Rejection slips only? Not really

The National Council for Educational Research and Training NCERT stands for professionalism in school education planning and development. ...

The National Council for Educational Research and Training NCERT stands for professionalism in school education planning and development. Since 1961, this institution has acquired a quiet dignity in the world of curriculum modernisation. In recent years, UNESCO and a number of international organisations have tapped into NCERT8217;s vast expertise so that other developing countries can benefit from our research activities and training programmes. So, it is hardly surprising to us that an increasing number of states in India are accepting NCERT8217;s new text-books, developed in tune with the new National Curriculum Framework for School Education NCFSE.

The Sunday Express report on July 20, 8216;8216;Those rejection slips8217;8217;, seeks to spread the notion that Chief Ministers like Sheila Dikshit, Digvijay Singh, Amarinder Singh and others are still prisoners of the 8216;8216;saffronisation8217;8217; rhetoric. These highly-popular, mass-based leaders know the pulse of their people and have the vision to rise above petty political banter. This was proved when the education departments of their governments approached the NCERT for permission to print and distribute the new books. A brief rundown of the factual position on the demand for the new NCERT texts would be in order.

On January 20, the Delhi authorities wrote to the NCERT asking for permission to print Environment Sciences, Mathematics and Science and Technology texts for Classes III and VI. Haryana wrote the following day asking for permission to reprint all the new text-books of Classes IX and X in Hindi, besides the Science and Mathematics texts of Classes VI and VII. Madhya Pradesh wrote on February 28 requesting reprinting rights for Mathematics and Science texts for Classes VI through VIII. It is significant that the Madhya Pradesh and Haryana education boards had never sought NCERT texts in the past. It8217;s no big deal that History text-books have not been sought. In fact, never have NCERT History text-books been adopted as such by state boards. So, it wasn8217;t a 8216;8216;rejection8217;8217; 8212; every state board gives priority to the teaching of local history over the broadbrush treatment given by NCERT books.

The rising popularity of NCERT8217;s publications is reflected in our sales figures. In 2001-02, during which books under the old curriculum were made available by the NCERT, slightly less than two crore books were printed and distributed. In 2003-04, when new books for all classes except Class V and VIII were printed, the NCERT has already marketed 4.5 crore copies. I certainly like such 8216;8216;rejection slips8217;8217;.

Political parties are responsible to the people. Seeing the high professional standards of the new NCERT texts, their high printing quality for the low prices charged, many state governments are fast shedding their inhibitions over the alleged 8216;8216;saffronisation8217;8217;. And there is not reason why they should not. After all, the Supreme Court had clarified all the questions raised over the new curriculum. They unshackled themselves from polemics and rang in a new era of modern, relevant education in their states.

So, the market for NCERT8217;s text-books is fast expanding. Apart from CBSE schools which are omnipresent, the State Board-controlled schools of Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Meghalaya are increasingly turning to NCERT publications. Gujarat, contrary to speculation, has its own strengths in text-book writing and, therefore, has not placed a request. These states have a long tradition of developing their own curricula and text-books 8212; which speaks highly of their cultural standards 8212; but the NCERT curriculum framework remains a common reference point. Andhra Pradesh is developing a new curriculum for school education and critics of NCERT could really go through it to set at rest their doubts regarding the credibility of the organisation. We help state government agencies to develop their own curricula and text-books, with incorporation of local elements of curriculum. This fact is often ignored by 8216;8216;eminent8217;8217; critics of NCERT.

And why shouldn8217;t the NCERT do so? After all, it did not develop NCFSE in a cocoon. It was a consultative process spanning nearly a year which drew the synergies of governments, NGOs, educationists and planners. The implementation of the new framework is not mandatory on the states. Rather, they are encouraged to develop one which is best suited to their local environments using the NCFSE as a workable idea. Everywhere, rather than 8216;8216;reinvent the wheel8217;8217;, the state education planners introduce elements of the NCFSE. This is federalism at its best.

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A word on West Bengal, a state whose government never tires of criticising NCERT8217;s initiatives on education. In 1986, when the Rajiv Gandhi Government had developed the National Policy on Education in consultation with all the states, West Bengal decided to strike a political stance against it. As a result, the state8217;s school regime remained trapped in obsolescence. They revised and rejected their approach, as they often do. I am sure glassnost will prevail in the end. But with few foreign sources left to tap for inspiration, will West Bengal finally look at the purely desi NCERT framework? Only time will tell.

The writer is the Director of NCERT