Pune:
It was a scene straight out of the Bollywood movie 3 Idiots. And the protagonist this time was state Education Minister Rajendra Darda. In the city to meet officials from the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) entrusted with the task of revising the curriculum for SSC schools, Darda insisted that practical and not rote learning be the new mantra of education.
The process of introducing reforms in education and revising the curriculum for students of the state board, or SSC schools, began almost a year-and-half ago. On Monday, officials of the MSBSHSE presented the proposed revised syllabus, known as the Maharashtra State Curriculum Framework, to the Education Minister.
If approved, the new curriculum MSBSHSE has worked on will make learning an easy and stress-free experience as emphasis will not be on the marking system or rote learning but on things like projects and field trips. The changes promise to make learning interesting. For example, instead of exhaustive textual information, textbooks will be divided into essential and additive information, and a part of the portion will be given out in CDs as audio-visual material.
Outlining the main idea behind the revised syllabus, MSBSHSE chairperson Ujjwaladevi Patil said the idea was to make the syllabus more student-friendly by reducing stress and improving quality by moving from rote-learning to interest-based learning. "This will help in improving the competence of SSC board students so that they can compete with students from any board and are prepared for all national entrance tests for their classes," she said.
In the new syllabus, MSBSHSE has proposed interest-based learning, or widening the scope for choosing subjects. For example, a student who wishes to study sciences after SSC should be given flexibility to skip a few other non-relevant subjects. The board wants students to relate theory to real life and that is why the emphasis on practical learning.
"The new curriculum proposes changes in teaching and the marking system as well. We want more emphasis on the process of learning than the end product, that's why in the final marks more emphasis will be on the student's knowledge of subjects than on written exams," said Patil. The new curriculum promises to be updated and practical, as latest developments, new inventions in science and the latest research will be included in textbooks. Also, textbooks will have chapters on local geography and history in the primary school curriculum so that students can get a feel of their surroundings.
Besides extensive training of teachers and involvement of technology, the board proposes to give some flexibility to teachers on teaching methods to include creative and interesting ways of learning. While appreciating the research and the idea behind the concept, Darda insisted that the curriculum be drafted in such a manner that it creates interest in the professions.
"Of the over seven lakh students that pass SSC, maybe a creamy layer gets into traditional professions like those of doctors, engineers, teachers, among others. What about the rest who are left to do clerical jobs? I want that reforms be brought in so that students are made to think at school level about other professions or develop their interest, like someone wanting to be a museum curator or a chef or an artist. I want our students to open their minds and this new curriculum should ensure that," said Darda.
School dropouts who still harbour the desire to complete their studies need not lose heart as the government has decided to start a dedicated open school for them. The school will have its nodal centres across the state. Education Minister Rajendra Darda, who discussed the move yesterday, said the schooling would focus on job-oriented courses and target people of a slightly higher age group -- up to 50 years. "At present, we have a system of external students who can appear for SSC or HSC exams through a distance mode, but the curriculum remains the same. In the open school, the syllabus would be need-based. The open school is meant for those who dropped out of school years ago and fall in a slightly higher age group, but still want to complete their education," he said.
According to the proposal prepared by education board officials, the students of the open school would have to pass in five subjects. "Marathi would be a compulsory subject and the second subject could be any language that students opt for -- ranging from English to Urdu or even foreign languages such as German. The other three subjects would be based on their professional interest. It could be anything from tailoring to yoga to elements of basic technology," said Patil. Exams would be conducted twice a year and students needn't write all papers at one go. "They can pay for the exam of a particular subject that they want to undertake and clear the subject. Also, we plan to rope in specialised people to given hands-on training to the students," said Darda.
The process of introducing reforms in education and revising the curriculum for students of the state board, or SSC schools, began almost a year-and-half ago. On Monday, officials of the MSBSHSE presented the proposed revised syllabus, known as the Maharashtra State Curriculum Framework, to the Education Minister.
If approved, the new curriculum MSBSHSE has worked on will make learning an easy and stress-free experience as emphasis will not be on the marking system or rote learning but on things like projects and field trips. The changes promise to make learning interesting. For example, instead of exhaustive textual information, textbooks will be divided into essential and additive information, and a part of the portion will be given out in CDs as audio-visual material.
Outlining the main idea behind the revised syllabus, MSBSHSE chairperson Ujjwaladevi Patil said the idea was to make the syllabus more student-friendly by reducing stress and improving quality by moving from rote-learning to interest-based learning. "This will help in improving the competence of SSC board students so that they can compete with students from any board and are prepared for all national entrance tests for their classes," she said.
In the new syllabus, MSBSHSE has proposed interest-based learning, or widening the scope for choosing subjects. For example, a student who wishes to study sciences after SSC should be given flexibility to skip a few other non-relevant subjects. The board wants students to relate theory to real life and that is why the emphasis on practical learning.
"The new curriculum proposes changes in teaching and the marking system as well. We want more emphasis on the process of learning than the end product, that's why in the final marks more emphasis will be on the student's knowledge of subjects than on written exams," said Patil. The new curriculum promises to be updated and practical, as latest developments, new inventions in science and the latest research will be included in textbooks. Also, textbooks will have chapters on local geography and history in the primary school curriculum so that students can get a feel of their surroundings.
Besides extensive training of teachers and involvement of technology, the board proposes to give some flexibility to teachers on teaching methods to include creative and interesting ways of learning. While appreciating the research and the idea behind the concept, Darda insisted that the curriculum be drafted in such a manner that it creates interest in the professions.
"Of the over seven lakh students that pass SSC, maybe a creamy layer gets into traditional professions like those of doctors, engineers, teachers, among others. What about the rest who are left to do clerical jobs? I want that reforms be brought in so that students are made to think at school level about other professions or develop their interest, like someone wanting to be a museum curator or a chef or an artist. I want our students to open their minds and this new curriculum should ensure that," said Darda.
School dropouts who still harbour the desire to complete their studies need not lose heart as the government has decided to start a dedicated open school for them. The school will have its nodal centres across the state. Education Minister Rajendra Darda, who discussed the move yesterday, said the schooling would focus on job-oriented courses and target people of a slightly higher age group -- up to 50 years. "At present, we have a system of external students who can appear for SSC or HSC exams through a distance mode, but the curriculum remains the same. In the open school, the syllabus would be need-based. The open school is meant for those who dropped out of school years ago and fall in a slightly higher age group, but still want to complete their education," he said.
According to the proposal prepared by education board officials, the students of the open school would have to pass in five subjects. "Marathi would be a compulsory subject and the second subject could be any language that students opt for -- ranging from English to Urdu or even foreign languages such as German. The other three subjects would be based on their professional interest. It could be anything from tailoring to yoga to elements of basic technology," said Patil. Exams would be conducted twice a year and students needn't write all papers at one go. "They can pay for the exam of a particular subject that they want to undertake and clear the subject. Also, we plan to rope in specialised people to given hands-on training to the students," said Darda.
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