Education board updates Class V syllabus, e-learning, gender equality is the new focus

C Borkar, Director of the State Textbook Bureau, Balbharati, said sensitising students on gender equality, women empowerment are some of the most important issues that has been kept in mind while designing the curriculum.

“The new syllabus has a range of topics in value education, including health, civic sense and ethical behaviour. But the maximum importance has been given to gender issues. There are a lot of things happening in the country due to less awareness about gender equality and related topics. Hence, we have decided to introduce such topics in the revised syllabus of all subjects in all classes. Last year we did it in the new syllabus of Class III and IV. However, we have added more of these topics in the Class V syllabus,” said Borkar.

This does not mean that it is just the students who are trained in such topics. “Teacher training too has been initiated that will try to change their mindset, especially those in rural areas,” said NK Jarag, Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

“We try to train the teachers to divide the tasks equally among boys and girls to remove a gender bias that certain tasks should be done only by girls or boys. Secondly, we ask them to make co-ed groups during sports activities. Similarly with roll numbers; instead of a girls or boys list, we have asked them to make a mixed list in alphabetic order or whatever parameter they choose. The new syllabus has been designed in a way that it will interest students,” added Jarag.

This year around total 20,08,888 students are studying in Class IV in government schools across the state. These students will be promoted to Class V next year with the new syllabus.

Jarag said that teachers at district level will be trained by experts from across the state. These trained teachers will in turn train the teachers in city and taluka level to teach the new syllabus. The first session of the teachers training will begin from April 15.

In the coming academic year, new textbooks for class V will include these changes. Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Balbharati – that makes textbooks from classes I to VIII – has made sure that even Science and Maths books have enough content about value education.

There is a great focus on e-learning to stop dependence on textbooks alone. The total examination marks would be 800 unlike earlier which had 900 marks. Like Class IV, even Class V will have two papers on environmental studies.

Earlier there was a separate paper of 100 marks for Science and 100 marks for History & Civics and Geography together. However, from now on environmental studies paper one will have parts of science, civics and geography and will carry 60 marks, environmental studies paper two will include history and will carry 40 marks. History in the new syllabus emphasizes on cultures of various states and places in the country.

At the same time subjects like work experience and physical education have topics like folk literature, dance, music and local culture, “In Maths, apart from wording, the problems in a way sensitise students. We have also given various pictorial representations to give out a clear message of gender equality and related topics. Even teachers have been asked to discuss these topics verbally as well as with the help of e-learning. Not only this but the new syllabus will also encourage students to do self study and discourage mugging up,” added Borkar.

dipti.singh@expressindia.com