The first sitting of the textbook revision committee will be held on November 1, to review school textbooks.
Informing this on Thursday, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said, “We will be having the first sitting to review the textbooks and curriculum at the Secretariat on November 1, 2023.”
The textbook revision committee comprises officers from the education department, DSEL, DERT, MBOSE and experts.
“We will deliberate and we will examine the entire process and if need be, a committee will discuss the change of textbooks or curriculum so that it will be at par with the national standard,” Sangma told reporters.
He informed that during the golden jubilee celebration of MBOSE on October 18, he had met the principals and headmasters of secondary and higher secondary schools and discussed various issues including the standard of the textbooks and curriculum in comparison with national standard.
“Most of the principals have raised concerns about the curriculum and syllabus not at par with the national level. They have requested the government to re-examine and redesign in line with the learning outcome at the national standard. So the government will take a call on this,” Sangma said.
The minister said that a similar meeting will also be held between the education department and headmasters and principals of secondary and higher secondary schools of Khasi-Jaintia Hills tomorrow.
“We will deliberate on the same issue as the whole exercise is relating to the standard of our curriculum and our education system should be at par with the national standards.”
On the proposed introduction of NCERT textbooks, Sangma said, “Let the DERT give us a roadmap about the entire curriculum, syllabus comparison of the national standard and state curriculum standard and what is the recommendation. If the principals or be it the experts or academicians feel it, I think the agenda is to make our education standard at par with national level – that we can tell only after the meeting (to be held on November 1).”
He added, “On November 1, we may decide about the interim period because after NEP come in they will take time to complete the process of reprinting, redesigning of new textbooks in line with NEP but as of now if we look at learning outcome it is the lowest in the country, the dropout rate is the highest, the PGI ranking is the lowest in the country, so the education department will not hesitate to take a historic decision in changing the textbook if need be. For that we are waiting for deliberation and consultation from DERT. DERT have done the exercise and have met many experts of the state from state board, CBSE board, and different academicians – so if need be we may have adopt the decision to use NCERT textbook but with certain condition and copyright permission from NCERT so that our culture and tradition of our state will not be left.”
He said the government wants to take everybody on board. “This will ensure that tomorrow if we decide (on this issue) it should not take anybody by surprise. So let us wait for another one week,” the minister added.
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