SHILLONG, Dec 24: The state government has obtained copyrights from the NCERT and will modify the NCERT textbooks instead of adopting them in their entirety.
Disclosing this on Sunday, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said, “We will not implement the NCERT textbooks completely. We have received the copyright from the NCERT. The MBoSE may redesign, edit, and remove parts of the chapters as needed.”
He added that a committee has been established to review all of these over the course of the upcoming year.
The NCERT textbooks will be made available for students studying in Khasi and Garo medium at the elementary level, he stated.
“Presently we have about 10-11 textbooks and subjects at the elementary level so we are going with the NCERT and we will be having only three or four subjects or maximum five subjects at the elementary level,” he said, adding that the cabinet had also decided to reduce the number of textbooks and subjects.
He reasoned that it would be more effective to select and teach the most important and best subjects rather than trying to fit two teachers’ limited teaching hours and a wide range of subjects into one small classroom.
He justified the need for the NCERT textbooks to be modified by pointing out that the majority of questions on competitive exams come from the NCERT curriculum and syllabus. “Taking this into account, we determined that the NCERT textbooks are the only option for the stopgap arrangement starting in the following academic year.”
“MBoSE will create its own textbooks with copyright modifications and a significant amount of local content. We’re also planning to launch a new subject for Meghalaya students that will cover our own geography, history, freedom fighters, and the Sixth Schedule,” he continued.
In response to criticism he had received from some quarters for choosing to use the NCERT textbooks, he said, “They are making a foolish move now that the cabinet has made up its mind, when they ought to have objected and made their suggestion sooner. They ought to have made a suggestion to the government back then, but where were they during the last six months?”