Steering committee reviews Nagaland school curriculum frameworks

DIMAPUR — The State Steering Committee for the development of school curriculum frameworks for foundational stage and school education held its meeting on June 20 at SIEMAT Hall, SCERT, Kohima.

The committee comprised of group of educationists, administrators and academic leaders representing the Department of School Education, Nagaland Board of School Education, Teacher Education Institutions, and members from universities and SCERT, an update stated.

The meeting focused on reviewing the draft document and collaborative discussion towards finalising the state curriculum framework for foundational stage.

Also read: NITI to organise second Morung Scholarship Test

Kevirale-ü Kerhuo, Director of SCERT Nagaland, gave an overview of the work accomplished so far for the development of the state curriculum frameworks for foundational stage and school education.

She stated that SCERT being the nodal agency of the state for co-coordinating the development of the State Curriculum Frameworks, the working committee was formed comprising of subject experts and various officials from the Department of School Education, SCERT and DIETs, NBSE, Nagaland University, Department of Higher Education, Social Welfare, Youth Resources and Sports, as well as various NGOs.

Several intensive workshops were conducted for reviewing and drafting the document throughout which the Azim Premji University Bangalore played a key role in shaping the draft document.

The director appreciated the working committee for the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts in developing a comprehensive document for guiding and bringing a transformation in the school education system.

A brief overview of the Nagaland ECCE curriculum was presented by Vekutulu Veyie, senior lecturer at SCERT.

The newly-developed ECCE curriculum is a contextualised framework designed for the pre-primary grades. It comprises a four-part document, including teacher resource handbooks.

Veyie also highlighted key takeaways from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, such as the new 5+3+3+2 curricular structure, a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to education, and an emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy.

Following this, the draft on state curriculum framework for foundational stage (SCF-FS) Nagaland—an adaptation of the NCF-FS (2022)—was presented to the committee members.

“The state curriculum framework for foundational stage is a crucial component of School Education focused on the early years of a child’s education, from ages 3 to 8, encompassing pre-primary and the first two years of formal schooling i.e. Classes 1 and 2,” it stated.

According to Veyie, SCF-FS aims to provide a strong foundation for learning by emphasising on multi-level, play/activity-based learning focusing on the optimum development of a child's full potential.

The state steering committee also deliberated on various key areas such as assessment, language and pedagogy.

The meeting was chaired by T Lima Longkumer, Addl. Director, SCERT.