Education for Values in Schools – NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING

The whole enterprise of education is extricably linked with the development of values. Devoid of the potential to nurture values, education losses its heart and soul. No one who attempts to depict the spirit of age in which we live can possibly overlook the importance of education for values. Peace and security are facing new challenges that could have negative implications if we do not address them positively. The malleable years of youth in schools are crucial. Whatever is learnt and imbibed will determine to how students would live out their lives in future. The concern about value degradation is not new to this era. Even before independence such concern were pronounced in policy documents. Policy makers and educators have all along seriously mediated on this concern and have been trying to discern the potential of schooling, pinning their hopes on education to fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the public and the society. Responding to this urgent need, NCERT has brought out framework for schools on Education of values which articulates a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to value education in schools. The framework has been written in response to the need expressed by academics and public alike across the country. It includes vision, expectations, strategies and benchmarks for implementation and assessment of value education in schools. The framework is suggestive and not prescriptive to allow scope to customize the some suited to the varied needs, contexts and resource of the schools. Grounded on a holistic framework, it makes striking attempts to relate to the contemporary issues and realities. It offers precisely the kind of reflection that is required for a subject like value education. The framework therefore requires careful and detailed reading of the text, commitment and persistent efforts, special inputs and concrete actions to build upon or reorienting existing practices. I do hope that school practitioners will find this framework informative and thought provoking. pdf link: http://www.ncert.nic.in/departments/nie/depfe/Final.pdf