With the new framework’s focus on reforming the curriculum to suit students’ needs, parents think it will help in the overall development of children.
The latest framework for curriculum designed by the state education department, which was released to the public for feedback on September 10, has met with mixed reactions from schools and parents.
With the new framework’s focus on reforming the curriculum to suit students’ needs, parents think it will help in the overall development of children. “These changes were needed to make our children competent on an international level. I hope that the guidelines will be implemented well,” said parent Laxmi Narayan, a retired teacher from a Khar school.
The project proposes to introduce agricultural science as an optional subject in junior colleges, and states that science should be taught in laboratories and not classrooms. However, many principals and teachers feel that the changes proposed in the framework could be implemented only after some improvement in the existing school infrastructure. “Not many schools have modern labs or sufficient lab instruments; many don’t even have playgrounds,” said Meenakshi Kilpady, principal, Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan School, Malad.
One of the provisions of the new curriculum seeks to make Mathematics an optional subject for higher secondary students. Though all teachers unanimously agree that reducing the burden of Maths from students is a good move, principals say that a lot needs to be done in terms of co- ordination between the school and college curriculum. “Students aspiring to pursue Science will take it up even though Maths might not interest them. Not just schools but colleges should also provide optional subjects across streams,” added Kilpady.
Some parents also fear that this new system will not make the students’ bags any lighter. “It’s good that this curriculum is trying to encourage the students to refer to many books rather than rely on one text book, but it also means that my child’s bag will become heavier,” said parent Harsha Gupta, whose son studies in St Joseph’s, Juhu.
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