National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) dropped a few chapters from the Class X textbooks. The dropped chapters include the Periodic Table, the contribution of agriculture to the national economy, challenges to democracy and sustainable management of natural resources.
To recall, the changes were announced by the NCERT last year as part of a "rationalisation" exercise based on expert recommendations. The new textbooks with these deletions and changes have now hit the market.
Justifying its move, NCERT posted a thread on Twitter stating why it had dropped a few chapters from the textbooks. "During the COVID -19 pandemic, students and teachers across the school stages were at home and managing teaching-learning using alternative modes. NCERT attempted to rationalise the contents of the textbooks in 2021 considering following criteria:
a. Overlapping with similar content included in the other subject area in the same class.
b. Similar content included in the lower or higher class in the same subject.
c. High difficulty level
d. Content, which is easily accessible to children and does not require much intervention from the teachers and can be learnt through self-learning or peer-
learning.
e. Content, which is not relevant in the present context or is outdated.
f. Learning outcomes already developed across the classes are taken care of in this rationalization exercise," read the thread.
Removal of concepts-why?
"With respect to the removal of the concepts of periodic table and evolution are concerned, the same has not been removed from the school education curriculum but in fact are available in appropriate detail in classes 11 and 12," it added. Moreover, regarding rationalisation of the concept of evolution, it said, "As far as the rationalisation of the content of evolution is concerned, the same has been dealt in appropriate details in classes 12 as stated above."
Disclosing the reason, why NCERT has initiated this step, it said, "A considered opinion emerged based on the feedback received from various stakeholders, including practising teachers, that children may not have to study same concepts at different stages and it needs to be done at appropriate stage." Therefore the same has been rationalised at this stage, more so considering the COVID pandemic situation, it added.
Further, clearing the air about the rationalisation of the periodic table, it tweeted saying, "Discussion about basic concepts such as elements, symbols, formation of compounds, atoms and molecules have been dealt with in class 9. In class 10, chemical reaction; acids, bases & salts; metals & non-metals; carbon & its compounds have been covered."
"Students pursuing science in classes 11 and 12 will study the details of Periodic Classification of elements (Periodic table). The content placed in the periodic table again have been made more age-appropriate, more so considering the Covid pandemic situation," it added.
