School textbooks in Telangana to undergo revision

This significant update, the first since 2015, is set to be taken up shortly by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), a wing of the School Education department.

Hyderabad: The Education department will embark on a comprehensive revision of the school textbooks, aligning them with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 released by the Central government.

This significant update, the first since 2015, is set to be taken up shortly by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), a wing of the School Education department.

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The revision will be carried out in a phased manner starting with non-languages – Mathematics, Sciences, and Social Sciences followed by languages Telugu, Hindi, Urdu and English. For this, subject-wise expert committees comprising senior professors and teachers will be constituted by the SCERT. After a series of consultations with the stakeholders and workshops, the textbooks will be revised.

Divided into four stages – foundational, preparatory, middle and secondary – the NCF 2023 focuses on holistic development, equity and inclusion, curriculum flexibility, integration of technology, environmental consciousness among other areas. It emphasizes competency-based education, multidisciplinary learning, continuous assessment, local context and culture, and teacher empowerment among other areas.

As per the new framework, social science will have 20 per cent content at local level, 30 per cent at regional level and 30 per cent at national level and 20 per cent at the international level.

Doing away with the rote learning method, the new framework recommends skill development and values cultivation. It also focuses on holistic development of students, not just confining them to the textbook knowledge. It also focuses on addressing common fear of mathematics among students through interactive and innovative teaching, and assessing methods.

If implemented in total, the Class X and XII might have exams twice in the academic year as the NCF – 2023 pitches for the semester system of the examination.

To enrich teaching and learning experience, the new framework recommends usage of digital resources for teaching, assessment and evaluation. The last revision that SCERT undertook in 2015 was based on the NCF – 2005.