KOCHI: The Kerala CBSE School Managements Association has decided to approach the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), seeking relaxation in the latter’s decision to make books published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) mandatory in all CBSE schools from the coming academic year.
“We are seeking exemption of textbooks for Classes I to VI from the order. We are not opposing the MHRD’s decision and have informed the school managements about it,” said association president T P M Ibrahim Khan.
The MHRD has directed the NCERT to make all the textbooks for Classes I to XII available in adequate numbers via its 680 empanelled distribution vendors across the country by the last week of March, to ensure the April deadline for the 2017-18 academic session is met. All CBSE schools have to raise their demand online on the CBSE’s website by February 22. The decision is expected to standardise the curriculum across schools in the country.
The delay in distribution of books to students and the need to make the books for smaller classes “more attractive” are being cited as reasons by the association for its decision to seek relaxation.
Khan himself opined that the decision could have been announced earlier. “School managements communicated their apprehensions about a possible delay in distribution of books, as the mandate is to implement the decision from the 2017- 18 academic year itself. Most managements have already placed orders for the books with distributors,” he said.
“Moreover, we sought relaxation for the textbooks for smaller classes, as they should be more attractive with more pictures and graphics,” he said.