New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has initiated a significant step towards the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by inviting affiliated schools to participate in a pilot program for the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
The NCrF, launched by the government last year, aims to ensure a seamless integration of school, higher, and vocational education, allowing students to accumulate credits from pre-primary levels to PhD levels. As part of this initiative, CBSE has developed draft guidelines for the implementation of the framework and is now set to conduct a pilot program for classes VI, IX, and XI from the current academic year.
In a letter addressed to principals of all CBSE-affiliated schools, the Board announced the commencement of the pilot program and invited interested schools to participate. The program will be rolled out starting from the academic session 2024-2025.
According to the draft guidelines developed by CBSE, the total notional learning hours for assignment of credits across various levels of education have been standardized at 1,200 hours per year. Under this system, students will be awarded 40 credits, with 30 notional learning hours equivalent to one credit. Additionally, students will have the flexibility to earn additional credits by undertaking extra courses, projects, or activities beyond the prescribed curriculum.
The guidelines further emphasize that credits can be earned through various means, including classroom teaching, laboratory work, projects, sports, performing arts, social work, and vocational education. Moreover, the assessment will be competency-based, focusing on learning outcomes rather than rote memorization.
To ensure transparency and accountability, credits earned by students will be reflected in their marksheets or grade cards alongside traditional marks and grades. Furthermore, CBSE plans to establish an Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) for each student, which will be linked with their unique APAAR Id and DigiLocker credentials.
As part of the pilot program, CBSE will conduct awareness sessions and provide guidance to participating schools to facilitate a smooth trial of the NCrF implementation guidelines.