NCERT has courted controversy once more by eliminating the periodic table from Class 10 textbooks, following its decision to remove Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution from Class 9 and Class 10 science textbooks last month. After temporarily removing these chapters from the curriculum during a time of syllabus rationalisation during the pandemic, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has now made this change.
Scientists and Educators Raise Concerns over NCERT’s Decision
NCERT has now chosen to make these removals permanent, though. Concerns have been raised by scientists and educators on the long-term effects of leaving these important courses off the curriculum. The periodic table will only be covered by students who choose to study chemistry during their final two years of high school (before to entering college). However, students can still learn about these topics, but only if they choose the appropriate course in classes 11 and 12. The final academic year in India in which science is taught as a required subject is Class 10.
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Controversy Surrounds NCERT’s Decision to Permanently Remove Chapters on Periodic Table
Chapter 5 on the periodic table of elements and Chapter 9 on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which covers subjects including the beginning of life on Earth, human evolution, and genetics, have been permanently removed by the NCERT. Although the particular justification for this choice has not been made clear, it is assumed to be a part of the ongoing NCERT-initiated process of rationalising the syllabus.
Temporary Exclusion of Topics to Ease Remote Learning Challenges
The NCERT conducted a syllabus rationalisation process from December 2021 to June 2022 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic’s extraordinary disruptions in the education system. The goal was to make the transition to remote learning easier for students and less onerous for teachers. For Classes 6 to 12, almost 30% of the syllabus was removed as part of this operation. It was intended to condense the curriculum during these trying times by temporarily excluding certain courses, such as those pertaining to the periodic table and Darwin’s hypothesis.
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Examining Allegations of Political Bias and its Role in Education
NCERT textbooks have generated discussion and contention in the past. They have been criticised for allegedly endorsing a certain political viewpoint that is linked to the dominant party. The NCERT has been tasked with advising the federal and state governments on academic issues pertaining to school education ever since its founding in 1961.
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