Dear NCERT,
In recent times you have been in the spotlight for deleting portions pertaining to the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal rulers, Darwinian evolution and other topics from your textbooks. As a product of the CBSE system and as the mother of children who have been through the same curriculum, I have been observing many other aspects of your textbooks which perhaps need greater attention, some of which I am sharing below:
1. Writing style: The general style of writing continues to be what it was 30-odd years ago. This style is that of dense text filled with long-winded sentences and unnecessary multi-syllable words. Sample this paragraph from a Class X geography textbook about the steps for resource planning in India: “Resource planning is a complex pro-
cess which involves a) identification and inventory of resources through surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources. b) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans. ”
Unable to engage meaningfully with such writing, hapless students have no choice but to learn by heart. Dull and badly written textbooks are the fundamental reason for the oft-heard complaint that the Indian education system encourages rote learning.
Despite an English medium education, few Indians can express themselves in crisp, clear, simply written sentences, possibly because of indoctrination in this style of writing. More damagingly, later in life they value only such thickly written prose. The harder it is to understand, the more erudite it appears, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle visible in government memos, reports produced by research institutes or even in the average corporate presentation.
A science student who has just completed schooling, described her textbooks as seeming as if she was “talking to an old scientist who is telling you things in a formal tone, only because he has to. ” It might explain why students prefer the easy style of so many coaching channels on YouTube which liberally use mnemonics and relatable analogies.
2. Suffocating amount of detail: It is worth rethinking if a high school student will ever benefit from knowing the names of all iron ore mines in India, every possible use of caustic soda and every book printed during the print revolution. Like the software industry does, it may be useful to conduct a few usability tests by running the content past some youngsters to know how much is too much.
3. Outdated contexts: “A railway half ticket costs half the full fare and the reservation charge is the same on half ticket as on full ticket”: Thus, begins a math problem that requires a student to know that the reservation charge is a separate levy, not included in the ‘full fare’. It is unlikely that even adults pay attention to this detail when they book a railway ticket, but the average 15-year-old definitely does not. Physics and math problems refer to spinning tops, flying kites and purchase of CDs, all unfamiliar objects to many urban children. How about an upgrade to bey blades and drones? Instead of the same old examples of pens, balls, cards and coins, you can use contemporary ones like number of followers on Twitter or Instagram or YouTube views – contexts that every teenager of any social class is familiar with.
In the class X English textbook, there’s a story by an early 20th century British naturalist about bringing an otter from Iraq to London by flight. The otter escapes from his box and “disappears beneath the legs of a portly white turbaned Indian. ” No quarrel yet. But in the next sentence, the author says, “Diving for it I missed, but found my face covered in curry” as though Indians always carry curry on their person. Stories from another era which contain racial stereotypes are anachronistic in today’s world. In a civics chapter on pressure groups, there is no mention of social media, probably the most influential force on people and the government. To a student, there is a sense of reading something which is not in step with the times.
Recounting the history of cotton and steel industries is less important than introducing students to the startup revolution or the gig economy, the challenges of entrepreneurship and perhaps a short case on a food delivery or ride sharing company.
To be fair, a lot has improved since the time my generation read NCERT books. There are more newspaper cuttings and photographs, boxes giving interesting facts, more colour on the page and an attempt to bring in a global flavour in political science and literature. But there is a long way to go to make the books such that students engage with them, not only out of compulsion but because the material evokes curiosity and interest. You owe it to the thousands of students spread across 24,491 CBSE schools in 26 countries who grow up reading your books!
Best regards, A well-wishing parent
In recent times you have been in the spotlight for deleting portions pertaining to the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal rulers, Darwinian evolution and other topics from your textbooks. As a product of the CBSE system and as the mother of children who have been through the same curriculum, I have been observing many other aspects of your textbooks which perhaps need greater attention, some of which I am sharing below:
1. Writing style: The general style of writing continues to be what it was 30-odd years ago. This style is that of dense text filled with long-winded sentences and unnecessary multi-syllable words. Sample this paragraph from a Class X geography textbook about the steps for resource planning in India: “Resource planning is a complex pro-
cess which involves a) identification and inventory of resources through surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources. b) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans. ”
Unable to engage meaningfully with such writing, hapless students have no choice but to learn by heart. Dull and badly written textbooks are the fundamental reason for the oft-heard complaint that the Indian education system encourages rote learning.
Despite an English medium education, few Indians can express themselves in crisp, clear, simply written sentences, possibly because of indoctrination in this style of writing. More damagingly, later in life they value only such thickly written prose. The harder it is to understand, the more erudite it appears, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle visible in government memos, reports produced by research institutes or even in the average corporate presentation.
A science student who has just completed schooling, described her textbooks as seeming as if she was “talking to an old scientist who is telling you things in a formal tone, only because he has to. ” It might explain why students prefer the easy style of so many coaching channels on YouTube which liberally use mnemonics and relatable analogies.
2. Suffocating amount of detail: It is worth rethinking if a high school student will ever benefit from knowing the names of all iron ore mines in India, every possible use of caustic soda and every book printed during the print revolution. Like the software industry does, it may be useful to conduct a few usability tests by running the content past some youngsters to know how much is too much.
3. Outdated contexts: “A railway half ticket costs half the full fare and the reservation charge is the same on half ticket as on full ticket”: Thus, begins a math problem that requires a student to know that the reservation charge is a separate levy, not included in the ‘full fare’. It is unlikely that even adults pay attention to this detail when they book a railway ticket, but the average 15-year-old definitely does not. Physics and math problems refer to spinning tops, flying kites and purchase of CDs, all unfamiliar objects to many urban children. How about an upgrade to bey blades and drones? Instead of the same old examples of pens, balls, cards and coins, you can use contemporary ones like number of followers on Twitter or Instagram or YouTube views – contexts that every teenager of any social class is familiar with.
In the class X English textbook, there’s a story by an early 20th century British naturalist about bringing an otter from Iraq to London by flight. The otter escapes from his box and “disappears beneath the legs of a portly white turbaned Indian. ” No quarrel yet. But in the next sentence, the author says, “Diving for it I missed, but found my face covered in curry” as though Indians always carry curry on their person. Stories from another era which contain racial stereotypes are anachronistic in today’s world. In a civics chapter on pressure groups, there is no mention of social media, probably the most influential force on people and the government. To a student, there is a sense of reading something which is not in step with the times.
Recounting the history of cotton and steel industries is less important than introducing students to the startup revolution or the gig economy, the challenges of entrepreneurship and perhaps a short case on a food delivery or ride sharing company.
To be fair, a lot has improved since the time my generation read NCERT books. There are more newspaper cuttings and photographs, boxes giving interesting facts, more colour on the page and an attempt to bring in a global flavour in political science and literature. But there is a long way to go to make the books such that students engage with them, not only out of compulsion but because the material evokes curiosity and interest. You owe it to the thousands of students spread across 24,491 CBSE schools in 26 countries who grow up reading your books!
Best regards, A well-wishing parent