In accordance with the current Affiliation Bye-Laws of 2018, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a new circular which outlines revised guidelines for the use of NCERT textbooks in schools. These guidelines stress the necessity of using NCERT/SCERT textbooks and exercising great caution when choosing any additional materials to ensure they are free from any inappropriate content.
Current Guidelines:
According to the current Bye-Laws, schools are allowed to prescribe NCERT textbooks for subjects where they are available. If schools opt to use textbooks from private publishers, they must ensure that these books are free from any content that could potentially offend any class, community, gender, or religious group.
Schools are also mandated to publish a list of prescribed books on their website. This list must include a written declaration, signed by both the Manager and the Principal, stating that they have thoroughly reviewed the content of the books and assume full responsibility for them. If any inappropriate content is discovered, the school will be held liable, and the Board will take necessary action.
Under the proposed amendments, the new guidelines vary from class to class:
Classes 1 to 8:
Schools are highly encouraged to adhere to NCERT/SCERT textbooks. While supplementary materials may be utilised to address particular needs, they must be consistent with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE).
Classes 9 to 12:
For senior classes, NCERT textbooks are compulsory according to the CBSE curriculum. If NCERT/SCERT books are not accessible, schools must use CBSE books available on the Board’s website. Schools are permitted to enhance these textbooks with supplementary materials or digital content to improve learning. However, all additional resources or digital content must be carefully reviewed to ensure they align with the NCF-SE and are free of any material that could potentially offend any community, gender, or religious group.
