NCERT

Topic: Governance

Context:

The committee to select the next director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)held interactions with a few shortlisted candidates.
The autonomous body, which assists and advises the government on policies for improvement in school education, has not had a full-time director for more than a year now.

Concept:

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation set up in 1961by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education.
The major objectives of NCERT and its constituent units are to:
undertake, promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education
prepare and publish model textbooks, supplementary material, newsletters, journals and develops educational kits, multimedia digital materials, etc.
organize pre-service and in-service training of teachers
develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices
collaborate and network with state educational departments, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions
act as a clearing house for ideas and information in matters related to school education; and act as a nodal agency for achieving the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education.
In addition, NCERT is an implementation agency for bilateral cultural exchange programmes with other countries in the field of school education.

National Curriculum Framework:

NCF provides the framework for creation of the school syllabi and the writing of textbooks, while giving guidelines on teaching practices in India.
It addresses four issues:
Educational purpose
Educational experience
Organization of experience
Assessing learner