Most schools averse to circular on using NCERT books

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 25

 A recent circular of the Direction Education Punjab to all schools of the state, including private schools, regarding recommending only NCERT books to the students has not been taken positively by authorities of most of the schools here.

 While a few select schools say that they are already using only NCERT books, which have the best material and content and are easy on pocket, most others have said that the orders have come too late and they had already tied up with private publishers and recommended their books to the students.

 The CBSE Affiliated Schools Association has already replied to the Director Education saying, “We are shocked after receiving the circular, just before the beginning of new academic session. In the circular, it has been mentioned that the private publisher's books are expensive and parents are against the usage of these books. But this seems to be an afterthought".

 "Our schools have already sent orders to the private publishers before mid-January and we received your order on March 18. We were expected to publish a list of books on the website one month before the commencement of session. The prescribed list of books includes books published by NCERT / PSEB / CBSE as well as of private publishers and we cannot go back on our decision at this stage”.

 Owner of five CBSE-affiliated schools of Jalandhar said on the condition of anonymity, “The order of recommending only NCERT books is not justified because NCERT does not print all subject and all grade books. Every year, there is a shortage of NCERT books. Sometimes NCERT books are not available throughout the academic session. Some of the books printed by private publishers are also very informative in content and are economical as per their number of pages/ paper quality. The private publishers also provide audio visual aid along with e-content which is very useful for the students especially during the lockdown period.”

 He added, “Most NCERT books got printed in 2006 and ever since these are only being re-printed with no revision. How can we in 2021 ask our students to go by content which is 15 years old? They certainly need updated study material”.

 Principal of Police DAV Public School Rashmi Vij said, “Our schools have been recommending books published by the DAV society and we are doing this for years. Our books are even more cost-effective than those of the NCERT. Also, since NCERT is not publishing all books, we have to depend on private publishers too. The orders of the Director Education have come too late. All this involves a lot of planning”. 

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