Can you write a review report of "National Education Framework for School Education 2007" specifically the areas that focus on education?

 

Summary

 All round development of the nation depends on well managed school education

system. The main bases in developing this framework are socio-economic, political,

cultural and educational contexts. The existing Tenth Plan and other educational plans

were also taken into account. To make the development process more participatory,

attempts for wider participation of stakeholders at different levels have been made.

Likewise, the research findings and recommendations of the CDC and research reports

carried out by various institutions were also taken into consideration. This framework

has laid emphasis on globalization, modernization, decentralization, and localization of

curriculum in the Nepalese context. It has also explicitly spelled out the objectives of

equitable and inclusive society by promoting dignity of labour and skills. This

framework aims at consolidating the overall development of school management taking

into account of school, teaching learning activities, teachers and students. Specially,

the principles of curriculum design and its implementation, the vision of school

education, curriculum structure and the implementation of the framework have been

systematically presented. The summary of National Curriculum Framework is as

follows:

(a) Contemporary curricular issues and challenges:

In course of developing this framework, the following aspects, issues and challenges

of school education of Nepal have been taken into account.

- socio-cultural and educational aspects

- curriculum development process

-  consistency and continuity of curriculum

-  norms and value based education

- life skill based education

- education for employment and self-employment

- ICT based education

- mother tongue issues

- inclusive curricular approach

- instructional approaches

- local need based education

- subjects taught

- alternative education

- impact of globalization in education

- student assessment and evaluation

- quality and relevancy of education

- educational research

- Institutional capacity

(b) Principles of curriculum development

Analysing the above mentioned contemporary curricular issues and challenges, this

framework has set up the following curriculum development and implementation

principles. The principles to be adopted are:

- comprehensive and balanced approach

- organization of major learning areas

- integrated approach of curriculum development

- child-centered curriculum development approach

- basic education in mother tongue

- inclusive approach in curriculum development

- local need based curriculum development approach

- information and communication technology

- life skill based education

- work oriented curriculum

- student assessment and evaluation

- participatory curriculum development process

- alternative, distance/open education policy

- norms and values based curriculum development

 Need of ICT based education

With the dawn of the 21st century, human civilization has already entered into the era of

information and communication technology. ICT has already encompassed the world of

mass media. It is a means of receiving and retrieving, storing and collecting, developing

and applying, communicating and disseminating knowledge and information. Throughout

the world, ICT has been proved as one of the important tools for promoting education. It

has been used in the schools in the following three ways:

- Communicating and transmitting information related to school administration

- As a tool to teaching other subjects

- Offering ICT as a separate subject

It cannot be said that there is no provision of ICT in the education system of Nepal. ICT

has been incorporated in school and higher education curricula which are being

implemented in the limited number of schools and colleges. ICT education has been

given greater importance even in the periodic plans in order to prepare capable human

resource that could withstand the challenges brought about by globalization, science and

technology. However, in so saying the following shortcomings do still exist.

- ICT has not been properly addressed by the curriculum.

- ICT as a subject or as a tool of teaching learning has not been clearly defined.

- No vertical consistency of technical subjects including computer education from

  lower to higher level of education.

- Lack of adequate physical infrastructure, conducive environment and efficient

   resource persons

To systematize ICT as a separate subject and as a tool of teaching learning and to

create conducive environment by mitigating the above mentioned setbacks have

still remained as a challenge.