In a recent announcement, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has communicated that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will be introducing new syllabi and textbooks for classes 3 and 6 for the academic year 2024-25, starting April 1. The rest of the classes will continue with the existing curriculum and textbooks.
The CBSE, in a communique sent to all affiliated institutions, stated that NCERT, in a letter dated March 18, has revealed its ongoing development of new syllabi and textbooks for classes third and sixth. Schools have been advised to transition to these new materials, replacing NCERT-published textbooks until the year 2023.
These initiatives are part of the larger framework outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly focusing on the new national curriculum framework for school education (NCF-SE) 2023. As per the CBSE statement, a bridge course for class six and concise guidelines for class three are in the works to facilitate a smooth transition aligned with NCF-SE 2023."A bridge course for class 6, and concise guidelines for class 3 are being developed by NCERT for facilitating a seamless transition for students to new pedagogical practices and areas of study aligned with NCF-SE 2023. These resources will be disseminated to all the schools online once they are received from NCERT," the board stated.
Furthermore, the CBSE has announced plans to conduct capacity-building programs for school heads and teachers, aimed at familiarising them with the new teaching-learning methodologies envisaged in NEP-2020.
"There will be no change in the Curriculum and textbooks for other classes for the academic year 2024-25 commencing from April 1, 2024," the CBSE said. Schools have been urged to adopt the recommendations outlined in NCF-SE 2023, incorporating methodologies like multilingualism, art-integrated education, and experiential learning where feasible.
The CBSE said, "Schools are advised to align their practices with the recommendations delineated in NCF-SE-2023. This includes adherence to guidelines concerning content, pedagogical strategies, assessment methodologies, and other pertinent areas as communicated by the board from time to time."
This development follows NCERT's rationalisation of syllabi for classes 6 to 12 in 2022, aimed at reducing the content load on students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Notable changes included the removal of chapters on various historical and political topics.