New Curriculum & Textbooks CCE Implementation Guidelines: Rc.405-New Curriculum, Textbooks, and CCE Procedures Implementation Guidelines: DSE Telangana, Rc. No. 405/D/C&T/TSCERT/2015, Dated: 05.12.2015; SCERT, Telangana, Hyderabad – Implementation of curricular and examination (CCE) reforms – Certain academic issues and instructions to all the DEOs for implementation.
Reference:
1. G.O. Ms. No. 60, School Education (PE-SSA) Department, Dated: 24.10.2013 on the implementation of CCE in all schools.
2. G.O. Ms. No. 17, School Education (P.E-Prog.II) Department, Dated: 14.05.2014.
3. G.O. Ms. No. 1, Education (P.S.2), Dated: 01.01.1994.
4. Proceedings of the Director of School Education, Rc. No.
419/D/C&T/TSCERT/2015, Dated: 13.05.2015
All the RJDSEs and DEOs in the State are hereby informed that curricular and examination reforms have been initiated in the State. Accordingly, the textbooks are revised based on the National Curriculum Framework and RTE-2009.
Vide reference 1 cited, orders have been issued by the Government for the implementation of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) and assessing curricular and co-curricular activities from classes I to VIII in all schools i.e. both government and private recognized. All the textbooks have been developed reflecting the CCE procedures i.e. projects, activities, experiments etc.
Vide reference 2 cited, orders have been issued on examination reforms and ban on the use of guides and guide type workbooks in schools and implementation of co-curricular activities as a part of school academic calendar. In this regard, the DEOs are expected to monitor the above academic issues so as to improve the quality of education in schools.
Vide reference 3 cited, it was informed that vide G.O.Ms. No. 1, Education (P.S.2), Dated: 01.01.1994 and RTE Act-2009 all the schools under private management shall invariably follow the State curriculum, textbooks and examination procedures without which the school recognition would be cancelled.
Further, vide reference 4 cited, instructions have been issued to all the RJDSEs and DEOs to issue instructions in turn to all the Correspondents and Head Masters (HMs) of private recognized schools to follow textbooks published by Govt. of Telangana at Primary and Upper Primary Level. They are further requested to monitor the same with Dy.EOs, MEOs and other monitoring officers. However, the instructions have not been implemented in majority of the private schools.
New Curriculum, Textbooks and CCE Procedures Implementation Guidelines: Following are certain further instructions on the implementation of the new curriculum, textbooks, and CCE procedures.
1. Private management schools using privately published textbooks that do not support CCE and child-centered curriculum: Vide reference 3 cited, all the schools under private management shall follow the curriculum, syllabus, and textbooks developed by State Government. Under RTE, it is mandatory that all the schools shall follow the curriculum, textbooks, and CCE developed by State Academic Authority i.e. SCERT.
However, most of the private schools do not use Government textbooks especially at Primary Level. The textbooks from private publishers are not as per State syllabus and do not reflect CCE procedures. These textbooks do not support activity based, child centered and participatory methods of curriculum implementation. Further, the privately published textbooks costs more and cause huge financial burden on the parents.
Therefore, all the DEOs are directed to issue instructions in turn to all the Correspondents and Head Masters (HMs) of privately recognized schools to follow textbooks published by Govt. of Telangana at Primary and Upper Primary Level. They are further requested to monitor the same with Dy.EOs, MEOs and other monitoring officers.
Further, the DEOs are directed to take indent on the requirement of textbooks for the children studying in private schools i.e. payment books and furnish to Director of School Education (and mark a copy to Director, Govt. Textbook Press) before 30th November, 2015 so as to give the requirement to the Director, Govt. Textbook Press to make available textbooks on payment in the market before reopening of schools.
2. Using of guides and guide type study material: Vide reference 2 cited, the Government have issued orders on examination reforms focusing on creative self expression by the children. The questions are analytical in nature for which children have to think, reason and apply while answering. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and State Curriculum Framework (SCF)-2011 recommended doing away with rote methods i.e. memorization of answers. Vide reference 2 cited, orders have been issued banning the use of guides in all types of schools.
However, as per the State Level monitoring teams visits to the schools during November 2015, it was observed that in almost all the Districts the schools and teachers are encouraging to use guides and study materials to memorize the answers. Children are just copying the answers to the exercises given in the textbooks from the guides and study materials.
This defeats the very purpose of the evaluation reforms i.e. CCE so as to make children as reflective and critical thinkers. In certain schools, it is found that the teachers themselves inviting publishers of the guides to sell in the schools. In some of the schools, students informed that their teachers suggested to purchase guides and use in homework.
The use of guides reduces teachers work and most of the time children are engaged in copying answers from guide books. This is against to the educational philosophy and practices. Purchasing the guides/ workbooks/ study material which basically provides answers to the analytical and reasoning/ application type of questions given under every lesson or unit.
This not only makes children keep away from critical thinking, analysis, reasoning but simply make them memorize mechanically without any meaning-making. These guides/ workbooks increase the physical load of school bags. Children attempt homework duly copying answers to various types of exercises from the guides without thinking and comprehending the concepts.
Therefore, all the DEOs are hereby instructed to issue instructions in turn to all the school Head Masters i.e. both government and private schools on not use guides and guide type workbooks with readymade answers to the questions given in the exercise part under every unit/ lesson. The children are expected to write answers to the questions given in the exercises under every unit/ lesson on their own without copying from textbooks/ guides.
The DEOs and other field officers shall monitor this so as to improve the learning and focus on conceptual understanding during classroom transactions. The Headmasters and concerned monitoring officers will be responsible if guides are being found with the children and use them for copying the exercise part. Serious action will be initiated against such persons and schools.
3. Reducing the load of school bag: The load of school bag is estimated in some of the Districts and it weighs about 8 to 10 Kgs at Primary and 12 to 15 Kgs at High School. This will have severe physical effect on growing children. Their vertebral column may be damage at young age and the bulk load itself cause fear and anxiety among the children.
The load is because the children bring textbooks, guides, homework notebooks, rough work notebooks, etc. to the classroom every day. Further, the load is because of carrying other than the textbooks i.e. guides, general knowledge books and other such material imposed by private schools.
In some private schools, it is found that for English the school management prescribes an English textbook, English grammar book, English is spoken language book, English handwriting notebook at Primary and Upper Primary Level. Similarly, such types of additional books for Hindi language textbooks also being used.
Therefore, all the DEOs are hereby directed that necessary further instructions may be issued in this regard. The DEOs also requested to focus on this issue and observe the load of the school bags in various kinds of schools and take necessary measures to reduce the load.
4. Implementation of co-curricular activities i.e. Art & Cultural Education, Value Education & Life Skills, Work & Computer Education, Health & Physical Education.
Vide reference 1 cited, Government has issued orders for the implementation of co-curricular activities and also assess under CCE. The co-curricular activities are creative and value-added subjects supports the holistic development of the children’s personality and support development of human creative faculties. The SCERT developed a class-wise syllabus and Handbooks on co-curricular subjects.
RMSA released budget to all the DEOs to print the Handbooks on Co-curricular Activities and provide to the schools @2 copies per subject per school. These activities are not being taken seriously and the focus is on regular school subjects as per the reports of State Level monitoring teams visited the Districts.
Therefore, all the DEOs shall focus on this and monitor the effective implementation and assessment of co-curricular activities in all schools under the management of both government and private. The DEOs also must ensure the availability of these Handbooks in all the schools without which implementation cannot be possible. They are requested to get information from the Dy.EOs and take action accordingly. The monitoring teams shall observe these things in the subsequent visits.
5. Identification and Selection of District Resource Persons in Primary and High School subjects. Expert and committed subject specific Resource Persons are required for the purpose of undertaking trainings, academic monitoring of the schools, developing test items for the Summative examinations etc. This group will advise the DEO on academic matters. Therefore, identification and developing District Resource Groups in each subject is very much necessary for the improvement of the quality of education.
In this regard, detailed instructions have been issued earlier in this regard, but the majority of the Districts have not taken up this matter seriously. The DEOs are requested to issue a press note requesting applications from teachers/ Head Masters to act as RPs at District Level and also to act as Resource Persons in the computer applications.
Therefore, the DEOs are directed to focus on this issue and select the effective and committed RPs to improve the quality of training and monitoring of schools and furnish the list to the undersigned before 10th December, 2015.
Therefore all the RJDSEs and DEOs shall prepare Action Plan and implement the same in all the schools. The Dy.EOs, MEOs, and CRPs shall visit the schools allotted to them as frequently as possible and convene meeting with HMs, Teachers, Parents and see that academic calendar, other things indicated as above shall be implemented in all the schools.
Further DEOs, Dy.EOs, MEOs shall hold monthly meetings with Correspondents I Principals of Private School Managements to follow the guidelines without fail. Any deviation of instructions issued above shall
be viewed seriously and the State level teams will visit again in the month of January and report the progress to the Director of School Education.
New Curriculum, Textbooks and CCE Procedures Implementation Guidelines