Newly introduced Class I textbooks set for another revision

SCERT decided to go in for a revision based on feedback that activities included in the textbooks and workbook were more than what could be handled in the classroom

Class I textbooks introduced in schools this academic year as part of school curriculum revision are set to be revised yet again.

Textbooks for Classes I, III, V, VII, and IX were revised and introduced in schools in June this year. However, six months into the 2024-25 academic session, the Class I textbooks for Malayalam and Mathematics are being revamped in the wake of “classroom experiences.”

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) had collected feedback from teachers on the textbooks after the Onam examinations. It decided to go in for a revision based on the response that the activities included in the textbooks and in the newly introduced workbook together were more than what could be handled in the classroom.

Workshop

A textbook design workshop was held in Kozhikode to examine the feedback, particularly those relating to excess activities pertaining to some chapters. Teachers pointed that a large number of activities were coming in the way of completing the syllabus. They were further constrained by the loss of teaching days owing to holidays, school festivals, and the like.

A teacher told The Hindu that students’ initial enthusiasm waned due to an overload of activities in the textbooks. If teachers were to rush through these activities, students were unlikely to imbibe anything.

Positive step

Another teacher associated with the revision said it was the first time in the State that new textbooks were being revised by taking into account classroom realities. It was a positive step that problems were being addressed just six months into the session. The changes were necessary to achieve the desired learning outcomes by the time the students completed Class I. The textbooks taught the past few years had problems but these were not addressed at all.

SCERT Director Jayaprakash R.K. clarified that the changes made were minor; entire textbooks were not being revamped. It had been decided earlier itself that changes if needed would be made to the textbooks in the form of additions or deletions every year. “We are just following through with it. The revisions will need to be approved by the school curriculum subcommittee before these can be effected. The textbooks with the changes will reach students in the next academic year,” he said.

Published - November 15, 2024 08:57 pm IST