Uttarakhand private schools will teach ‘Hamari Virasat Evam Vibhutiyan’ book: Education minister

DEHRADUN : The book 'Hamari Virasat Evam Vibhutiyan' prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Uttarakhand will be taught in all the private schools of the state, State School Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference, Rawat said the intitiative aims to help students, including those from India and from abroad, studying in Uttarakhand, learn about the state's cultural diversity, folk heritage and seperate state movements.

The state cabinet had last week decided to include the book in the syllabus for classes six to eight. In addition to the new syllabus, the government plans to reduce the weight of school bags in private schools by implementing class-wise weight limits for bags, similar to government schools, he said. Additionally, a 'Bag Free Day' will be observed once a month, to provide students with opportunities to explore innovative learning approaches, Rawat said.

He said that school organisations and operators have agreed to implement the initiative and it will be rolled out in the first week of April. The minister also announced plans for a 'Teaching Sharing Program' between private and government schools, which would allow them to share laboratories, playgrounds, and other resources to ensure their optimal utilisation.