Education must follow developmental stages: JKBOSE
Srinagar, Mar 14: A debate over whether children today learn faster than previous generations has surfaced in classrooms across Jammu and Kashmir, with private schools questioning whether the NCERT-based curriculum followed by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) reflects the realities of modern learning environments.
While private schools say the pace of learning among students has changed significantly over the past two decades, JKBOSE officials maintain that children’s cognitive development follows established stages and that accelerating the curriculum could create unnecessary academic pressure.
Private school administrators told Rising Kashmir that they continue to use the prescribed NCERT and JKBOSE textbooks but believe that the sequence in which concepts appear in the curriculum does not always match how quickly students grasp ideas in today’s classrooms.
“Children now enter school with much more exposure to learning than before,” a private school principal on conditions of anonymity told Rising Kashmir. “Many have already attended preschool and interact with educational apps or digital tools at home. Because of this, they often understand concepts earlier than what textbooks assume.”
School administrators say the perception that textbooks lag behind classroom realities has become a recurring discussion among teachers and parents.
JKBOSE officials, however, say the curriculum is structured around developmental psychology rather than competition between schools.
“The syllabus is not designed to rush children through concepts,” a senior JKBOSE official told Rising Kashmir. “It is designed to ensure that the child develops the required competency step by step.”
The official said textbooks should be seen as guiding resources for teachers rather than the sole framework of classroom learning. “A textbook is only one tool,” the official said. “Teachers have many other resources to help children achieve learning competencies. What matters is whether the child develops the ability to understand and apply a concept.”
According to the official, the early years of schooling are meant to build foundational skills such as comprehension, reasoning and number sense.
“For instance, in the early primary stage, a child is expected to master simple arithmetic like two-digit addition,” the official told Rising Kashmir. “If that competency is not built properly, introducing much more complex calculations does not strengthen learning.”
The official also pointed to the growing focus on child well-being and mental health, an issue that has received increasing attention in education discussions after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In today’s education system, the overall development and well-being of the child are just as important as academic performance,” the official said. “Education should help children grow, not place them under excessive pressure.”
Research reviewed by Rising Kashmir suggests that while children today may be exposed to learning earlier, the fundamental stages of cognitive development have remained broadly consistent across generations.
A body of research known as the Flynn Effect, first identified by political scientist James R. Flynn, documented gradual increases in IQ scores across many countries during the twentieth century. Researchers say these increases are largely linked to environmental changes such as improved schooling, nutrition and access to information rather than biological changes in brain development.
A review of childhood learning studies published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology (2022) found that reasoning ability, memory and problem-solving skills in early childhood develop through progressive stages.
The researchers concluded that while modern learning environments may expose children to concepts earlier, developmental milestones themselves have not shifted significantly across generations, according to research examined by Rising Kashmir.
Another longitudinal study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that improvements in children’s academic performance over time are largely influenced by teaching practices, parental involvement and learning environments.
“Educational environment and instruction play a stronger role in shaping early learning outcomes than generational differences in cognitive ability,” the researchers noted in the study reviewed by Rising Kashmir.
Parents interviewed by Rising Kashmir expressed differing views on the issue.
“I prefer a balanced pace of learning,” said a parent whose child studies in a government school in Bandipora. “Children should understand concepts properly rather than being pushed too fast.”
Another parent whose child attends a private school said early exposure to learning can help students build confidence. “Children today grow up with much more information around them,” the parent said. “Sometimes they are ready to explore concepts earlier.”
JKBOSE officials said the Board reviews curriculum periodically through academic committees that examine national education policies, pedagogical research and feedback from educators before introducing revisions. “The aim of the curriculum is conceptual clarity and balanced development,” the Board official told Rising Kashmir. “The focus should remain on meaningful learning rather than simply accelerating the syllabus.”
