The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently released the National Credit Framework (NCrF)—a meta-framework that seeks to seamlessly integrate the credits earned through school education, college (higher) education, and vocational and skill training.
“The New Education Policy 2020 emphasises the integration of general academic education and vocational and skill education, providing seamless, horizontal and vertical mobility between the two streams for lifelong learning. NCrF provides this mechanism while ensuring equivalence within and between these two education streams,” said UGC chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar.
What is credit? How do students earn them?
Credit is the recognition that a learner has completed a prior course of learning, corresponding to a qualification at a given level. One credit corresponds to 30 notional learning hours in a year of two semesters, and every semester, a student is required to earn a minimum of 20 credits.
NCrF mentions levels of school education, higher education, and vocational and skill education. School education is assigned Level 0 to Level 4. When a student completes Class V, the student is placed at level 1. After completing middle school (Class VI to VIII), the student reaches level 2. Completion of high school (Class IX and X) corresponds to level 3, and Senior Secondary School (Class XI and XII) corresponds to level 4. A student earns a total of 160 credits during the entire schooling years.
Higher education levels start from Level 4.5 and end at Level 8. A three-year bachelor's degree will have levels 4.5, 5, and 5.5 corresponding to the first, second, and third year respectively. Every year, a student has to earn 40 credits to move to the next level, and by the end of a three-year bachelor's degree, the student will have earned 120 credits. Level 6 corresponds to four-year bachelor's degree, Level 6.5 corresponds to a two-year Master's degree for those with a three years bachelor's degree, and Level 7 corresponds to a two-year Master's degree for those with a four-year undergraduate engineering degree. PhD is at level 8. When a student completes a PhD, the earned credits would be 8x40 = 320.
Vocational and skill education is also spread from level 4.5 to level 8. So there is equivalence between general and vocational and skill education regarding credits earned at each level. This helps the students to quickly move from one education stream to another by having the equivalent levels and total credits corresponding to these levels.
The credit assignment is a function of the total hours of learning put in by a student in a year versus the full credits available in a year. The learning hours, irrespective of the mode of learning (offline, online, or blended), shall continue to follow the broad principles specified in NCrF.
The credits accumulated by each student shall be stored in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) technology platform. This can be used to store credits irrespective of the type of learning— academic, vocational, or experiential learning. NCrF provides the opportunity for creditization and progression pathways for other learnings not credited earlier for awarding a certificate, diploma, and degree for encouraging lifelong learning.
NCrF also provides opportunities for creditization and progression pathways for other learnings not credited earlier for awarding a certificate, diploma, and degree for encouraging lifelong learning. Informal and non-formal learning and any other forms of learning, such as online and distance learning, in a formal learning environment, can be credited.
NCrF enables students to move from one education stream to another by having equivalent levels and total credits corresponding to these levels. This makes it possible for students to earn credits in one stream and use them to join another stream. For example, an ITI pass-out (two years after Class X) along with an additional language course from NIOS attains equivalence of Class XII certificate along with ITI-National Trade Certificate, which will enable the students to join university like any other student who completed Class XII.
This means the National Credit Framework (NCrF) provides a mechanism for integrating general academic education and vocational and skill education, providing seamless horizontal and vertical mobility between the two streams for lifelong learning. It also provides opportunities for the creditization and progression pathways for other learnings not credited earlier for awarding a certificate, diploma, and degree for encouraging lifelong learning.
Kumar said the NCrF supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities. “It provides scope for creditizing national/international achievers in any field but not limited to sports, Indian knowledge system, music, heritage, traditional skills, performing and fine arts, master artisans, etc. After an assessment, an educational institute can give a specific number of credits, for example, to a national-level sports champion. Suppose these earned credits correspond to a particular level. In that case, the student can then move to the next level in university, for example, to earn additional credits and obtain a diploma or degree qualification,” he said.
On the question of whether other countries would recognise NCrF, and the qualifications of Indian students, he said, “The International equivalence and transfer of credits shall be enabled through various multilateral/ bilateral agreements between respective regulators of the countries concerned. NCrF would lend credibility and authenticity to the credits being assigned and earned under various programs in India, making these credits more acceptable and transferable internationally.”