Karnataka plans to prescribe NCERT textbooks from class 1
Following a representation by Government Primary School Teachers' Association demanding the same, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh recently held a meeting with the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) and office bearers of the association, where the government has in-principle accepted this, sources said.
The government will scrap the existing Nali-Kali programme, a multi-class teaching programme where students from classes 1, 2 and 3 are taught by a single teacher in one classroom, currently practiced only in government and aided schools. Instead these students will be separated into different classes, assign them different teachers and teach them NCERT textbooks.
'The Nali-Kali scheme is not working properly in the State. Therefore, there is a discussion at the government level regarding scrapping it and implementing NCERT textbooks from Class 1 in all state curriculum schools, including government, aided and private schools across the state. However, the government will take a final decision in this regard,' said K.V. Trilok Chandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction.
Raising issues with the Nali-Kali programme Government Primary School Teachers' Association had petitioned the state government to abolish the same and prescribe NCERT textbooks, to ensure quality education from primary classes itself, even in government and aided schools. 'The Nali-Kali system has failed in primary education, and the quality of learning of students is going down. Due to this, the number of children in government schools is decreasing every year. In this context, we have requested the government to abandon the Nali-Kali system and prescribe NCERT textbooks from class 1. The NCERT curriculum will help improve the learning competency levels of children. The government has responded positively to our request,' said Chandrashekara Nuggali, general secretary of the association.
Why NCERT textbooks?
NCERT textbooks have been prescribed in all schools following the central syllabus and are considered to be updated. It has been a common trend that students preparing for competitive exams to professional courses, and even in recruitment exams, including civil services follow NCERT textbooks for reference. One of the reasons for this could also be that these exams have more NCERT syllabus-based questions.
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