A two-day national seminar on “National curriculum framework for school education-2023: A paradigm shift towards excellence in school education” was inaugurated at Government College of Education (GCE), Sector 20, in Chandigarh on Friday.

Sponsored by Indian Council Of Social Science Research North-Western Regional Centre, Panjab University, the programme started with Saraswati Vandana and lamp lightening ceremony. Principal Sapna Nanda introduced the theme of the seminar with an emphasis on equitable and accessible education for all enhancing life skills, and welcomed chief guest professor Sanjay Kaushik, DCDC, PU & honorary director, ICSSR, North-Western Regional Centre, PU, and delegates from various institutions from all over the country.

Programme convener Dr Anurag Sankhian shared the importance and significance of the seminar focused on National Education Police (NEP) 2020 and its implementation. He added that the aim of the seminar is to facilitate all the stakeholders to present their innovative ideas for successful implementation of NEP 2020 and NCFSE 2023 in particular. He also shared the layout and the sub-themes of the two day national seminar with the attendees.

Kaushik, in his inaugural address, discussed about the focus of NCF on holistic development of a child. He also highlighted that teacher education plays a vital role in its realisation of goals of NEP2020 at ground level. Formal vote of thanks was proposed by dean of the college Dr AK Srivastava.

Various key issues related to NCF were reflected upon in the technical sessions of this seminar. In the first technical session, professor Sunil Dutt, formerly with department of education & educational management, NITTER, Chandigarh, chaired the session. He addressed the delegates on the themes of NCFSE-2023: Aims and curricular areas of school education, key competencies and learning outcomes, the 5+3+3+4 scheme and corresponding curricular concerns.

Second technical session was chaired by resource person Gulshan Sharma, principal, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula. In her address on “Learning in the foundational stage, five-fold development (Panchkosh Vikas) through school education, learning standards, selection of content, methods of teaching and assessments (Pariksha pe Charcha).

The college also signed an MOU with GRIID, Sector 31, Chandigarh, during the afternoon technical sessions of the programme. Two more technical sessions will be held on Saturday. Delegates from across the country participated in the inaugural of the seminar and presented papers on the concept of NCFSE-2023. It was followed by interactive and stimulating discussions.

Formal vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Sheojee Singh, convener of the programme to the chief guest, Resource persons and delegates. The seminar is being organised under the able guidance of Dr Sapna Nanda, principal of the college, Dr AK Srivastava, dean (Patrons) and Anurag Sankhain and Sheojee Singh (conveners of the event).