Lighter syllabus brings cheers to parents & students

HRD Minister announces to reduce the NCERT syllabus by half from 2019

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER 

GUWAHATI, Feb 26: HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar’s latest announcement to reduce the load of the existing NCERT syllabus has brought cheers among students and parents in Assam.

“Oh… it is a great relief. My son studying in Class I recently had to write several tough questions in General Knowledge paper in the ongoing annual examitions of CBSE schools. I am fully confident that many students pursuing higher education may not be able to answer such tough General Knowledge questions.  It is simply impossible to comprehend and learn many chapters of not only General Knowledge but also other subjects such as English, Social Science and Science for children studying in Class I,” Dipali Barua, whose son goes to a leading city-based CBSE, said. 

Dipali Barua is not alone. Many other parents have been complaining about extreme load of NCERT syllabus on their children. Many of them said the syllabus load is so heavy that their children hardly get any time for other activities than studying and preparing for examitions throughout the academic year.    

It may be mentioned that Javadekar on Saturday announced that from the 2019 academic session the NCERT syllabus would be reduced by half. Keeping the students’ all-round development into consideration, the HRD minister said school syllabus is more than that of BA and BCom courses which are needed to be reduced by half so that students get time for other activities as well. 

In an interview with Rajya Sabha TV, Javadekar said that at the stage of development of cognitive skills, students needed to be given full freedom. He said that he had asked NCERT to reduce the syllabus by half and it would be effective from the 2019 academic session.

“I have a phobia for mathematics. And when I see the syllabus I pass through a nightmare that I will never be able to score even pass marks in mathematics. Hope something will change next year and eble me to pass the subject,” Chandan Mazumdar, a Class IV student said. 

The new reduced syllabus will be applicable from Class I to Class XII. The HRD Minister’s announcement has come after a few days after Prime Minister rendra Modi launched a special book for school students to guide them through the pressure of exams.