School Education department fast-tracks new syllabi launch

Hastening the process of preparing the new syllabus for all classes in the next year itself, the state School Education department has commenced the work to draft the syllabi for classes two, three, four, five, seven, eight and 12. The government has already launched the new syllabus for classes one, six, nine and 11.

Chennai: 

The department had earlier set a target to introduce new syllabi for classes one, six, nine and 11 this year; classes two, seven, ten and 12 in 2019-20 academic year; and classes three, four, five and eight in 2020-21. However, it recently decided to speed up the process and introduce new syllabus for all the remaining classes next year itself.

Sources in State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the nodal agency on syllabus preparation, said they have received orders from School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan in this regard.

With curriculum committee already setup by the government, more than 1,000 teachers, 600 translators, 200 professors and around 100 artists would be involved in preparing the new syllabi.

“The students of Tamil Nadu studying in all the classes should take up new challenges on the national horizon and it is the duty of the government to address this need on a war-footing,” a senior official from SCERT told DT Next.

He said soon after the government issued the order, there would be a consultative meeting in five zones including Puducherry UT. In all classes, Tamil would encompass the culture and tradition of the language. Teaching of English would focus on creative language skills and communicative skills.

As mathematics should have more practice in decimals, tables would be given in the textbooks and secondary level concepts would be linked with the ones in higher secondary level. Science curriculum would give more emphasis on lab activities. The textbook development team would also prepare teacher handbooks, student workbooks and e-content.

The separate team for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with experts would also be involved in preparing the syllabi. The official said that the draft is likely to be completed by the beginning of next year.