Kerala views education as a crucial path for shaping its future, to face the challengers of the present day world, we have to envision a progressive education system. However, a close look at society indicates the existence of a section of people who have an intense desire to gain social and financial supremacy. Another group is striving hard to free itself from the clutches poverty and procure the basic necessities of life.
The government of Kerala, after the formation of the state, set the direction for the educational system by declaring that the state would provide for:
- Compulsory primary education for all
- Educational expenditure of all children
- Free text books and lunch for the needy
The policies followed by the successive governments in Kerala made formal education more accessible to its common folk.
Scientific temper
- There is a need to differentiate between science and pseudo-science. Learning should approach a problem based on cause and effect relationship.
- An education that develops logical reasoning in children is crucial in this context.
- They should play a key role in freeing the society from superstitions and prejudices and should propagate the need for a scientific outlook in life.
Cultural identity
Regional and traditional forms knowledge (related to agriculture, irrigation, resource management, art and handicraft) can be utilized for the development of the society.
The process of education should help the learners to identify such sources and preserve what is useful and relevant.
Vocational skills
We must realize the value of labour in developing and transforming the society.
Education should focus on the development of a positive attitude to labour and inculcate in all children the ability to work.
Democratic values
Education should help the leaner in imbibing democratic values-equality, justice, freedom, concern for others, well-being, secularism and respect for human dignity and rights.
Resistance
Strength to resist all sorts of invasions (cultural, economic, geographical) and undesirable tendencies triggered by globalization is vital for a democratic society.
Education needs to recognize this reality and develop the required strength among the learners to address the challenges posed by globalization.
Construction of knowledge
Knowledge is never viewed as a finished product. It is refined in every act of sharing.
The process of education must develop in learners, the ability to construct knowledge through interaction and sharing.
Critical approach
The education should have the space for engage in critical dialogue.
The practice of passive listening has to be discarded and in its place learners need to become active participants in the process of constructing knowledge. They should view their experiences in a critical manner and should question all social evils. Efforts to resist temptations, obstinacy and prejudices are equally important.
Looking at different ideas and generating an integrated view is crucial.
The educational system should prepare the learners to shift from the position of passive listeners to active constructors of knowledge.
Socially and culturally marginalized
Ours is a plural society. Only if we succeed in bringing the marginalized to the mainstream will we succeed in actualizing social justice. The educational system in our state has not yet been transformed itself to meet the needs of children who are socially and culturally backward.
General education must accommodate all children who are socially and culturally deprived.
The 3 pillars of KCF 2007
- Critical Pedagogy
- Issue based Curriculum
- Social Constructivism
Learning methodology as given in KCF 2007
Science learning is something that students do, not something that is done to them. Science education should be an active learning process.
- Individual learning: Every student fixes a specific aim and works towards the achievement of it.
- Competitive learning: Students complete with each other and learn.
- Co-operative learning: Students co-operate and work towards the achievement of a common goal.
The nature of science and science education as given in KCF 2007
- By interacting with the society, a child develops a variety of notions about the nature of science. The supremacy of science and the perfection of scientific theories form a part of this.
- The personal experience of the learner through suitable learning activities provides him/her proper awareness on this.
- A mere learning of scientific ideas and theories will not enable the learner to understand the nature of science.
- Acquisition of scientific ideas will not, by themselves, develop a scientific perspective.
- Experiences that facilitate this should be provided to the learner right from the beginning of his/her schooling.
- At the beginning stage, the student should go through concrete experiences that help him/her get acquainted with various aspects of nature. This does not mean that the curriculum should avoid abstract ideas.
- A learner who goes through a proper learning experience would gradually gain processing skills and the ability to internalize abstract ideas.
- A learner who possesses the spirit of enquiry should be encouraged to discuss and share his/her findings with the peer group. This will enable the learner to internalize the concrete experiences and to assimilate the abstract ideas.
- It is not suggested that the learner should find out everything for himself/herself or that he/she should find answers to all questions.
- Depending on the learner's age, nature, the specific subject taught, other methods may have to be used.
- At some points, a historical method may have to be used. This is also essential to inculcate a scientific temperament.
Effective use of laboratories
- Keeping the laboratory clean.
- Classifying and labelling every piece of equipment.
- Ensuring freedom and opportunity to all teachers to handle the equipment in the laboratory.
- Providing opportunities for all the learners to handle all the equipment and articles in the laboratory.
- Ensuring safety measures in handling the equipment.
- Providing the learner the opportunity to do the experiments instead of the teacher doing all experiments for the learners.
Issue Based Curriculum in KCF 2007
The Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF) identifies certain issues related to Kerala society. Those issues are to be treated considering the aims of education. The selected eight issues that are rooted in Kerala culture has to be analysed with the help of the curriculum is the need of the hour according to KCF. These eight issues are;-
- Absence of vision as a universal citizen
- Lack of work competency development
- Lack of understanding on uniqueness of our culture and its independent development
- Absence of considering Agriculture as a culture
- Lack of scientific attitude on health and public health
- Lack of concern for the marginalized sections of the society
- Lack of scientific land – water management and
- Lack of eco-friendly industrial and urban development
Related article : National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005)
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