NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering a reduction in the syllabus and instructional hours for school students in the ongoing academic year, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Tuesday.
“In view of the current circumstances and after receiving a lot of requests from parents and teachers, we are contemplating the option of reduction in the syllabus and instructional hours for the coming academic year,” the minister tweeted.
He has asked teachers, educationists and academicians to share their views with the ministry which can be used before a final decision is taken on the matter.
Elaborating on this, officials in the HRD ministry said that at first syllabi for classes X and XII—whose students will need to appear in board examinations next year—could be reduced and later this will be extended to other classes as well.
The plan by the ministry follows a meeting between Union school education secretary Anita Karwal with state education secretaries on Monday in which many state authorities, among other suggestions, had recommended that syllabi in NCERT textbooks should be cut down due to massive disruptions in academic activities since March as Covid-19 pandemic spread in the country.
Pending CBSE board examinations for class X and XII students that had got suspended when the lockdown was announced have been rescheduled for July.
Officials meanwhile also said that in the wake of the surging number of Covid-19 cases, the Centre is planning to reconsider its decision to open schools in next two months.
Nishank had earlier hinted that schools and colleges could open after consultation with Union ministries of home affairs and health and state governments, post-August 15.
He had on Monday said that the decision to open schools will be taken after mid- August keeping in mind the pandemic situation.
Though an NCERT committee, tasked by the ministry, has made some recommendations on reopening of schools, the government is yet to finalize on when to open educational institutions.