CBSE takes lead for an integrated framework for pre-school segment

By Dinesh Chandankar

Pre-primary school education in the country is all set to see structural transformation from the upcoming academic session as Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to implement the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the pre-school students. Till now, there was no specific pattern for the pre-primary classes and schools were free to design their own curriculums. Now, CBSE has emerged as one of the single largest education board in the country, and it plans to to bring uniformity in their affiliated schools. CBSE recently issued a direction to its affiliated schools to take steps to align their curriculums with NCF for Foundational Stage of New Pedagogical Curricular Structure as envisaged by National Education Policy 2020 from the upcoming academic session, that is 2023-24.

Acting on the CBSE circular, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, Sainik Schools Society, Central Tibetan School Administration, Additional Director General of Army Education, Heads of Department/Regional Directors/Regional Officers of CBSE and such entities have asked their respective units to take note and put in place the necessary mechanism for aligning their studies with the new pattern.

The circular further asks the heads of all CBSE-affiliated schools to implement NCF for Foundation Stage-2022 from the academic session 2023-24. The schools offering Foundational or Preparatory education are advised to adhere to the recommendations regarding curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and other areas described in detail in the framework. The schools offering Classes I to X/XII may make efforts to gradually augment the infrastructure requirements to include pre-primary classes. The schools already running foundational classes may continue to offer 3 years of pre-primary education, it states. CBSE adopted NCF for Foundational Stage-2022 ad the new structure of five-year

education at foundational stage -- from Nursery to Class II to be introduced from 2023-24 in CBSE schools offering education at foundational stage to students in the age-group of three-eight years. Already, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan (KVS) has initiated a pilot project to introduce pre-primary education (Nursery, LKG, UKG) as Balvatika-I, Balvatika-II, and Balvatika-III in its 50 schools in different regions of the country. Nagpur comes under Mumbai Region of KVS and has five schools at Ajni, Ambazari, Vayusena Nagar, CRPF Hingna, and Kamptee.

The KV Vayusena Nagar is the cluster-head school, that is, the main unit among the KV schools in Nagpur. Arvind Singh Thakur, Principal, KV Vayusena Nagar, told ‘The Hitavada’ that the KVs were in the process of starting the Balvatika project based on available required infrastructure and qualified teachers. KV Vayusena Nagar has sent its proposal to KVS while the proposals of KVs at Ajni, Ambazari, CRPF Hingna, and Kamptee are under preparation.

“We are excited to start the project soon. Only the schools fulfilling all the requirements shall send their proposals to KVS. The teachers are being trained and instructions from KVS as well as CBSE are being followed. Once the project starts, it will be officially notified in favour of the general public,” he said. Reservations under provisions of the Right to Education Act are applied at only entry-level, that is, Balvatika-I. Provision for admission for the ‘Single Girl Child’ category will not apply to these classes. The fee structure will be similar to the existing Class-I. The duration of the school-time will be three hours per day on a five-day week basis, but the respective KV shall decide the actual timing. Uniforms will not be prescribed for these pre-primary classes so that children are at ease and not bowed down in uniforms.