Shillong : From the next academic year, school students in Meghalaya from classes I to X will use textbooks of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) instead of textbooks of its own Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE).
The use of NCERT textbooks will begin with three subjects – English, Mathematics and Science.
This has been approved by the Meghalaya cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday.
Sharing the cabinet decision on the change of textbooks to media persons, Conrad said that there was a concern that MBOSE textbooks, especially for three subjects – English, Mathematics and Science did not meet national standards.
Sangma informed that from classes I to V, translation of the textbooks would done in local language as the medium of teaching will be in local languages.
“We have a concern in the overall education and after consultation and research with many stakeholders on the education system, it was found that the textbooks were not upto the standard in the national level. So we have concluded that most of the MBOSE textbooks are not up to the national standards,” the chief minister said.
He said that the move aimed at enhancing the overall quality of school textbooks and streamline the contents and the state government’s commitment to improve the education system in the state.
The Chief Minister also said that the shift to NCERT textbooks is in line with the government’s goal to improve the learning outcomes.
“This adaptation of NCERT textbooks aims to improve the overall quality of textbooks, learning outcomes, quality of content, which will also lead to reduction in the number of textbooks,” he said.
Further, the chief minister said that the curriculum would also be adapt to the national curriculum.
Meanwhile the state cabinet has also approved to have the Meghalaya Education Recruitment Board to speed up the recruitment process in the education department including teachers.
The chief minister said that a large number of vacancies could not be filled up as the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) could not hold the recruitment. The board will be headed by an additional Chief Secretary in-charge education.
Moreover, the state cabinet has also approved the renaming of the state labour department as a labour, employment and skill development department.
