Maharashtra’s State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has released the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) for School Education (SE) as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
This is a revised document released months after controversies around the draft SCF-SE which referred to Manusmriti and proposed including texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Manache Shlok — a composition by Samarth Ramdas Swami — for memorization enhancement through recitation competitions.
While the objectionable references have been removed from the revised SCF-SE, clarity on making Marathi a mandatory subject by introducing three levels of learning the language – Professional, Functional and General has also been introduced.
A new subject has been introduced in the SCF-SE, titled ‘Advanced English’, which will help students prepare for English language exams of international standards such as – IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT etc. Students will have to choose between English or Advanced English for one of the language subjects.
Earlier this year in May, a draft SCF-SE was released by the SCERT for feedback from stakeholders. It was immediately brought under a scanner due to many objectionable references used in the draft which were opposed by many, forcing the state’s School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar to issue clarifications along with assurance that a revised SCF-SE will be released after taking into consideration the feedback. Accordingly, stakeholders were asked to submit their feedback online.
The document released by the SCERT, along with a note on the process that was followed, informs that the steering committee, headed by Kesarkar, held meetings in August and September and a revised SCF-SE was finalised by the committee.
Even after opposition, English continues to remain under the category of foreign language; the revised SCF-SE now also includes Hebrew language, under the same category, which according to teachers, is a first-time recommendation. Meanwhile, all other languages under this category – German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Parsian, Arabic – have been prevalent in foreign language education in the state for some time. In order to create the curriculum, textbooks, and evaluation methods for foreign language learning, the SCERT will depend on the Common European Framework of Reference for Language. MoUs will be signed with foreign universities to create a process of evaluation and certification, said an official of the School Education department.
The SCF-SE recommends effective integration of agriculture as a subject from Class I in schools.
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