NCERT to develop new syllabus and textbooks by 2023

Updated on: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The council aims to coach 33,000 key resource persons and 42 lakh elementary school teachers by 2020 to deal with gaps in curriculum delivery and improve learning outcomes among the scholars.

There is a niche between the expectations of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and therefore the present classroom learning, which is why high-scoring students fail to accumulate skills to face life's challenges, says Hrushikesh Senapaty, director NCERT. "NCERT books are designed following the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) developed in 2005 and follow a child-centric pedagogy. These books discourage rote ."

Overall perception of NCERT books being during a complex language. "The books are being taught for a few decade within the CBSE schools and across Kendriya Vidyalayas at different levels. If there have been language issues, those would are implicit by now." 

In the past, the Council had invited suggestions from the teachers and stakeholders for the rationalisation of the textbooks and lessen the content load if required. On the topic of whether the Council aims to review and revamp the text books which have often been mired in controversies about distortion of history and facts, Senapaty says, "Once the new National Education Policy (NEP) gets implemented, plans are on to develop a replacement NCF. this may provide us with the rules for developing the new syllabus and textbooks, the work that are going to be completed by April 2023."

Presently, the matter , consistent with Senapaty, doesn't roll in the hay the books intrinsically , but the way during which the teachings are transacted. "This often drives students to resort to varied reference books. The concept of a conducive learning environment remains a pipedream since teachers are busy transacting the teachings without acting as facilitators. In an age where we are emphasising on students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, students should be assigned different projects and activities where they engage in teamwork and share their interpersonal experiences," Senapaty tells Education Times.

NCERT books, he adds, specialise in developing students' problem-solving skills and conceptual knowledge, which are the key to success in both the competitive and board exams. "If the aim is to develop 21st century learning skills among the scholars, they ought to not be spoon fed through guidebooks as a shortcut to success."

To address the gaps in curriculum delivery, NCERT has provided training to 23,000 key resource persons and 12 lakh teachers through its National Initiative for college Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme initiated on August 21, 2019. Barring West Bengal, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh-three states that are likely to be inducted after March 2020-the programme were launched across 33 states and Union Territories. "We aim to coach 33,000 key resource persons and 42 lakh grade school teachers by 2020 to make sure that NCERT books are transacted within the spirit with which they were developed".

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