PANJIM: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has invited suggestions from people for reducing the burden of the school curriculum on students.
“Education does not mean bookish knowledge and writing mugged up answers in examination,” NCERT said, while adding that “sports, life skills and experiential learning along with creative skills are necessary for personality development.”
The notice further states, “Today, students feel stress due to curriculum burden and get little time for their all-round development. Keeping this view NCERT has decided to rationalise the current curriculum as much as possible, for all-round development of children.”
NCERT has invited suggestions at mhrd.gov.in/suggestions/ by April 30, 2018.
Speaking to Herald, State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Nagraj Honnekeri said, “Till now NCERT has not sent any official circular to us asking for suggestions, once we get the official circular we shall accordingly plan and send our State’s suggestion to NCERT.”
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had said last month that the ministry is seeking to halve the school syllabus prescribed by NCERT and CBSE in schools.
“We need to develop a system where students get time for each of this and can progress in the areas which he or she likes most; therefore there is continuous demand of rationalisation of syllabus which many people believe is too heavy and inappropriate for age,” Javdekar said in a statement.
MHRD has said that it will review the suggestions and take measures to reduce the syllabus. Ministry sources said the changed syllabus could be implemented in the next two-three years.
