The National Council of Education Research and training formally began its work on Sep 1, 1961 and thereafter this day has been marked as NCERT Foundation Day. NCERT was established with the agenda to design and support a common system of education, national character and encourage the expression of the diverse culture across the country. Ever since its inception, this government body has worked really hard to cater to the needs of the children and educators of the country and has laid a strong foundation of our nation. In order to celebrate this enlightening journey, NCERT embraced its 55th foundation day.
The theme for the day was ‘Innovation for promoting quality in school education’ and all efforts were made to show the changing education scenario while keeping intact the rich heritage of our country.
The various departments of NCERT along with its partners presented a rich and vibrant exhibition displaying varied innovation and best practices in quality education ranging from curriculum reforms, teacher education, use of ICT for effective teaching, development of new indicator standards and individualized instructional methods.
Early school Mathematics Program (ESMP)
This program has received a nationwide recognition under ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ which is a nationwide sub program of Sarv Siksha Abhyaan. They displayed their teacher training manuals along with their mathematics learning Kit. The kit has numbers, place value digits, blocks, Velcro blocks, money, clock etc to help children develop liking and understanding of mathematics during the early years of life. The sources informed that the kit shall be available from next academic year for sale.
Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET)
CIET promotes utilization of educational technology wiz, radio, TV, films, satellite communication and cyber media. Gyaan Darshan Chanel, Gyan Vani and Tarang on DD-1 are some of its media software.
Apart from these they displayed an array of meticulously created teaching aids in the form of CD’s. Through National Repository Of Educational Resources (NROER) this apex agency of NCERT is soon to bring forth learning apps for children to be used on mobile devices.
Adolescence Education Program
The stall had a vibrant display of painting and comic scripts by young minds of our country. A workshop on comic script writing was conducted for young students of our country. It aimed to teach story boarding and self expression to children. Their work impressed HRD minister to an extent that she proposed some of it to be displayed in the premises of the ministry itself.
ICT-Enabled inclusive classroom- A demonstration
Here we saw a wide range of some really unique devices by an NGO, Saksham and on a general query, we came to know that those were electronic gadgets and daily living machines and tools for differently abled students. Some of their gadgets had a repository of digital talking books and films for the people with low vision. Apart from the children these devices are also meant for those who have visibility issues in their old age.
Diploma course in guidance and counseling
Right guidance and counseling helps the learner to understand who he/she is and help them to overcome their limitations. This stall demonstrated the activities of the department of guidance and counseling in developing skills among in service teachers, teacher educators, and school administrators to provide guidance to students in school and other related settings.
Cultural programs at this event were an amalgam of knowledge, age old wisdom and traditions which define us. Each performance was aimed at spreading a wider message of nation building, our heritage, social and environmental issues. This included:
- Dance by the students from Mandwa
- Sanskrit Orchestra by Dhruv Band
- Role play by the students from Haryana
- Nukkad Natak /Street Play
- Choir performance by the students of Sardar Patel Vidyalya
The highlight of the program was the launch of 25 tactile maps by the HRD Minister – Smriti Irani and an address where she congratulated all the people who have been a part of the changing scenario in education and have helped children, teachers, and teacher educators to impart impactful education.
She further expressed her desires to improve the education system by the implementation of the following:
- Increasing the number of National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) fellowship from 1000 to 2000
- Setting up of an evaluation team in each zone of every state to provide the data on learning outcomes
- Translation of the major researchers in regional languages
- Evolving Guidance and Counseling
- Education for autistic and slow learners
- Making the major researches of 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010 available online
Her inputs define the next level of innovation and trend setting in education
This day brought together all the stakeholders in education under one roof and would certainly help in unfolding the child’s potential to acquire useful skills, relevant knowledge, appropriate attitude, enhance creativity, develop self concept and improve well being.