A curriculum document from the Centre on foundation-stage learning for children aged three to eight years advocates cognitive and physical growth based on the Upanishadic concept of Pancha Kosha, or holistic development.
Apart from reading, writing and numeracy skills, the curriculum seeks to inculcate the values of patriotism and Nishkam Karma (selfless action), the central message of the Bhagavat Gita, among children from the early stages.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday released the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the foundation stage, a document that will form the basis of the development of syllabuses and textbooks for pre-school and Class I and II children.
The document is meant for the NCERT, the central institution whose curricula and textbooks are followed by the CBSE, ICSE and many other boards. It will also be circulated among the states, which will be free to adopt it.
Pancha Kosha
The document quotes the National Education Policy (NEP), which advocates an education system rooted in the Indian ethos.
According to the NCF, learning is not merely the gathering of information but the development of the self. In this context, it refers to the Pancha Kosha concept from the Taittiriya Upanishad.
The five Koshas are the Annamaya Kosha, related to physical development; Pranamaya Kosha or bodily awareness; Manomaya Kosha or emotional and spiritual development; Vijnanamaya Kosha or development of the intellect; and Anandamaya Kosha or experience of the transcendent.
The NCF says that specific practices should be designed to enable the development of each of these Koshas. The physical dimensions are to be developed through a focus on a balanced diet, traditional games, breathing habits and adequate exercise, as well as yoga.
Activities such as the retention of energy, concentration, observation, experimentation, love and compassion help in the development of the other aspects of the Pancha Kosha, it adds.
“In 1835, the British worked to destroy the intellectual tradition of India. The Indian traditional knowledge is scientific. The Pancha Kosha is a relevant concept for children to develop positivity and harmony with the cosmic world,” Pradhan said while releasing the document.
Nishkam Karma
Under the head of curricular goal, the NCF has listed several values to be promoted among the children, including the ability to reason, to be inculcated through direct classroom activities, discussions and readings.
“In the indirect method, the content of languages and literature can incorporate discussion particularly aimed at addressing ethical and moral principles and values such as patriotism, sacrifice, non-violence, truth, honesty, peace, righteous conduct, forgiveness, tolerance, empathy, helpfulness, courtesy, cleanliness, equality and fraternity. As consequences of basic ethical reasoning, traditional Indian values of seva, ahimsa, swacchata, satya, Nishkam Karma, honest hard work, respect for women, respect for elders, respect for all people and their inherent capabilities regardless of background and respect for the environment will be inculcated,” the NCF says.
It also refers to “promoting constitutional values like a democratic outlook and commitment to liberty and freedom, equality, justice and fairness, embracing diversity, plurality and inclusion, humaneness and fraternal spirit, social responsibility and the spirit of service, unity and integrity of the nation, and a true rootedness and pride in India with a forward-looking spirit to continuously improve as a nation”.
Memory
The document says the ancient Indian emphasis on smriti (memory) is critical to the overall development of a human being.
“It has often been misunderstood as an emphasis on rote learning, which in principle and when practised with fidelity, it was not. Current cognitive science research indicates that smriti — both working memory and long-term memory — plays an important role in cognition and comprehension. Insufficient emphasis on memory often results in inadequate outcomes in the classroom,” it says.
