NCERT Deletions: No Textbook Conspiracy

Why in News?

• According to a report, ‘The theory of evolution and the periodic table’, have been dropped from science textbooks by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
• The alarmist news gained global attention, including from the noted scientific journal Nature.
• It is, therefore, necessary to understand what led to the controversy and present the right perspective regarding the rationalisation of NCERT textbooks.

 

Rationalisation of Textbooks by NCERT

• The NCERT was tasked with the rationalisation of textbooks across all classes and subjects.
• The process accounted for five broad criteria:
  • Overlaps with similar content in other subjects within the same class
  • Similar content in a lower or higher class
  • The level of difficulty
  • Easily available content that does not require much assistance from teachers and can be undertaken through self or peer-learning.
  • Irrelevant content in the present context.

 

The Rationale Behind Rationalisation of Textbooks

• Regular Process: The updating process of textbooks is a regular process and the changes are not random.
• Process reflects changing realities
  • The process includes the incorporation of content related to information technology and computers.
  • The textbooks are revised in accordance with the reforms in the country’s educational system.
• Need-based exercise:To reduce content load because of the toll taken on the mental health of students during the pandemic.

 

Motivation Behind Current Rationalisation of Textbooks

• To Meet the Criteria Mentioned in NEP 2020: The NEP 2020 emphasises reducing the content load and providing opportunities for experimental learning with a creative mindset.
• To Dispel the Effects of the Pandemic on the Educational System
  • There was a colossal loss of teaching time during the pandemic which led to loss of learning and increased the load on the students.
  • This was also a concern expressed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education.
  • Therefore, the process of rationalisation was initiated to facilitate the speedy recovery in the learning continuum and compensating time loss of students.

 

What Led to the Controversy?

• The controversy was caused by misinformation and confusion.
• The major confusion was due to the deletion of some parts (like the theory of evolution, periodic table) that the critics argued were not included in the notification of the rationalisation process.
• Unverified information not only had an adverse impact on the reputation of the NCERT but also created scepticism about the country’s education system.

 

The Right Perspective

• The periodic table has “not been removed from school education curriculum” but instead reassigned to Unit 3 in the Class 11 textbook.
• Darwin’s theory of evolution is covered in “great detail” in chapter 6 of the Class 12 textbook.
• This has nothing to do with some conspiracy but is representative of the regular process of reprinting where minor deletions are not notified to avoid unnecessary confusion.These textbooks are for this year alone.
• Besides the larger synchronisation practice of textbooks to make them comply with the NEP 2020, the textbooks are supposed to be revised regularly by the Textbook Development Committee (constituted in 2005).
  • This committee is mandated to develop the syllabus in line with the 2005 National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
  • Each proposed change is first sent to the Textbook Committee, which is tasked to analyse and recommend them.
  • Moreover, these are not radical transformations since reprinting textbooks to take care of the suggestions of stakeholders is a process that takes place every year.
• The missing reference to Maulana Azad from the class 11 political science is not a part of the current process of rationalisation. The reference was dropped from 2014-15 onwards.

 

Controversies in the Past

• In 1978-79, a controversy over revising the contents of history books dominated the political space during the tenure of Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
• In 2006, during the UPA rule, a chapter on Sikhism had to be changed because of enormous controversy.
• In 2012, the Shahi Imam of FatehpuriMosque (Delhi) demanded the removal of two mediaeval paintings from history textbooks arguing that their inclusion violated Sharia Law.

 

Conclusion

• Today India is well placed in cross checking facts than before. Therefore, the speed with which controversy spreads is concerning.
• The NCERT controversy shows how easy it is to spread misinformation but more importantly how important it is to counter misinformation.

 

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Q) How has the Pandemic affected the educational system? 

Education is undeniably crucial in contributing to a country’s welfare and an individual’s growth, but it was jeopardised by Covid -19. It has had a huge impact on the lives of millions of kids. Education was hampered by the economic crisis, which reduced its output. According to studies, the epidemic has denied almost 32 crore students of an education. Some educated parents were able to guide but some may not have the adequate level of education needed to teach children in the house. 

 

Q) What were the initiatives by the Government during Covid-19 to help students? 

The government explored ODL platforms which can be used offline to help students and teachers in remote parts of the country. One such example is Diksha portal which contains e-Learning content for students, teachers, and parents aligned to the curriculum, including video lessons, worksheets, textbooks and assessments. The app is available to use offline. It has more than 80,000 e-Books for classes 1 to 12 created by CBSE, NCERT in multiple languages. The contents can also be viewed through QR codes on textbooks.

 

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Source: The Indian Express