The curriculum is the backbone of the education system. School education plays a major role in the overall development of well-groomed individuals. The different types of curriculum ensure that the students gain relevant knowledge and skills for their growth and development.
Thus, it is important to carefully plan the structure of the curriculum so every student gets its benefits. The carefully planned curriculum helps the students to develop essential skills and to utilise the knowledge in practical ways.
The curriculum is divided into 3 different levels, which are: pre-primary, primary, and secondary. Every level offers its unique objectives, structure, and benefits. Understanding these levels is the key to understanding how school education builds the foundation of lifelong learning.
Understanding the Educational Stages
The different levels of CBSE syllabus begins with the early childhood education and advances to preparing them for higher education. The pre-primary curriculum ensures best education for the young children and the primary education focuses on developing foundational skills. Lastly, secondary education prepares students to specialise in higher education.
The curriculum at all these different stages is customised to satisfy the diverse needs of every student. Let us explore them in detail.
Pre-primary Education Curriculum
Pre-primary education marks the initial steps of students in education. The curriculum is designed for initial education of students between 3 to 5 years. The ‘Montessori preschool curriculum’ strengthens the foundation of preschoolers to prepare them for their future success.
Objectives of pre-primary curriculum:
The main objective of pre-primary education is to prepare children for the transition into formal education. Students learn by playing and interacting with one another in a positive and happy environment. The curriculum introduces the children with fundamental concepts of shapes, colours, animals, numbers, etc.
Key Components:
It maintains the balance between structured learning and engaging free play activities. The curriculum mainly includes play-based learning with activities that encourage exploring, creativity, and imagination. Interactive games and storytelling help students develop their vocabulary and communication skills. The various group activities also help students develop social skills.
Teaching Methods:
The teaching methods for the pre-primary curriculum are mainly play-based and experiential for students to learn while playing. The interactive and collaborative teaching methods encourage children to explore the surrounding world. The engaging and visually attractive environment stimulates curiosity in students.
Importance of Early Childhood Education:
Early childhood education builds the foundational base for students to learn and grow. It develops a love for lifelong learning, curiosity and exploring in students to ensure their holistic development.
Primary Education Curriculum
Primary education mainly aims at students between 1 to 5 grades and 6 to 11 years of age. The curriculum strongly emphasis on the academic growth, it also balances athletics and skill-based activities.
Objectives of Primary Curriculum:
The importance of curriculum for the primary classes focuses on the physical and mental development of students. The curriculum helps students to master their academic growth and prepares them for higher education. It encourages students to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills besides the knowledge of their core subjects. The curriculum also promotes social skills and discipline in students with its formally structured learning.
Core Subjects Covered:
The core subjects covered in the primary curriculum are:
- English
- Mathematics
- Hindi
- Science
Teaching Strategies:
The teaching strategies for the primary curriculum focus on the practical learning of knowledge. Students learn from the balanced mix of instructional and interactive learning that combines the benefits of group work and hands-on activities. The use of advanced technologies, educational games and extracurricular activities strengthen the foundational base of the students.
Role of Standardised Assessments:
Standardised assessment helps teachers and students to measure student progress. It also ensures that the learning objectives are successfully met. The assessment also identifies the strengths, talents and areas of improvements in students. Overall, the standardised assessment tracks the academic achievements of the students.
Secondary Education Curriculum
Secondary curriculum aims for students between grades 6 to 10 and 12 to 16 years. The secondary curriculum for students focuses on their learning and growing other than improving their skills to make the right decisions.
Objectives of the Secondary Curriculum:
The main objective of the secondary curriculum is to build strong values and creativity among the students. The curriculum prepares the students for higher education by strengthening a deeper understanding of the core subjects. Students also get opportunities to choose between the optional subjects according to their interests. Students are also encouraged to develop problem-solving and leadership skills for their future growth.
Specialised Subject Areas:
The secondary curriculum provides opportunity to students to choose some specialised subjects that aligns with their academic interests. The core subjects in the secondary curriculum include:
- English
- Hindi
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
- Science
- Additional Subjects: Sanskrit / French / Information Technology / Computer Applications
Pedagogical Approach:
The secondary curriculum includes the comprehensive 9GEMS framework to ensure holistic learning for the students. The pedagogical approach helps our students to develop as individuals with academic knowledge and essential life skills. The 9GEMS approach focuses on sports, creativity, personality development, discipline, and universal values beyond academic learning.
Assessment Methods:
The assessment methods in the secondary curriculum are more formalised. Students are assessed with written examinations, practical projects, presentations and practical exams. The overall assessment critically determines the eligibility and preparation of the students for higher education.
Comparing Curricula Across Educational Stages
The curricula across educational stages contribute to developing the overall personality of the students. Every curriculum differs in their depth and scope; however, plays an essential role. The needs of curriculum are often tailored for every student for a better and deeper understanding of the core concepts.
The pre-primary curriculum introduces students to the idea of education with play-based activities to develop foundational skills. The primary curriculum includes a structured approach to the academic subjects to develop core competencies. The secondary curriculum provides specialised learning opportunities to students to prepare for higher education.
Starting from the pre-primary learning till secondary curriculum, students develop a lifelong love and curiosity for learning. The curricula across educational stages ensure the personal and professional growth of every student to shape their successful careers.
Future Trends in Curriculum Development
There is a vast scope of future trends in curriculum development. As the educational industry is evolving, the integration of advanced technologies has become significant. Additionally, the use of digital tools and online learning platforms are also becoming a part of educational learning.
The future trends will also include more focus on personalised learning with curriculum tailored to individual needs. Social-emotional learning is also making its way into the curriculum to help students develop interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. The curriculum development focuses more on preparing students to engage with global learning opportunities.
Conclusion
The different types of curriculum are no less than the cornerstone of the educational system to ensure global success. From developing the foundational skills to preparing them for their future career choices, the importance of curriculum is undeniable. To integrate emerging and advanced technologies, curricula at every stage should be flexible and inclusive to support forward-thinking.
As one of the good schools in Ahmedabad, GIIS provides a progressive learning experience to its students. Our pre-primary, primary and secondary curriculum are carefully structured and designed for the overall development of our students. Our curriculum helps the students with their academic knowledge and encourages them to develop skills and values for their success.
Choose GIIS Ahmedabad to support your child’s educational journey with our well-rounded curriculum.