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I have been conducting regular capacity development programs on implementing competency-based education in schools. One of the persistent challenges that I have encountered is that educators are finding it difficult to comprehend the concept of “competency”. This blogpost attempts to debunk all confusions surrounding the term “competency” in the context of school education.

The NEP 2020 and NCF 2023 is promoting competency-based education. In my previous blogpost, I had shared the seven defining characteristics of CBE. If you have not read it yet, you may want to do it after (or before) reading this blogpost. To apply these characteristics in our classrooms or schools, it is essential to develop a clear understanding of the meaning and scope of competencies.

India’s recent defeat in the ICC World Cup pained millions of Indians, many of whom actively contributed to analysing the causes of the heart-breaking result. The real fans of the Indian team continued their support for the playing XI with comments like “It was just a bad day”, or “India was unlucky”, or “The statistics did not favour India winning all matches in the World Cup.” With due respect to the emotional attachment of the fans, the fact is that the Australian team displayed higher levels of competency in the Finals. We did not lose because of luck or statistical normalisation. We lost to a more competent team.

Definition of Competency

A competency is a specific set of knowledge, skills/abilities, attitudes, behaviour, or characteristics required to perform a task effectively. For visual learners, let me use a Venn diagram that provides a simplified representation of this definition that focuses on the four critical aspects of a competency.

Any cricket fan or expert will agree that the members of the Indian cricket team were definitely more skilled than their Australian opponents. This is the reason why everyone was predicting and expecting them to win. But unfortunately, skill is not enough to win a Final. You also need knowledge, attitude, and the right behaviour.

The Aussies had better knowledge of the pitch and how it may perform over the playing time. This made them decide to bat second. They had better knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each Indian player and used this knowledge to design a bowling strategy for each player. Despite being the underdogs and playing in front of 130000 fans of blue, they had the right attitude. Cummins in a press session said, “…there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent and that’s the aim for us tomorrow.” More importantly, right from the first over, their behaviour reflected in their amazing fielding. The fielders put their hundred percent to save every run they could.

Each task requires different competencies. The competencies required to teach effectively are very different from the competencies required to be an effective surgeon. As a teacher, your attitude towards learners is more critical for your success than your knowledge of the subject or pedagogical skills. However, you may have come across or heard of very successful surgeons who have a very poor attitude and behaviour towards their patients. You choose a surgeon primarily based on his/her knowledge of medicine and surgical skills. It is a bonus if this surgeon is polite, listens to you, and treats you with respect.

Competencies do not only differ based on the task. These may also differ based on the context or the situation in which the task is performed. In my last blog, I had mentioned the difference between driving in Delhi and Dubai. I had mentioned that driving in Delhi is a skill while driving in Dubai is a competency. This may seem strange. Why is it that the same task (in this case, driving) may be considered a skill or a competency based on the context in which the task is performed? Let me throw some light on this.

A key word in the definition of competency is – effectively. The criteria of performing a task effectively is contextual. Let me illustrate this with an example. There are two schools. First school is a public (government) school in rural Haryana and the other is an elite private school in Delhi. Consider a simple learning task of “reading”. The criteria used to assess whether a student can read effectively will be different at the two schools because the level of reading proficiency expected from students of the two schools may be different.

Similarly, the level of proficiency in driving expected from people in Delhi and Dubai is different. We do not expect Delhi drivers to be courteous or respect parking rules as we would in Dubai. To drive in Delhi we need to focus on the skill of managing the vehicle whereas to drive in Dubai we need to focus on knowledge of rules and regulations, courtesy for other drivers, politeness, and adherence to all the safety and government norms.

Identifying Competencies

To identify competencies, we need to:

1. Identify the task to be performed
2. Describe the effectiveness expected to perform the task.
3. Identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitude, behaviour, or beliefs required to perform the task effectively.

The answer to the last question, describes the competency for the task in the given context. This competency may be knowledge-based, skill-based, ability, attitude, behaviour or a combination of more than one of these.

Remember that to perform any task effectively, a person needs to be competent, which happens by acquiring competencies. The NEP 2020 emphasises that the purpose of education is to acquire various competencies for students to succeed in school, higher education, as well as professional lives.

Competencies in School Education

India that has about 1.5 million schools, out of which 1.1 million are government schools, 0.35 million are private budget schools, and the remaining are premium private schools, some of which are located outside India. Within India, schools are located in rural, semi-urban, urban, or super-urban (metros) regions. So, theoretically speaking there are about 16 categories of schools.

​	Government	Private Budget	​Private Premium	Outside India
Rural	1	2	3	4
Semi-urban	5	6	7	8
Urban	9	10	11	12
Metros	13	14	15	16

Is it justified if schools in each of these 16 regions focus on developing the same competencies in their students? In other words, will students of each of these 16 types of schools be expected to perform the same tasks effectively to succeed in school or life beyond school? If your answer is YES, you know something that I don’t know, and I request you to share your reasons in the comments below. If your answer is NO, you have accepted that each of these 16 types of schools will need to define their own competency architecture. Of course, there may be some basic competencies that are common to all schools. But, the complete competency-architecture cannot be identical.

Allow me to extend this argument further to two schools belonging to the same category. Let’s consider two private premium schools located in Mumbai. Each of these schools may differ in their vision, infrastructure, quality of resources, or profiles of parents who they serve. Based on these differences it is likely that these two schools have different expectations of tasks that they expect from their students. One school may want to lay emphasise on their students to develop empathy towards the marginalised sections of the society and thus undertake social service tasks. The other school may desire its students to excel in the field of technological innovation. These two schools will need different sets of competencies.

Defining Competency-Architecture for Your School

You must immediately begin the process of defining the competency-architecture for your school. Here are a few questions that you need to address, within the context of your school.

1. What tasks do you expect your students to do during their school lives?
2. What tasks should your students be able to do in life after school?
3. How will you measure the effectivity of these tasks?
4. What are the competencies your students need to develop to perform these tasks?

I will elaborate on these questions in my next blog. But, till then, you may want to ponder over these vital questions.

Transitioning from content-based education to competency-based education is a journey of 3-5 years for a school. This journey entails a rigorous training of teachers as well as establishing completely new processes and procedures for school management. Each of the above 7 components of the definition of CBE involves new competencies that teachers must develop.

International Council for School Leadership (ICSL) supports schools to implement NCF 2023, NEP 2020, and competency-based education through its four initiatives:

• Friday@5
• Connect2Learn
• APICAL Schools
• Consulting Services

Please click on the links above to know more about each of these.

The purpose of science education is to provide individuals with knowledge and understanding of the scientific method, principles, concepts, and theories- and, most importantly, the progression of the discipline. It aims to develop critical thinking skills, promote scientific literacy, and foster a sense of curiosity and inquiry about the natural world- the very world we live and breathe every day. Science education equips individuals with the necessary skills to navigate and participate in an increasingly complex and technologically advanced society.

Some essential purposes of science education are here as follows:

• Promoting scientific literacy: This is where formal science education at schools actually come into play. Science education helps individuals develop a basic understanding of scientific concepts and principles. It enables them to make informed decisions about scientific issues and engage in public discourse on climate change, genetic engineering, or medical advancements.

• Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills: Science education encourages individuals to think critically, analyze evidence, and evaluate information. It promotes the ability to question, investigate, and solve problems using scientific methods and logical reasoning. It is key to acknowledge that science does not exist without questioning.

• Fostering scientific inquiry and curiosity: Science education nurtures a sense of curiosity about the natural world and encourages individuals to explore and ask questions. It promotes an understanding of how scientific knowledge is obtained through observation, experimentation, and the formulation of hypotheses.

• Preparing future scientists and researchers: Science education provides the foundation for individuals who wish to pursue careers in scientific research, medicine, engineering, and other fields. It offers them the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct experiments, analyze data, and contribute to scientific advancements.

• Encouraging technological innovation: Science education is crucial in inspiring individuals to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges. It helps them understand the relationship between science, technology, and innovation, fostering the development of new technologies and advancements that benefit society.

• Promoting informed decision-making: Science education equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to evaluate scientific information critically. It enables them to make informed decisions about personal health, environmental issues, and policy matters that involve scientific evidence.

One of the critical components of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is excellence for all, consistent with realizing an equitable, inclusive and plural society as envisaged by our Constitution. A robust Foundational Stage in Education is the only route to achieving this aspiration. The release of the first-ever integrated framework for children between 3 and 8 years of age—the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF)— will help us realize this aim. The 102nd episode of Friday@5 was premised on Sections 2.4. and 2.5. of the NCF 2022 document, i.e., Competencies and Illustrative Learning Outcomes.

To ensure the effective and holistic delivery of educational aims and lessons, we need to create curricular goals, competencies and Learning outcomes suitable to our schools in terms of their contexts and capabilities. The 102nd episode elaborated upon how the NCF 2022 document has derived its Curricular Goals, Competencies and Learning Outcomes thematically within different domains the child is indulged in. The discussion aimed to enable the school Leaders to create frameworks to induce Competency-based Learning in their respective classrooms; it identified the measurable and observable outcomes that School Leaders could impart in the development of their respective Educational programmes.

Some of the primary concerns that surrounded the discussion were:

• What are the key elements of an outstanding curriculum.
• What key essential skills need to be addressed at the foundational level?
• The incorporation of students’ backgrounds, identities, and experiences in instruction?
• The nature, numbers and kinds of desirable Learning Outcomes.

The leading assertion here was that a curriculum should be Experimental, allow students the Freedom to Learn, and aid the Control of Emotions. Since the curriculum is said to be one of the main enablers of creating an inclusive learning environment, it is crucial for it to be modified and adapted to provide effective learning experiences and teaching strategies that are inclusive to all students. For this, it is vital that all schools and institutions create a Curriculum Architecture of their own- that overtly focuses on three things: Knowledge, Skills and Contextuality of the environment surrounding the institution. Talking about skills, the key ones that came into conversation were of Independence and Caring for the environment. This also encompassed the remark on the need to incorporate students’ various backgrounds, identities and experiences, viz., the instruction. This can also take into account the analysing of career/ college readiness among students. One panellist suggested making a ‘graduate profile’ for students in particular grades, i.e., what competency or skill a student of xyz grade would have once she graduates. Modelling a list of like this may be an excellent method to clarify, among both teachers and students, the aims of building upon curricular and learning goals. Last but not the least, the involvement and cooperation of parents in these pursuits were stressed upon. It is important to understand and acknowledge parents’ role as stakeholders in this journey. Having 20% of the parents implicated in action may be a good way to model the institution’s aims to other parents.

Though the concerned episode focused on the Foundational Stage, it is also vital to delve into how these approaches and implications can impact and chart the way to the other consequent stages within the school system, i.e., Secondary and Senior Secondary. We hope to explore this and the other related aspects of these in the upcoming episodes.

The following words of Poet Goethe are possibly an excellent piece of advice to people who want to take lessons on leadership:

Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is and treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and as he should be.

In a group it is important for a leader to deal with his members in the way they deserve. Very often leaders who acquire leadership by virtue of their authority deal with their members as if their leadership is a divine power. In such cases, the moment the authority or power lapses, their rapport with the members also lapses. They do not continue to enjoy any goodwill among the other members of the team. It is important that leaders should understand their team members and trust them. Trust is a great motivator and the moment the members come to know the trust of their leader, they go out to fulfill the obligations with commitment as they would like to be worthy of the trust reposed on them.

George Macdonald said:

“It is a greater compliment to be trusted than loved.”

Likewise, the trustworthiness of the leaders is an important dimension of their profile. If the leaders are not trustworthy the glow of their profile gradually declines among the team members. Leaders who tend to be opportunistic and exploit the confidence and trust of their followers have often met a great fall. History has abundant episodes to prove the fall of such untrustworthy leaders.

In a workplace, it is not necessary for a leader to prove periodically that he is trustworthy. But timely simple actions which are objective, unselfish, benign and humane are good enough as milestones in their journey.

A good leader has to introspect periodically whether he continues to enjoy the trust of his teammates. If not, he should ponder on what small steps could be taken towards enhancing the trustworthiness?

About the author

G. Balasubramanian is the Chairperson of Board of Adivsors to International Council for School Leadership (ICSL)

Support ICSL

ICSL is a not-for-profit organization on a mission to inspire, empower, and enable school leaders and educators. You can support us by becoming a member, participating in our programs (Friday@5, ReSET), and spreading the word amongst all educators in your network. Your support is very critical for our mission.

Team building is a great art.

• A leader understands the art of team building
• He identifies the talents, puts them into use and turns them to his advantage
• He delegates responsibilities and ensures accountability
• He is a part of every team, yet works little with each team
• He has the capacity to synergize the work

The leader ensures that all members of the team share the vision. Developing a shared vision is a difficult, but not an impossible task

Developing a shared vision helps in

• Building ownership
• Empowering people
• Enabling commitment
• Developing participation
• Establishing rapports

Stephen Covey in his book “Living with 7 habits” observes:

Everyone has mission statements, but very few are written down. Fewer still are consciously developed. But everyone has mission statements in the form of deeply held values that guide their decisions.

Developing a shared vision helps in manifestation of those unconscious missions and nurturing those deeply held values. The value conviction of all the members helps in strengthening the foundations of the common mission of the team.

A peep into the history of leadership may reveal to you the truth in the following statement of Sonia Johnson:

We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.

Are you a team builder? How have you contributed in developing a shared vision?