Debate erupts over NCERT books, experts flag ‘Didactic’ content
NCERT response awaited on concerns raised
Kolkata | Desk: Citing The Telegraph India, reports indicate that a debate has erupted within the education sector regarding the content of 'Purvi' and 'Kaveri', the new English textbooks prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for classes 6 through 9 over the past two years. Education experts allege that these books sideline the original literature of renowned and established authors, instead giving space to 'contrived' stories and poems written by the members of the textbook development committee themselves.
These compositions place excessive emphasis on 'military nationalism,' the glorification of war, and the promotion of government schemes, which experts deem inappropriate from the perspective of language learning.
Specifically, experts have raised objections regarding the Class 6 poem 'National War Memorial,' a Class 7 lesson paying tribute to soldiers, and material based on Major Somnath Sharma included in the Class 8 textbook.
Professor Anita Rampal, former Dean of the Department of Education at Delhi University, states that during the formulation of the 2005 National Curriculum Framework, it was decided that language textbooks would utilize only authentic works by distinguished authors, given that committee members are not necessarily literary experts.
She argues that the material included in the current textbooks is 'didactic' and 'prescriptive,' lacking in literary aesthetic value.
According to Professor Rampal, the language and themes employed in these books for children aged 10 to 14 are quite complex, potentially making them difficult to comprehend given their cognitive developmental levels.
It is alleged that these lessons focused on themes such as 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' (One India, Great India) and Yoga serve to promote a specific ideology rather than fostering critical thinking skills.
Experts believe that authentic literature helps children grasp the nuances of language and understand various literary styles, whereas self-authored material often remains merely informational or propagandistic in nature. The Telegraph India has sent an email to NCERT Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani seeking clarification on this serious matter; his official response is currently awaited.
