The Hindu : New Delhi News : Seminar on school curriculum

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Seminar on school curriculum

Staff Reporter

To provide a forum for sharing and exchanging efforts among SAARC nations

Papers to be invited from academicians, practitioners
The seminar to be followed by Children’s Educational Audio and Video Festival

NEW DELHI: Representatives of the eight member-States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including the latest entrant to the group -- Afghanistan, will converge in the Capital in March to deliberate on issues pertaining to school curriculum in their respective countries.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training will organise a SAARC seminar on “School Curriculum: Policies, Practices and Educational Issues Among SAARC Nations” to provide a forum for sharing and exchanging efforts addressed at improving the quality of school education for mutual learning.

“The focus of the seminar is directed specifically on the instrumentality of curriculum and its related policies and programmes to enhance quality of school education. Exchange of ideas and experiences will be on themes like innovation and flexibility in school curriculum; plurality of teacher-learning materials and textbooks; reforming teacher education and pedagogy in practice,” said seminar coordinator Amarendra Behera.

“The countries of South-East Asia share a common culture amid their diversities both within the countries and in the region. Education is one such area that binds these countries as we share a common legacy directed by colonial system of education. So, it is pertinent for these countries to come together and work to better the quality of education of their children,” he noted.

Papers will be invited from academicians and practitioners representing institutions and countries. The paper may be in the form of country reports in the area of curriculum policies, practices and issues in school education and teacher education.

The presentations may focus on the curriculum-related efforts/ programmes depicting concerns and issues addressed along with broad indicators of implementation, outcomes and challenges.

The SAARC seminar will immediately be followed by the 13th All-India Children’s Educational Audio and Video Festival.

The festival is a forum for exchange of ideas between seven State Institutes of Educational Technology and the Central Institute of Educational Technology, to motivate them to develop programmes addressing specific concerns of children and teachers.

“The festival is likely to be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil, though her assent is still awaited. We want the seminar and this event to be held back-to-back so that the SAARC representatives can get first-hand knowledge of the work that we are doing here in India,” added Dr. Behera.

The Department of Education in Arts and Aesthetics at NCERT will also organise a three-day symposium to sensitise among various stakeholders of education, the importance of arts education in the teaching learning processes and its integration in the school curriculum. Art educators, artistes, subject experts, teachers and practitioners from government and NGOs would be invited to it.

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