NCERT to release new textbooks only for classes 3 to 6: CBSE to schools

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will release new syllabus and textbooks only for classes 3rd to 6th, and there will be no change in the Curriculum and textbooks for other classes for the academic year 2024-25 commencing from April 1, according to an official communication by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to its affiliated schools.

In a communique sent to all heads of Institutions affiliated to CBSE, the board on Friday said that the NCERT has informed it through a letter dated March 18 that new syllabi and textbooks for classes 3 and 6 are currently under development and will soon be released. It has advised the schools to follow these new syllabi and textbooks for classes 3 and 6 in place of textbooks published by the NCERT till the year 2023.

The council is preparing new school textbooks in line with the new national curriculum framework for school education (NCF-SE) 2023 as a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. HT had on March 17 reported that the NCERT is unlikely to come up with textbooks for all classes ahead of this academic year, and it will continue with the existing rationalized textbooks for the majority of the classes.

“A bridge course for class 6, and concise guidelines for class 3 are being developed by NCERT for facilitating a seamless transition for students to new pedagogical practices and areas of study aligned with NCF-SE 2023. These resources will be disseminated to all the schools online once they are received from NCERT,” the CBSE said.

Besides, the Board will also organize capacity building programs for school heads and teachers to orient them with the new teaching learning perspectives as envisioned in NEP-2020, it added.

“There will be no change in the Curriculum and textbooks for other classes for the academic year 2024-25 commencing from 1st April 2024,” the board said.

The board has also advised the schools to follow the NCF- SE recommendations and incorporate methodologies such as Multilingualism, Art-Integrated Education, Experiential Learning, and Pedagogical Plans, wherever feasible.

“Schools are advised to align their practices with the recommendations delineated in NCF-SE-2023. This includes adherence to guidelines concerning content, pedagogical strategies, assessment methodologies, and other pertinent areas as communicated by the Board from time to time,” the board stated.

In 2022, NCERT had rationalised the syllabi of classes 6 to 12 to “reduce the content load” on students in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the changes, reflected in new textbooks published last year, the council had removed chapters on Mughal courts, 2002 Gujarat riots, cold war, references of Mughal emperors, and Emergency and periodic table. While the council maintained there was no selective omission of topics, the rationalisation exercise had created a political controversy with leaders from opposition parties alleging the ruling dispensation was “erasing history”.

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