HRD looks to reduce students’ burden, trim NCERT syllabus
Today, the syllabus is so cramped, students don’t have any time left for themselves. They read, mug up and sit for exams. This has to be changed. PRAKASH JAVADEKAR, HRD minister
NEWDELHI: The ministry of human resource development will seek suggestions from various stakeholders in deciding what portions of the NCERT syllabus can be done away with to reduce the burden on students as the ministry believes the existing syllabus was only making them “examination driven”, minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday.
The current syllabus will be reduced in the coming two to three years, he said.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will begin an exercise to prepare a new curriculum by significantly cutting down the existing syllabus to help students learn better and grow up as a “good human being.”
Javadekar said the new curriculum will lead to “holistic development” of students with incorporation of provisions for proper physical education, value education, life skill education and experiential learning besides academics.
The council will start the process by inviting suggestions from school teachers, parents, students and “all other stakeholders” this week.
Hindustan Times had reported on February 19 about the NCERT’S move to reduce the syllabus as well as make textbooks thinner and bags lighter.
The new curriculum will be introduced from next year, if ready, or from the academic session of 2020-19, Javadekar added.
“Plenty of information is not education. Students are not just a data bank. Today, the syllabus is so cramped that there is no time left for students. They read, mug up and appear for examinations. We are only producing examination-giving students. This has to be changed,” he said.
The minister further said that the idea to have quality education in the country emerged predominantly from the six workshops held by the ministry as well as high level meetings with state education officials.