NEW DELHI: Miffed over the fact that the National Council for Educational Research and Training is “reviewing” the curriculum followed by the Council for Indian School Certificates Examinations (CISCE), instead of asking it to follow its syllabi, India’s apex child rights body has slapped a second notice on it.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had earlier questioned the NCERT and the CISCE, the country’s largest private education board, for following separate curricula from classes I to VIII in violation of the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009.
The Commission had sought an explanation from the CISCE, as part of its exercise to “pursue violation of Section 29 of the RTE Act by private unaided schools affiliated to different boards by prescribing different curriculum, including evaluation procedure and books other than those laid down by the NCERT.”
In response, the CISCE said its curricula for pre-school to Class VIII were developed by a team of “experts” comprising personnel from the NCERT. Following this, an explanation was sought from the NCERT as to why the Council had legitimised adoption of a separate syllabus, replying to which the NCERT said it was “reviewing” the syllabi followed by the CISCE.
“Overlooking the issue highlighted by the Commission, NCERT initiated the exercise of reviewing the syllabus of CISCE, specifically for elementary classes. This exercise by NCERT validates the actions of CISCE of framing a separate curriculum,” NCPCR has written in the latest notice.