Boards flouting NCERT curriculum to face action

Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, June 12

Henceforth, any deviation by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or other school boards from National Curriculum Framework (NCF) formulated by National Council for Education and Training (NCERT) would be construed as violation of Section 29 of Right to Education Act 2009 and defaulting Boards and Schools would be accountable for such violations.

The Principal Secretary (Education) to Himachal Government has directed the Director Elementary Education (DEE) to implement Section 29 of RTE Act which has far reaching implication in achieving the twin objective of uniformity in curriculum and quality education. 

The DEE has asked the principal of State Council for Education and Training (SCERT) to look into the matter and take necessary measures.

The state governments swung into action following a communication from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which noticed that certain boards were violating the RTE Act by laying down their own curriculum and evaluation procedure.

Following review of the system laid down by Central Board of School Education (CBSE), the commission observed, “While endorsing the idea of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) at the elementary level, the CBSE not only overstepped into the domain of NCERT, the notified academic authority under RTE Act but also misinterpreted the entire objective of CCE”.

The commission ordered the CBSE to get its new uniform system of assessment either approved and validated by the NCERT or revoke it with immediate effect and as a result the CBSE repealed the system for class VI to VIII in January 2018. 

Now the NCERT curriculum would be followed by all the boards and if any Central or state board follow curriculum, syllabus and evaluation procedure system for elementary classes other than, prescribed by NCERT/SCERT, it would amount to violation of RTE Act, 2009, the communication cautioned.

The commission further pointed out that the objective of RTE Act was uniformity in curriculum in all schools, including private schools and quality education for all, reduction in cost of education in private institutions to an extent that only NCERT/SCERT prescribed books would be followed at elementary level and reducing the weight of school bags.

The commission recommended that all the Central and state education boards and schools affiliated to them would ensure that NCERT/ SCERT curriculum and syllabus shall be followed. 

Moreover, no child shall be discriminated, harassed or neglected by the school, for carrying books prescribed by the academic authority, causing mental or physical suffering and all the directions shall be put on the website and also displayed by the schools on notice board.

‘Implement Section 29 of RTE Act’

• The Principal Secretary (Education) has directed the Director Elementary Education (DEE) to implement section 29 of RTE Act which has far reaching implication in achieving the twin objective of uniformity in curriculum and quality education. 
• The DEE has asked the principal of State Council for Education and Training (SCERT) to look into the matter and take necessary measures.
• The state governments swung into action following a communication from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which noticed that certain boards were violating the RTE Act by laying down their own curriculum.