Changing The Face Of Indian Education: Centre To Cut School Syllabus, Get Kids Focussed On Experiential Learning

On Sunday (23 December), Minister for Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar announced that the government was aiming to reduce the syllabus taught in classrooms in a phased manner. This is being aimed at improving the time that will be dedicated for experiential learning, sports and life-skills.

He emphasised on the need for extra-curricular activities and added that these activities are as important as the syllabus taught in classrooms. He was speaking at an event organised in Pune by Dhruv Global School, India Today reported.

India Today quoted Javadekar as saying, “We need to have equal focus on experiential learning, sports, physical education and life skills education for the holistic development of the child. We are trying to reduce the burden of classroom syllabus in a phased manner to facilitate this thought.”

Furthermore, the minister added that the government will be reducing the syllabus by 10 per cent this year and 20 per cent the next year so that students can make time for the above-mentioned activities.

He said, “Under Samagra Shiksha drive, more than 11 lakh schools are being given a special grant ranging between Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 for procuring books for library and buying sports equipment separately. Around 3,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been set up in schools across the country for introducing children to modern science in an appropriate way,” India Today reported.