After keeping students and teachers waiting for a long period of time, the School Education Department on Sunday announced a reduced syllabus for Classes 10 and 12 for the current academic year. The announcement comes two days before the schools are to open for both classes on Tuesday.
Teachers who went through the reduced syllabus say that in most subjects, there is no deletion of chapters. Instead, some topics in each unit have been cut down.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has asked the Chief Educational Officers to direct the schools to teach the prioritised content first; the rest can be taught when time permits. Students who are preparing for competitive exams or other common exams have been asked to factor in the syllabus for these exams and prepare accordingly on their own, if needed.
“From what we have seen so far, topics have been reduced in chapters for Class 10 across subjects and changes have been made in the textbook questions too. Our teachers will come together for a review of the changes and we will convey the same to the students and parents this week,” said Stella Irin Kumari, principal, Shree Niketan Matriculation Higher Secondary School.
The heads of several schools are expected to have virtual review meetings with their teachers on Monday to discuss the syllabus. “The changes have been made without excluding any important concept that the students may need in the future. In economics, for instance, important concepts have not been done away with, and it is only the extra information and a few additional topics that have been reduced,” said G.J. Manohar, correspondent, MCC Higher Secondary School.
A reduction in syllabus was proposed in July last year because the schools were expected to remain shut for a major part of the academic year.
Minister for School Education K.A. Sengottaiyan had said 40% of the syllabus would be cut. In the last six months, teachers associations had called for a speedy announcement.
With the prioritised syllabus in hand, teachers say they will be able to plan the next three months properly.
