejected, as it is by positive actions. And very importantly the curriculum that actually happens—that is what is realised in practice—includes informal contact between teachers and learners as well as between the learners themselves, and this has been termed ‘the hidden curriculum’ which often has as much influence on what is learnt as the formal curriculum that is written down as a set of intentions. And it includes what you decide to do on the spur of the moment. So in fact it is useful to think of there being three faces to a curriculum: the curriculum on paper; the curriculum in action; and the curriculum that participants actually learn.
The HSEB and NCERT
I will use the HSEB's National Curriculum Framework (2005) and NCERT's
National Curriculum Framework (2005) and some website sources available in
order to make a comparison between the systems of these institutions because
these are founded to support the national interest of laying the foundation of
Higher Secondary level education. HSEB is a government supported organization
set up by the Government of Nepal with its headquarters in Kathmandu
two decades ago. Its sole aim is to steer and direct the Higher Secondary level
education which stands for grades IX and XII. Likewise NCERT is an apex
resource organization set up by the Government of India, with headquarters at New Delhi,
to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on academic matters
related to school education. Unlike HSEB, NCERT is an institution that decides
the overall activities from grades I to XII. It is a huge, extensive body with
different wings, sections and departments.
The National
Curriculum Framework has tried to decide
questions as What to teach and How. Many things are unmatchably dissimilar
between these curriculums. The HSEB does not have MLE questions to solve as
this is undertaken by High School Level Education system however it is the responsibility
of NCERT. It says Mother tongue is a
critical conduit which is regarded as social and economic and ethnic background and
these are important for enabling children to construct their own knowledge.
Media and educational technologies are recognized as significant but the
teacher remains central. Diversities are emphasized but never viewed as
problem. There is a celebration of plurality and an understanding that within a
broad framework plural approaches would lead to enhanced creativity.
The NCERT is
aware of the fact "We have bartered away understanding for memory based,
short term information accumulation. The amount of information is pouring in
from all directions and child is most likely to get battled. It is true that
could be memorized has begun to explode. Therefore, the suggestions forwarded
by NCERT Framework is very precious. We should keep our curricula away from
such drudgery and triviality, the repetitive illusions and too mechanical way
of teaching or learning. The focus should be laid on understanding and
creativity so that they can produce their vision. Their learning must be “wholesome,
creative and enjoyable not traumatized by excessive burden of knowledge.” (Foreword: National Curriculum Framework, 2005)
For years, people have held the false impression that children's
memory is an empty space and needs feeling by using any stuff that the teachers
feels appropriate. But NCERT clearly spelt out that filling up children's
memory banks with information is a futile work. It turns out like a paper
filled with meaningless ink marks or
bits on a computer disc. They feel that examinations have been developed as
hurdle races. We need to look for correction.
Education is not simply a physical thing that can be delivered
through the post or through a teacher. Fertile and robust education is always
created, rooted in the physical and cultural soil of the child and nourished
through interaction with parents, teachers, fellow students and the community.
The role and dignity of teachers in this function must be strengthened and
underlined.
A new paradigm shift can be experienced in the curriculum
framework today. NCERT has spelt out concepts like MLE, IT Education, Girl
Child Education and put them into practice. HSEB too is trying to put these
things into practice; introducing them into the curriculum. But there is snot a
single curriculum that a child learns from, there are many, the formal and informal,
house and society, his/her individual everywhere there are curriculums the
guidelines of life. A child is amidst them.
A child should never be crushed between various conflicting forces of curriculum. Our
education system should initiate a
freedom movement for the education of our young-- away from some tyrannies in
which we have enveloped ourselves ( Wilson 2003).
The Government of Nepal brought the Higher Secondary
Education Act into effect in 1989. Accordingly as stipulated in the Act, the
Higher Secondary Education Assembly was constituted under the chairmanship of
the Minister of Education. Subsequently Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB)
was established in 1989 under the Higher Secondary Education Act. The HSEB has
been running more than 1000 IX–XII schools presently.
Nepal received impetus from the global market, so that is the
effect of globalization. It is also in consonance with SAARC region practices.
It is based on the principle of competition and
excellence, to find an honourable niche in the international market. The world
is moving and mixing borderlessly and it has a deep impact upon Nepal
and her education system as well.
It is struggling between local values and global
encroachment so as to strike a balance between them—looking for a space between
borders drawn by local values and borderlessness.
It is essential to note that HSEB has assigned limited
scope in the school system of Nepal.
A hardly two decade old HSEB has to find its niche in the school level
education system of Nepal
which comprise of three levels below and which are almost a century old. The
HSEB came out to substitute the Intermediate Level of (tertiary) education provided
by Tribhuvan University. Despite immense efforts,
corrupt politics failed the plan yet
HSEB has grown immensely. It is situated on the 4th level on the
three tier education system of higher
secondary level of Nepal.
These are–
Primary Level (grade 1 - 5)
Lower Secondary (grade 6 - 8)
Secondary (grade 9 - 10)
Higher Secondary (grade 11 - 12)
Specifically, the objective of Higher Secondary Education
then are to:
·
Prepare students
for the world of work especially in meeting middle level manpower requirements
in different fields.
·
Prepare students
for general higher education and for professional disciplines.
·
Prepare the youth
with competitive strength required for a patriotic, disciplined and productive
human resources while contributing to the shaping of one's future and outlook.
·
Adopt a system of
greater equality in opportunities by reducing by reducing regional and ethnical
disparity and promoting female participation.
·
Aim to produce the
ambassadors of culture, who irrespective of caste, class, gender and ethnicity
respect the cultures that exist in human society and the politics of plurality.
Function of Higher Secondary Education Board
The main functions are as follows:
·
Granting approval
for + 2 schools.
·
Developing and
revising curricula and textbook materials.
·
Conducting
examinations and publishing results.
·
Awarding
certificates to Higher Secondary graduates.
·
Supervising and
monitoring Higher
Secondary School
programs. I
·
Implementing plans
and programs for improving Higher Secondary Education.
·
Recruiting
technical, professional and administrative staff.
·
Designing and
implementing training programs for +2 school teachers and other staff.
·
Conducting seminars
and workshops.
·
Undertaking
research activities, which focus on various issues in this field.
·
Keeping liaison
with various national and international institutions.
Some points worth comparing
Both these curriculums are revised in 2005.
The NCERT curriculum is
based on “learning without burden 1993”.
Both the HSEB and NCERT curriculums
were restructured after a series of
meetings and discussions. Today, every aspect of curriculum undergoes a process
of continual revision faster than ever before.
NCERT says the learner
should be allowed to possess creative spirit and feel generous joy; one should experience
these qualities in his or her childhood.
The unthinking adult world is not generous to them.
The NCERT evolves a national system of education, includes core
component obtained from national development.
HSEB too has borne basic principles of curriculum framing in mind
while restructuring it in 2005. Restructuring includes its very objectives of school
education, structure of school education, and student evaluation policy. A new world has revealed itself in the form of open
learning, ICT, life-skill, human rights, inclusiveness, and Nepal's
socio-political reality, that is, the cultural values, a diverse geo-political
spectrum which is in contrast with each
other. Its main focus has been however children's all-round development in the universal
context.
Naturally, Curriculum Development stands for the extension of new
areas and a coordination among various realities, such as value education,
life-skill, employment, ICT, mother-tongue education, inclusiveness, Sanskrit
education, education based on local needs, alternative education, quality in
education and research. HSEB has kept these in mind.
On the other hand, NCERT's main focus is on research, development,
training, extension, publication and dissemination and exchange programmers. The
NCERT also drafts, publishes and recommends school text books (from Grade I to Grade XII) of various subjects based on
the recommendations of knowledgeable faculty in the subject. Unlike this HSEB
is quite young and a growing institution with lesser degree of responsibility
in comparison. It is lacking in research activities an does no publication. The textbooks are selected
from the market.
The objective of NCERT is to assist and advise the Ministry of
Education and Social Welfare in the implementation of its policies and major programmes
in the field of school education. The NCERT provides academic and technical
support for the improvement of school education through its various institutions.
A host of programmes and organizations that support Secondary
Education (in India)
under the administrative control of the Union Department of Education are:
The
objective of NCERT is to assist and advise the Ministry of Education and
Social Welfare in the implementation of its policies and major programmes in
the field of education, particularly school education. The NCERT
provides academic and technical support for improvement of school education
through its various constituents, which are:
1.
National Institute of Education,
New Delhi
2.
Central Institute of Education
Technology, New Delhi
3.
Pandit Sunderlal
Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal
4.
Regional Institute of Education,
Ajmer
5.
Regional Institute of Education,
Bhopal
6.
Regional Institute of Education,
Bhubaneswar
7.
Regional Institute of Education,
Mysore
8.
North
Eastern-Regional Institute of Education, Shillong
The NCERT has set some specific priorities. Some of these
compare with those of HSEB whereas in many cases the young HSEB has yet to
initiate more.
Implementation of National Curriculum Framework, for
example, is the primary goal of both however the extent
scope each curriculum covers is
obviously different. NCERT's scope of grades I–XII is very wide and of all encompassing
scale while compared to limited scope of including grades XI–XII for HSEB. Likewise HSEB has no vocational
education wing unlike that of NCERT. Actually it is a most dire need of the
country being ignored so far. Likewise special needs education and ECD do not
fall under the scope of HSEB yet these are being introduced at lower level
education in Nepal.
IT and education technology are in their infancy. The HSEB should learn from
NCERT and focus on the following:
·
Universalisation of
Elementary Education (UEE)
·
Value education
·
Development of exemplary
textbooks/ workbooks/ teacher's guide/ supplementary reading materials
·
Production of
teaching-learning materials
·
Education of the
girl child
Other priorities of NCERT are Identification and
nurturing of talent, Guidance and counselling, Improvement in teacher education,
International relations. HSEB should expand its functions towards these fields
too.
Scope and visions compared
In this section I would like make a comparison of NCERT
goals with those of HSEB so that HSEB can draw inspiration from the former.
1.
NCERT undertakes,
aids, promotes and coordinates research in all branches of education. This is a
key point that accelerates the pace of an institution.
Unlike
this HSEB has not initiated nor supported any research work so far. So HSEB finds very often handicapped while taking
decision on matters of education as it
has not been supported by any research activity based on native experience. It
cannot say whither our education is heading and which direction it is most
likely to take. Research is the direst t needs of the HSEB.
2.
The second goal of
NCERT is to organize pre-service and in-service training, mainly at an advanced
level.
Unlike this HSEB organizes
some short term and refreshers' trainings but there is no provision of training
of pre- or - service teachers.
3.
NCERT's third goal
is to organize extension services for such institutions as are engaged in
educational research, training of teachers or provision of extension services
to schools. HSEB has no such a provision.
4.
Fourth is to
develop and/or to disseminate improved educational techniques and practices in
schools. Due to the lack of research works, HSEB cannot come out with its own
discoveries of improved educational techniques. Therefore it does not have to
disseminate, however, it disseminates courses newly designed or revised ones.
5.
Fifth is to cooperate
with, collaborate and assist the State Education Departments, universities and
other educational institutions for the furtherance of its objects. HSEB is
doing this to some extent to a limited degree however it does have a
conflicting and contending relationship with the university. Some people forced
HSEB to stand a rival of TU concerning
the tertiary level education in the past. A smooth harmony is required to
repair this now.
6.
Sixth is to establish and conduct, in any part of the
country, such institutions as may be necessary to realize its objectives. HSEB also
does this.
7.
Seventh is to act
as a clearing-house for ideas and information on all matters relating to school
education. HSEB lacks this as it is
related to IX–XII only.
8.
Eighth is to advise the State Governments and other
educational organizations and institutions on matters relating to school
education. HSEB has a very limited role to play in regards to No's 6, 7 and 8.
9.
Last of all is to undertake the preparation for and the
publication of such books, materials; periodicals and other literature as may
be necessary for the furtherance of its objects. HSEB does not own any
textbook, it has other publications like journals, teachers' manuals and
newsletters.
In this way while we compare HSEB's role and
responsibilities with these of NCERT, one can find some similarities and many differences.
The scale of work or area for NCERT is immense, the fields are complex and
socio-political situation vast. On the contrary, HSEB is quite young
and learning from its experiences. Many things of Indian scale, specially
questions of MLE, Inclusive Education, Girl Child Education, IT Education,
Research are equally applicable and Nepal's efforts
to implement them are praiseworthy. Many things have been universally accepted.
Conclusion
HSEB’s scope and scale limited are smaller. It is a very
young institution. Moreover the secondary and lower secondary and primary
levels are under some other boards and curriculum development centres. However
it is high time now that Nepal’s
school education system are clearly
defined demarcated. It should be accelerated through research insights.
It should move ahead with the demand of time maintaining a balance between the
local and global.
References
Coles, C., 2003,
‘The development of a curriculum for spinal surgeons’, Observations following
the Second Spine Course of the Spinal Society of Europe Barcelona 16th–19th
September 2003,
National Curriculum
Framework (2005) National Council of Educational Research and
Training NCERT, Delhi.
Rastriya Pathyakram
Praroop ( National Curriculum Framework) ( 2053/2005) Government of Nepal, Ministry
of Education and Sports, Curriculum Development Centre, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur.
Wilson, Leslie Owen
(2005) Curriculum Index 2003
http//.www.uwsp.edu./education/lwilson/curi/curty.htm
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