Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think. – Albert Einstein
The new National Credit Framework will make it possible for students to switch between schools and boards without needing an equivalency certification provided by different school education boards in order to be admitted to higher education institutions or hired by the federal or state governments.
National Credit Framework, what is it?
On October 19, Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan published the draft report on the National Credit Framework (NCrF) and encouraged the general people across the country to comment on the study.
The National School/Higher Education Qualification Framework and all other qualification frameworks for secondary, postsecondary, and vocational education are under the umbrella of NCrF. This concept creditises learning, or gives distinct types of learning—including academic, skill-building, and experience learning—credit-based worth.
Credit will be a means of identifying and measuring the levels of learning and learning outcomes at various stages of school or employment. The draft also offers comprehensive instructions and formulae for figuring out such credits (and the learning hours required to earn those credits).
It’s interesting to note that the NCrF provides the option of accruing, transferring, or redeeming any such credits (via the “Academic Bank of Credit”) to facilitate mobility across various stages and types of learning. According to the NCrF, any credit will only be granted following an evaluation, the specifics of which will be decided by the relevant regulatory body (such as UGC, AICTE, NCVET, NCERT, NIOS etc.). The NCrF does not have any regulatory requirements; it is only an enabling framework.
Any relevant credit-based criteria must be communicated by the regulatory agencies or independent organisations in charge of education, employment, or skilling.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently pushed for legislation that will support undergraduate programmes with numerous entry and departure points.
Forward Thinking with regards to Learning and Outcomes
For students, NCrF will make course completion times flexible and open the door to numerous entry points, exit points, and employment opportunities. Additionally, they receive credit for all hours spent learning, including academic, vocational, and experiential hours. Additionally, it does away with the rigid division among the fields of science, arts and commerce.
As a result, the Education Ministry developed the National Credit Framework, which will allow students to digitally deposit their credits in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). This situation makes a consistent credit-based strategy essential. In essence, the framework is a set of guidelines that training institutions, schools, colleges and universities should adhere to while implementing the credit system.
How will Students benefit from NCrF?
While the majority of educational institutions in the nation use the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), which allows students to earn credits by finishing a certain degree, With the adoption of NCrF, students will now have the option to combine several different courses, enabling both inter- and intra-disciplinary instruction. In a sense, NCrF aims to unite all frameworks under a single roof.
According to the rules of NCrF, students must acquire at least 40 points after putting in 1200 “notional learning hours” to qualify for a year of schooling.
The learning hours are different from the traditional academic learning hours in that they consist of time spent in a variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, such as athletics, yoga, performing arts, music, social work, NCC, technical courses, as well as on-the-job coaching, internships, in addition to the time spent in the classroom.
This will assist students in concentrating on both fundamental academic excellence and skill development in order to better prepare them for future employment.
According to the UGC, students will have the chance to enrol in new courses, disciplines, and projects in conjunction with National Schools and Institutions when the NCrF is implemented (UGC). However, the school board examinations are still required and will still be taken into account when computing the final credit points, even when the students gain more experience through extra courses.
How will the Education System implement the National Credit Framework (NCrF)?
To bring about a radical shift in the Indian Educational System, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was unveiled. The policy discusses the holistic development of a child in addition to their schooling.
Principals and instructors now design a framework based on 21st century skills, holistic development, competency, and other factors, including curricular and extracurricular activities. Many pedagogies are developed according to each subject and topic covered in primary schools.
Therefore, the National Credit Framework is sure to transform education in the country. It will definitely change the way we think about education and the grading system.
Smile Foundation and Education
Smile Foundation puts utmost importance to a life full of learning. Through its flagship initiative, Mission Education, it is trying to make education a living and breathing reality for children who are way less privileged than many of us.
