CBSE issues guidelines for textbooks to align with national frameworks, avoid offensive content

Schools must publish a list of approved textbooks for all classes on their website, with a signed declaration, confirming that the school has reviewed and is responsible for the content of the selected books.

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NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued new guidelines to improve the selection and use of textbooks in schools, with these changes taking effect from August 12, 2024. This update, outlined in a notification released by the CBSE, a governs the use of textbooks in educational institutions.

Regarding content responsibility, schools must carefully select any supplementary books or materials from private publishers, ensuring that they do not contain content that could be deemed offensive to any social, religious, gender, or community group.

Schools must also publish a list of approved textbooks for all classes on their website, accompanied by a signed declaration from both the Manager and the Principal, confirming that the school has reviewed and is responsible for the content of the selected books. Should any book with inappropriate content be identified, the school will be held accountable, and the CBSE will take necessary action.

CBSE has released a new circular outlining updated guidelines for the use of NCERT textbooks in schools, in accordance with the current Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018. These guidelines underscore the necessity of prioritising NCERT/SCERT textbooks and exercising extreme caution when selecting supplementary materials to prevent the inclusion of any objectionable content.

According to the existing bye-laws, schools are encouraged to use NCERT textbooks where available. If schools opt to use books from private publishers, they must ensure that these books do not contain content that could be deemed offensive to any class, community, gender, or religious group.

Schools are also required to publish a list of all prescribed books on their websites. This list must include a written declaration, signed by both the Manager and the Principal, affirming that they have reviewed the contents of the books and accept full responsibility for them. Should any objectionable content be discovered, the school will be held accountable, and the CBSE will take necessary actions.

The proposed amendments introduce differentiated guidelines based on grade levels. Schools are being strongly advised to adhere to NCERT/SCERT textbooks for classes 1 through 8. While supplementary materials can be employed to address specific educational needs, these resources must align with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE). It is essential that these supplementary materials are comprehensive, incorporating core content along with discussion, analysis, examples, and practical applications.

In higher grades, specifically for classes 9 through 12, the use of NCERT textbooks is mandated by the CBSE curriculum. Should NCERT or SCERT textbooks be unavailable, schools are instructed to use the CBSE textbooks available on the Board’s official website.

Additionally, schools are permitted to supplement these textbooks with extra materials or digital content, provided that these supplements are carefully reviewed to ensure they align with the NCF-SE and do not include any content that could be deemed offensive to any community, gender, or religious group.