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Deccan Herald
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
History textbooks: Our own theatre of the absurd
After inexplicable delays, a new set of social science textbooks was released last week, ostensibly aligned to reflect the new pedagogical approach of the NEP 2020 and the associated 2023 new curriculum framework. No one is fooled. These textbooks have little to do with updating the pedagogy or making our remarkably unimaginatively written, and taught history textbooks exciting for young students. The communal and prejudiced undertones of this rewrite are visible in the Standard 8 history textbooks. This is about instrumentally using our school system to service the cause of Hindutva and go to war with India's Mughal past, and the so-called 'dark period' of our the last few days, national media have been consumed by a high-pitched battle as details of these textbooks are being debated threadbare. These debates are essential, and I am grateful that the blatant communalisation of our history textbooks is, at least, being debated. However, when I step back from the politics to the prosaic everyday world I occupy in my personal and professional life, I am also struck by how divorced these heated history wars are from the realities of our school system and the social compact around which it my personal life, I am the parent of an 8th grader, and these textbooks are doomed to be part of my household's everyday struggles. In my professional life as a researcher, I have spent years chronicling the travails of India's public school system and its obsession with high-stakes examinations that can be conquered only by rote learning. When considered from the two vantage points, these debates on history have a surreal quality to them. They feel like our theatre of the a parent, the unfolding debate would be comical if its consequences were not so tragic. We are three months into the academic year, and the textbooks are still not distributed. Where is the time for teachers to prepare, if they don't know what the core textbooks look like? Arguably, this won't matter in any significant way. The textbooks have been dull and badly written; students are bored, and history from my days in school has been taught as a subject where you must cram dates and places and relay them with little critical engagement in the exam. Even my historian sister admits that she would never have thought she would become a historian while struggling through CBSE History! The same fate awaits my once, I am grateful. They are unlikely to be influenced by the distorted and prejudiced textbooks, for they are unlikely to remember what they study in school, even though the tiger-mom side of me will force them to memorise whatever they need to, to pass the exam. I will do so in the comfort that the real history they will learn from books outside of these textbooks. In a different world, the rewrite and debates ought to have been about infusing critical thinking, about developing in students the capacity to engage with the complexity of history to arrive at a nuanced understanding of our past. Instead, the battlefield has shifted to these distorted realities. And we can take solace in the fact that a badly taught subject may well save us from bringing up a whole generation schooled in an aside, for a political regime that willingly flirts with authoritarianism, the incompetence is astounding. Deadlines came and went, books are yet to be printed, curriculum is still to be completely revised. On the upside, thanks to this inefficient rewrite, the 8th grader has been introduced to the concept of secularism, and the textbook continues to inform us that this is a core constitutional value. Phew, incompetence may well save us!.Ground realities of what it means to be a teacher in a dysfunctional system and distorted incentives that teachers respond to make these debates feel like they are in a parallel universe. 'Forget understanding, just apply rote learning and pass the examination. I will be very happy' – is how a public school teacher in Delhi described how she 'teaches' her students. The emphasis is on rote because exams are the only metric she is held accountable to. Mastery of examinations, and not of learning, is the foundational logic of our education system. This is what I call the classroom consensus. The broad social compact around education emphasises its instrumental rather than public value. And in this process, there has been no real effort to build collective societal ownership over broader goals of critical thinking and social solidarity that education ought to deliver. Debating history and facts is important, but until we build a broader societal consensus over the public value of education, our curricula and textbooks will remain vulnerable to political capture.


The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
L-G office's push for including Sanskrit in J&K schools not approved yet: J&K govt
The move of the Secretariat of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to include Sanskrit as a mandatory or optional subject in schools in J&K not approved yet, the J&K government said on Saturday (July 19, 2025). A government spokesman said the L-G Secretariat had received a representation from Purshotam Lal Dube, who heads a non-governmental organisation, for inclusion of Sanskrit in the schools and colleges of J&K under the provisions of NEP 2020. 'The communication was forwarded to the Higher and the School Education department by the L-G Secretariat. The department has not proposed, approved, or initiated any process for the inclusion of Sanskrit as a mandatory or optional subject in schools across Jammu & Kashmir,' the government spokesman said. The spokesman said the L-G office's communication was forwarded by the General Administration Department (GAD) to Director School Education Jammu and Kashmir for furnishing of comments in the matter. 'The department follows a transparent and consultative process for curriculum changes, in line with NEP 2020. Any future decision regarding the inclusion of new subjects will be officially communicated through proper channels after due deliberation,' the spokesman said. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday accused the Omar Abdullah government of excluding Urdu from digitisation of land records in J&K. 'Years before the 2024 government's formation, the J&K administration allegedly gave a multi-crore land digitisation contract to a company named 'Ramtech.' The company scanned every single land document across districts but digitised only Srinagar and Jammu in three years,' PDP leader and legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra said. He said Mr. Abdullah's silence was questionable. 'Where's the accountability for the crores spent? And why is the Omar Abdullah government now erasing Urdu, one of the official languages from the new digitisation process? I'm sure the CM would be aware of this issue since he also happens to hold the revenue portfolio,' Mr. Parra said.


Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Constant infra upgrades at govt schools: CM
Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said that state govt is constantly upgrading the infrastructure in govt schools in Goa and that govt institutes now have better facilities or are on par with those in other privately managed schools. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Now, there is no shortage of teachers, even if some are appointed on a contract basis. Now there are 20 to 22 teachers teaching in a govt high school. Earlier, parents thought that a govt high school meant the facilities were lacking. Now this has changed, and govt high schools are in the number one position in the state,' said Sawant. The CM said that facilities like smart classrooms and labs are also being provided in govt schools in Goa. 'Giving good infrastructure to govt high schools is govt's duty, and we are providing it, whether it is a building, smart classroom, or lab. From time to time, we are giving such infrastructure one by one to all govt schools,' he said after inaugurating a STEM Lab at Govt Higher Secondary School, Sanquelim, along with water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar. The lab was provided under ONGC's CSR initiative. Sawant said that even children in the govt primary schools in Sanquelim and Shiroda constituencies are provided exposure to STEM education. 'This hands-on learning hub in science, robotics, and tech supports NEP 2020 and Viksit Bharat @2047. This is a step toward nurturing innovation and digital skills, which is one of six such labs across Goa. Children need exposure to STEM labs. In fact, if they are exposed to innovation and tech-related subjects now, they will develop an interest in entering innovation-related sectors in the future. Even primary students of Class IV are learning how the heart functions, how wind energy and solar energy operate. If you see this, then Goa's and India's future is bright,' said Sawant.


Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
10 newly released NCERT textbooks for classes 5 and 8: Check the full list here
NCERT releases new textbooks for classes 5th and 8th. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new set of textbooks for Classes 5 and 8, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. The new textbooks incorporate changes in content structure, learning outcomes, and pedagogical approaches, with a focus on conceptual understanding, real-world application, multilingual integration, and activity-based learning. These textbooks are now available for purchase on NCERT's official portal and through authorised sellers on Amazon India. Most titles are priced between ₹50 and ₹70. The set includes two Urdu textbooks, Sitar for Class 5 and Khayal for Class 8, introduced as part of the multilingual education initiative under NEP 2020. What's new in the curriculum approach? According to NCERT, the newly introduced textbooks follow key NEP 2020 guidelines, including experiential learning, skill-based education, and the inclusion of regional languages. Compared to older editions, the new books contain more illustrations, projects, and exercises. Subjects such as science and social science include application-based questions. Language textbooks feature poetry, prose, and grammar integrated with comprehension and creative writing tasks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo Complete list of new NCERT textbooks For Class 5: Veena (Hindi) Santoor (English) Sitar (Urdu) For Class 8: Poorvi (English) Malhar (Hindi) Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Social Science) Curiosity (Science) Kriti (Art Education) Kaushal Bodh (Vocational Education) Khayal (Urdu) Sitar and Khayal: Enriching Urdu education Two Urdu-language textbooks are part of the new release, Sitar for Class 5 and Khayal for Class 8. Sitar includes stories, poems, and basic grammar content designed for primary-level Urdu learners. The textbook also includes exercises and illustrations aimed at reinforcing foundational language skills. Khayal , intended for upper middle school students, covers a range of literary forms including ghazals, essays, and plays. The textbook contains reading comprehension questions, grammar sections, and writing tasks. Both textbooks are designed to support language development among Urdu-speaking students and are part of the broader effort to implement multilingual education in accordance with NEP 2020. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!


Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Here's why Delhi school principals will undergo mandatory training as part of NEEEV scheme
Students in classes 8 to 12 in Delhi Government schools will soon begin learning entrepreneurship as part of their regular curriculum. The lessons will slowly progress from understanding the startup ecosystem, ideation techniques, prototype generation, and funding opportunities to eventually building their startups, as per senior officials. To kickstart this transition, all Heads of Schools (HoSs) will undergo a one-day orientation next week under the newly launched New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem & Vision (NEEEV) Scheme. The training will be conducted by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) between July 21 and 24 in multiple batches across venues. As per a recent SCERT circular, school heads have been asked to attend the training without fail. The circular issued on July 16 by Dr Mukesh Yadav, Joint Director (Academic), SCERT, states that the NEEEV Scheme, introduced during the 2025-26 Budget Session, is a 'pioneering initiative aimed at integrating entrepreneurship education into the school curriculum.' The circular went on to state that the programme is 'aligned with the vision of NEP 2020' and promotes 'skill-based, experiential, and competency-driven learning to prepare students for real-world challenges and opportunities.' An introductory overview of the scheme shared by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on July 8 outlines an 'experiential' and 'hands-on' learning model. It states that 'Entrepreneurship Education has emerged as a critical component of modern schooling, fostering traits like creativity, problem-solving and self-reliance among students.' The scheme is introduced 'to foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Delhi and bridge the existing gaps in education and employability skills.' NEEEV is described as 'a specialized, skill-based and competency-driven entrepreneurial education scheme uniquely designed for school students.' It aims to 'provide advanced entrepreneurial training while fostering innovation…and business acumen from an early stage.' The curriculum will follow 'a progressive, hands-on approach to entrepreneurial competency, starting in Class 8 and advancing through Class 12, blending experiential and theoretical learning for holistic, future-ready development.' Entrepreneurship classes will be held once a week and taught by teachers nominated by the Principal or HoS from within the school faculty. Each school must also designate a NEEEV School Programme Coordinator and maintain lesson progress on an upcoming online module prepared by the DoE. Along with this, a School Innovation Council (SIC) will be established in every school, headed by the principal or school head. Two new initiatives have been planned to be integrated into the classroom learning. 'NEEEV Dialogue', a speaker series, will be held twice a year, giving students from these classes 'the opportunity to engage with university incubators, entrepreneurs, and industry experts'. A 'Startup Stormers' competition, open to students of Classes 9 onwards, is also to be held under the scheme to gradually help the students fund their business ideas. The circular added that shortlisted teams from the competition, selected by their School Innovation Councils, may receive financial support 'to strengthen their concepts and to help transform their solution/idea/prototypes into viable ventures.' In 2019-20, in a similar effort the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had introduced the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC). As part of this, seed money was provided under Business Blasters— a practical component of the curriculum. In schools equipped with Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), students have been advised to use resources such as 3D printers, IoT (Internet of Things) kits, Artificial Intelligence AI and Robotics tools, LEGO kits, and other STEM equipment for hands-on innovation. As part of the scheme, to support a 'decentralised implementation', the directorate will also establish District Innovation Councils (DICs) and Zonal Innovation Councils (ZICs), it said. Nodal schools are to be assigned for coordination and reporting in each district and zone, and respective Deputy Directors (DDEs) will oversee its implementation, the circular said. The NEEEV Scheme, the directorate notes, aims 'to empower aspiring entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup landscape,' while encouraging a shift from rote learning to experiential, competency-based education.