Opinion: School Textbooks Need Reforms and Rightsizing

Some members of the advisory committees of the NCERT have resigned in an attempt to disassociate themselves from the reforms that the premier education body has decided to implement. These reforms are not driven by the whims and fancies of the NCERT decision-makers. The changes followed thorough deliberation and careful consideration, primarily taking into account the recommendations endorsed unanimously by a cross-party parliamentary standing committee in 2021-22.

It is noteworthy that there absolutely is no record to suggest that these experts had ever voiced their opposition to the recommendations of the parliamentary panel, publicly or formally. Their opposition, drawing so much media attention, is at best an afterthought.

This manufactured controversy is a classic case of much ado about nothing. The ongoing debate has missed several points on which the parliamentary panel very thoughtfully reflected.

The panel's report submitted to parliament in 2021 on 'Reforms in Content and Design of School Text Books', says, in its opening remarks, "School textbooks are a primary pedagogical tool available for the impartation of education through the multitude of diversity that defines our country. The development of quality textbooks, including both printed and electronic textbooks (e-textbooks), becomes most important."

The Standing Committee Report recognises that the changing employment landscape and global ecosystem necessitates a shift in the orientation and purpose of education from being totally content-driven to being the vehicle for enhancing the critical thinking and problem-solving ability of learners, alongside encouraging creativity.

It is worthwhile to note that the committee has reflected not just on textbook reforms but also on curriculum reforms, the design of the textbooks and the content. The committee has also bemoaned the fact that NCERT has no clear mechanism of rectifying mistakes in textbooks once they are produced and circulated.

More importantly, the committee has emphasised on the need for reviewing and reforming schoolbook content intermittently. To make the process of reforms more democratic and inclusive, the committee has strongly recommended that the Ministry of Education set up an internal committee to examine suggestions from teachers, students, and institutions on updating the syllabus of NCERT textbooks.

Also, those criticizing the proposed changes ignore the fact that the Parliamentary Standing Committee has elaborately discussed and organisations like NCERT or the Maharashtra State Textbook Board have worked on the less debated aspect of the design of school textbooks too. For example, the committee has clearly mentioned that NCERT and organisations like it must develop 'mandatory standards for content, graphics, and layout, and pedagogical approaches' while stressing the need for creating 'child-friendly textbooks.'

In the same vein, the committee highlights the need for the enhanced use of pictures, graphics, QR codes, and other audio-visual materials, the enhanced use of games, plays, dramas, workshops, visits to places of historical importance, museums, etc. All this, the committee has noted, "ignite their inquisitiveness and analytical abilities and make the process of learning 'holistic, integrated, enjoyable, and engaging," as envisioned by the National Education Policy 2020.

It must be noted that conscious of the importance of presentation, the committee has strongly recommended the use of pictures, graphics, and audio-visual material. Again, thanks to a very innovative suggestion, the committee also discussed the idea of schoolchildren participating in preparing their own textbooks.

In the context of reducing the burden of textbooks, the committee report referred to Ekatmik Pathya Pustak (2018-19), an experiment focusing on the idea of creating a single textbook for one semester, covering all subjects. The project, initiated by the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, was welcomed by parents and teachers as well. The committee has recommended it for other states too.

The so-called experts who have now resigned from the advisory panel just can't deny the fact that NCERT textbooks, created so far under their 'valuable guidance' and 'advice', had many deficiencies. Most of them are famous for tirelessly talking on issues like gender justice. However, many independent experts speaking before the panel pointed out that women are underrepresented in school textbooks and are depicted in traditional and voluntary roles. This prompted the committee to recommend that the NCERT tries to (i) make textbooks gender inclusive, (ii) portray women in emerging professions, and (iii) adequately represent role of women in the Indian freedom movement.

But apparently, the reason behind the resignation spree is the rightsizing of certain periods in the history of India. While these experts have made loud noises while resigning, they have not been able to tell us why and what their objection is to the NCERT's efforts to rightsize periods of Indian history. The NCERT was just following the unanimous recommendations of the parliamentary panel.

These experts, escapist in their approach, have no good response to the fact that while several pages of the NCERT history textbooks were routinely devoted to Mughal kings like Aurangzeb and Akbar, references to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were only very casual and dismissed in a paragraph or two. This amounted to not just wanton denial of 'recognition justice' to Shivaji Maharaj, but also keeping the next generations totally in the dark about his historic contribution in rekindling confidence in minds of people. Thanks to Shivaji Maharaj, people realised they can fight, fight to win and defeat aggressors and invaders. In fact, similar observations were shared with the committee by a Class 8 student of a Gurugram school, who became the youngest person to depose before the committee.

NCERT advisors have neglected many national heroes, not just Shivaji Maharaj. The long list of such neglected historic personalities include Ahom warrior Lachit Barfukan, and great empires like those of Vikramaditya, Cholas, Chalukyas, Vijaynagar, Gondwana, or that of Travancore and Ahoms.

In the same report, the parliamentary committee also strongly recommended the appropriate portrayal of women heroes like Rani Laxmi Bai, Zalkari Bai and Chand Bibi, vis-a-vis their male counterparts. The committee noted that women heroes from different regions and eras should be given equal weightage and their contributions should be highlighted in history textbooks.

It is the Congress mindset that is responsible for this hazardous cocktail of inertia and partisan interests, evident in multiple spheres. Since 1947, Congress governments have rarely tried to restore the quintessential Indic spirit that was either completely denied space or pushed to the periphery during the colonial era. Adequate importance was denied to subjects like studies in Indian culture, Indian traditional arts, mother tongues and regional languages, and our craft traditions. The neglect of all this reflects this Congress mindset. It is high time that we come out of this self-inflicted imprisonment. In his passionate appeal to countrymen to make five important commitments-or the Panch-Pran- PM Modi has passionately called for rejecting lock, stock and barrel everything that has emerged from the mindset of a colony of invaders. The NCERT textbook is just one of the many right steps in that direction. Sadly, those opposing them for partisan ends don't know that they don't know!

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is former MP, Rajya Sabha and columnist, besides being President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.