Guwahati, March 31: Retired teachers of Cotton College today announced a mass movement against Dispur’s move to introduce a syllabus prescribed by the National Council of Education Research and Training in Assam schools from Class I, saying it would only bring an “alien culture” among students.
The Cotton College Retired Teachers’ Forum has decided to meet education minister Gautam Bora next month to pressure him into withdrawing the government’s circular regarding introduction of NCERT syllabus from Classes I to XII.
The forum organised a brainstorming session on the issue by involving educationists, scholars and intellectuals here on Sunday and resolved to carry out a sustained movement.
“The Assam government’s decision to introduce NCERT syllabus, particularly at the elementary level (Classes I to VIII), by adopting and translating its textbooks into local language without any modification to include local environment, culture, value system and ethos will be very harmful. What will our children learn about Assam, its culture and its environment? From childhood they will be acclimatised to certain traditions, names and culture, which are alien to them and this would push the state’s own culture on the verge of extinction,” the forum’s president, Tarakeswar Choudhury, told reporters.
He said the forum would involve various organisations, including the All Assam Students’ Union, to generate healthy public opinion against the government’s move.
An Assam government official said the basic objective of following the NCERT syllabus was to enable students from the state to be successful in all-India examinations.
He said the decision was taken after the Union human resource development ministry last year instructed all states to switch over to the NCERT model while preparing the school syllabi.
“The ministry’s instruction is part of its effort to bring uniformity in school education across the country,” the official said.
The vice-president of the forum, Ranjit Nath Bhattacharjee, said there is a difference between adopting a syllabus and adopting textbooks.
“We are not against upgrading the present syllabus on the lines of NCERT by keeping the local flavour intact to enable students from the state to compete with their counterparts across the country. But the State Council of Education Research and Training and Board of Secondary Education, Assam, are currently involved in a literal translation of NCERT textbooks into local language to change the existing syllabi. Such literal translation of NCERT books will not include subjects like Assam’s history, culture and geography,” Bhattacharjee said.
The Cotton College Retired Teachers’ Forum has decided to meet education minister Gautam Bora next month to pressure him into withdrawing the government’s circular regarding introduction of NCERT syllabus from Classes I to XII.
The forum organised a brainstorming session on the issue by involving educationists, scholars and intellectuals here on Sunday and resolved to carry out a sustained movement.
“The Assam government’s decision to introduce NCERT syllabus, particularly at the elementary level (Classes I to VIII), by adopting and translating its textbooks into local language without any modification to include local environment, culture, value system and ethos will be very harmful. What will our children learn about Assam, its culture and its environment? From childhood they will be acclimatised to certain traditions, names and culture, which are alien to them and this would push the state’s own culture on the verge of extinction,” the forum’s president, Tarakeswar Choudhury, told reporters.
He said the forum would involve various organisations, including the All Assam Students’ Union, to generate healthy public opinion against the government’s move.
An Assam government official said the basic objective of following the NCERT syllabus was to enable students from the state to be successful in all-India examinations.
He said the decision was taken after the Union human resource development ministry last year instructed all states to switch over to the NCERT model while preparing the school syllabi.
“The ministry’s instruction is part of its effort to bring uniformity in school education across the country,” the official said.
The vice-president of the forum, Ranjit Nath Bhattacharjee, said there is a difference between adopting a syllabus and adopting textbooks.
“We are not against upgrading the present syllabus on the lines of NCERT by keeping the local flavour intact to enable students from the state to compete with their counterparts across the country. But the State Council of Education Research and Training and Board of Secondary Education, Assam, are currently involved in a literal translation of NCERT textbooks into local language to change the existing syllabi. Such literal translation of NCERT books will not include subjects like Assam’s history, culture and geography,” Bhattacharjee said.
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