Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has formed a 10-member committee headed by Anna University’s former Vice-Chancellor M.Ananthakrishnan to draft new curriculum and syllabus for state board students on par with the CBSE. The committee consists of experts from various fields including agriculture, environment, arts and mathematics besides academicians.
K.Ramasamy, vice-chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, artist Trotsky Marudu, conservationist and writer S. Theodore Baskaran and Professor R.Ramanujam from Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc) are part of the committee. Also included are E. Sundaramoorthy, former vice-chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur and Professor Sultan Ahamed Ismail from New College and Professor R. Balasubramanian and educationist Kala Vijayakumar.
The State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) director will be the member secretary of the committee.
“We have to decide the roadmap only in the committee meeting. But, there are some basic issues which needed to be addressed,” said M. Ananthakrishan, former Vice-Chancellor, Anna University and former Chairman, IIT Kanpur.
Elaborating on the basic issues he said, “We have to change the entire syllabus from class 1 to 12 keeping in view with the demands of time and changes happening in various fields. We have to restore the confidence among the children and parents to overcome entrance exams like NEET with the new syllabus and teaching methods,” he added.
SCERT has identified 27 topics to work on the new curriculum and syllabus. “We have identified 27 core areas like gender issues, environment and inclusive education. The sub-committees will dwell on these topics and come out with suggestions on how to teach these issues to the children,” said G.Arivoli, director, SCERT. “After framing the curriculum and syllabus the works of writing new textbooks will begin,” he added.
The government has announced that it would revise the state board syllabus from class 1 to 12 in three academic years starting from 2018-19.
Box: Isro scientist in education committee
The state government has made changes to its high-level committee on school education by bringing in Isro Satellite Centre director Mylsamy Annadurai and two former Vice-Chancellors.
The high-level committee headed by school education minister K.A. Sengottaiyan was formed to suggest key changes to be implemented in syllabus and school education.
As per the government order, Mylsamy Annadurai, former IAS officer M.P. Vijayakumar, former Vice-Chancellors C.Ramasamy, A.Jothimurugan and educationist S.Ananthalakshmi will now be part of the committee.
Two members - Professor P.S. Balasubramanian and Professor S.Swaminathapillai - had expressed their inability to continue in the high-level committee due to their illness and age related issues, the GO said.
