NCERT textbooks in accordance with NEP to be introduced in schools from...

New NCERT textbooks revised in accordance with the new National Education Policy (NEP) are likely to be introduced in schools from 2024-25 academic session, Education Ministry officials said on Monday. The textbooks will be developed in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

"The new textbooks are likely to be introduced from 2024-25 academic session. It is a tall task but we are aiming for that. The textbooks will be revised as per the new NCF, work on which is already going on. Developing textbooks is a laborius task," a senior MoE official said.

All the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks developed as per the revised NCF will also be available in digital format.
"Since COVID-19 has taught us that there is an appetite for digital learning, all the new textbooks will simultaneously be made available digitally so anybody can download them," he added.

Noting that textbooks should not be "static", the official said an institutional framework will be developed to ensure that the textbooks are updated on a regular basis.

The NEP 2020 envisages a "5+3+3+4" curriculum pedagogical structure. According to the new school education system outlined in NEP 2020, children will spend five years in the foundational stage, three years each in the preparatory and middle stages, and four years in the secondary stage.

The Centre had in 2020 started the process to revise school textbooks by appointing former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Kasturirangan as the head of a 12-member steering committee responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

The four NCFs being prepared are -- NCF for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCFECCE), NCF for School Education (NCFSE), NCF for Teacher Education (NCFTE), NCF for Adult Education (NCFAE).

Detailing the process, the senior official said that all states and Union Territories have first prepared their State Curriculum Frameworks (SCFs) passing through the process of district-level consultations, mobile app surveys and development of position papers by the State Focus Groups in 25 areas or themes identified as per the NEP, 2020 including ECCE, Teacher Education and Adult Education.

"These draft SCFs will provide inputs to the development of NCFs. States, UTs and autonomous organisations working under MoE, all will attempt this process to provide inputs for the NCFs. Recommendations of NEP, 2020 will be kept in view during the whole process.

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"Drawing insights from these position papers and draft SCFs, four NCFs are being prepared. Draft NCFs will be translated into 22 languages given in the eighth schedule of the Constitution and shared with the states and UTs for their comments. Taking care of their comments, the NCFs will be given final shape and will be placed before the Ministry of Education for the approval processes. After approval, the documents will be disseminated to states for revising the draft SCFs and also for the implementation," he added.

The NCF for the foundational stage (FS) was launched by the Ministry of Education last year and according to the curriculum framework, the NCERT has developed and collected the learning-teaching material (LTM). Toys, puzzles, puppetry, posters, flashcards, worksheets and attractive storybooks are part of the "Jaadui Pitara" launched by the Ministry of Education for learning at the foundational stage.

(With inputs from PTI)