New Delhi
The coronavirus, the massive global fight to combat it, and information about similar contagious maladies is set to make an entry into NCERT textbooks as India’s top school education body works to revise its material in tune with the times.
The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already initiated steps to revise its at least a decade-old National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
NCERT Director Hrushikesh Senapati said that the council will try to contemporise its curriculum, which will definitely mean adding information on contagious maladies such as Covid-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus), computational thinking and scientific efforts like the Indian Space research Organisation’s Mangalyaan project.
“When we revise the curriculum, we will definitely revise it keeping in view the new information that needs to be reflected in it. No doubt about that,” Senapati said.
On the technology front, he added, this would definitely mean a focus on Isro’s Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, India’s space programme, and computational thinking.
“On the health front, the new viruses, how to keep ourselves fit ... all these will be there. To some extent, how to fight with diseases is there, but still we will try to present it better,” the NCERT chief said.
{{/usCountry}}“On the health front, the new viruses, how to keep ourselves fit ... all these will be there. To some extent, how to fight with diseases is there, but still we will try to present it better,” the NCERT chief said.
{{/usCountry}}He added that he believes basic awareness should come from the kindergarten level itself.
“How to wash your hands, for instance, that’s something everyone should know about. More details can be there in higher classes,” Senapati added.
He added that NCERT will try to involve top scientists in its efforts to contemporise the curriculum.
The top NCERT official said that because of the lockdown, children and parents are spending more time together and that his organisation is trying to compile a list of activities and guidelines on how this time can be used constructively.
“We are trying to come up with something which is in line with NCERT’s learning outcomes.”