Scrapping Standardised Textbooks Can Improve Student Learning

The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is set to bring out revised political science textbooks for Class 11 and 12. The revision and its contents has stirred controversy. The objectivity of the newly revised texts, especially for a diverse and complex nation like India, is in question. Unfortunately, the larger issue of relying upon just one standardised textbook to teach millions of diverse students doesn’t find space in public discourse.

The Indian education system confuses curriculum with syllabus. Curriculum lays out overall content, goals, methods, and learning outcomes. Syllabus outlines specific topics, readings, and assignments for a curriculum. Instead of worrying about the contents of the NCERT textbook, it’s important to offer schools the choice to choose their own textbooks to deliver the curriculum.

NCERT as per its former director Krishna Kumar, aims to offer a consistent and equal learning experience for students across different regions and social backgrounds of India. Professor Kumar, also highlights an important pitfall of taking this approach. Standardised textbooks, he says, “promotes memorization as a mode of achievement”. The content students commit to their memory can be outdated or have little relevance to their lives. 

Textbooks are tools to deepen the understanding and knowledge of students so that they can think for themselves, and not to memorise facts that may or may not have a political importance. Centralisation and standardisation of textbooks has unfortunately diverted attention from their academic role to a political role. NCERT has to play the careful game of balancing representation, identity, and historical presentation. The bureaucratic process of approving and publishing textbooks often results in textbooks that contain biassed information.

For example, studies by the Nirantar Textbook Regime have shown that social science textbooks between 1993 and 1997, “depicted ancient Indian culture as essentially Hindu (Class 5) and categorised Muslims, Parsis, and Christians as ‘foreigners’, valorized caste as a great gift from Aryans (Class 9), and glorified Hitler for enhancing German government prestige and instilling a ‘spirit of adventure’ in the common people (Class 10)”. 

It’s important, though, to not lose sight of the forest for trees. Instead of debating the content, education in India should aim to foster holistic and meaningful learning. This requires that we move away from the traditional textbook culture and see education as an integral part of life. A thought also emphasised by renowned philosopher J Krishnamurti. 

This shift is crucial not only for learners but also for teachers. Removing textbooks as the central source of knowledge—and recognizing them merely as information sources—will transform many aspects of the education system. It will grant greater autonomy to both teachers and students in choosing their teaching and learning materials. This autonomy will encourage the inclusion of localised texts, such as tribal stories and poems, diverse perspectives on various issues, and personalised experiences from different sources. Teachers will also have the freedom to select resources and methods that best suit their classrooms, leading to more effective, engaging, and transformative teaching.

Professor Padma Sarangpani recommends an idea on localising curriculum that is worth considering. Her approach can help students learn across many diverse communities. The Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh, as she points out, has extensive local knowledge of forest ecosystems, herbal medicines, and traditional healing practices. This knowledge has been refined over generations. The modern schooling system relies on a universal, uniform, and standardised approach to education with the same textbook across India. Such a standardised book will overlook and undervalue the rich, contextual knowledge of such communities. Localising textbooks can suit the needs of the curriculum, alongside conveying the rich information that can help entire generations navigate their future better.  

In many instances, the textbooks that are standardised too are either unavailable, unaffordable to the poor, or poorly translated. The 2022 ASER report highlighted that in numerous districts of Bihar, more than half of government school students did not have the required textbooks for their grade levels. 

Dependency on standardised textbooks has significant implications for the educational experience in India. Offering schools and teachers a choice to pick the textbook that suits their needs, including textbooks that are localised, can weed out rote learning and add a rich, context-specific knowledge that can empower students across India. It’s important to focus on the larger picture and not just the politics behind the content of the books.