Textbook errors

The proposal by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to “rationalise” textbooks of Classes six to 12 by removing large and consequential chunks of Indian history is likely to seriously distort learning outcomes for a generation of schoolchildren. The NCERT has justified this heavy editing as a means of lightening the burden on children after two years of disruption in schooling owing to Covid-19. This is a weak argument on several counts. First, with many children attending regular online classes or taking private tuition, which followed the old school syllabi during these two years, it is unclear