Syllabi become a dilemma
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 10: The Meghalaya government has approved adopting the CBSE syllabus and NCERT textbooks for ten subjects in the Class 11 Arts stream. This change includes subjects such as English Core, English Elective, Geography, History, Home Science, Computer Science, Informatics Practices, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
However, the delay in releasing the syllabus by the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) has caused concern among teachers and school administrators. They are unsure what to teach, as the DERT has yet to forward the syllabus to the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE).
A principal expressed frustration over the lack of guidance, stating, “Teachers don’t know what to teach. Last year, there was one political science book; this year, two two prescribed. We need the syllabus to prepare adequately. It’s already June.”
Esther JE Shongwan, Chief Academic Officer of MBoSE, confirmed that they are awaiting the syllabus from the DERT and will upload it to the website as soon as it is received. She also noted that classes 6 to 10 are already using NCERT textbooks for science, mathematics, and English, aiming to prepare students for competitive exams and bring them on par with peers nationwide.
Meanwhile, bookstores are grappling with a shortage of NCERT textbooks. Nicholaus Bookstore, Don Bosco Square, reported high demand but insufficient supply. “There is a significant demand for NCERT books, and we strive to meet students’ needs, but the shortage is a significant issue,” said the bookstore.
New Book Centre, also facing a similar situation, added, “For the students of class 11, books are not available yet, but during the shift for classes 9 and 10, everything was rushed, so we had to get in touch with the supplier the moment the books were in stock to avoid any hassle in the book distribution.”
However, the shopkeeper added an additional problem, stating, “Even now, they have no textbooks in stock as they still have no idea who got the tender to print the Meghalaya edition.”
The shift has also led to the wastage of previously stocked MBoSE textbooks, causing financial strain on bookstores.
To cope with the new demand, bookstores must quickly coordinate with suppliers once the NCERT books are available.
He further added, “The problem is the lack of information and supply. With such short notice from the government, both the suppliers and the bookstores have no proper time to deal with the situation and solve this issue.”