NCERT's 6 reasons for textbook revision; Periodic table deleted from Class 10 added in Class 11

NEW DELHI: After facing backlash from subject experts for removing the periodic table from NCERT Class 10 textbooks, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) clarified that the chapter has been included in the Class 11 textbooks and that the rationalization was done to reduce burden on students during Covid-19 pandemic.

Academics, teachers and subject experts have voiced against the deletion of important topics from science, social science, history textbooks. NCERT director had denied the “selective deletion” of chapters and has been using pandemic period to argue the need for revision of textbooks.

The recent deletion of the periodic table from Class 10 textbooks was not received well among the teachers, experts. Following this, the council in a series of tweets clarified why the content of the textbooks were rationalized.

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“With respect to the removal of the concepts of periodic table and evolution are concerned, the same has not been removed from the school education curriculum but in fact are available in appropriate detail in classes 11 and 12,” NCERT said.

“Discussion about basic concepts such as elements, symbols, formation of compounds, atoms and molecules have been dealt with in Class 9. In Class 10, chemical reaction; acids, bases and salts; metals and non-metals; carbon and its compounds have been covered. Students pursuing science in classes 11 and 12 will study the details of Periodic Classification of elements (Periodic table),” the council explained.

It added that the “content placed in the periodic table again have been made more age appropriate”.

On rationalization of the concept of evolution, it said that appropriate details have been included in Class 12. It further said that the revision of content was undertaken after the practicing teachers and stakeholders opined that the students need not study the same concepts at different classes.

Also read | NCERT Books: 1,800 scientists, researchers demand restoration of Darwin’s evolution theory

NCERT gives 6 reasons for textbook revision

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, students and teachers across the school stages were at home and managing teaching-learning using alternative modes.”

• Overlapping with similar content included in the other subject area in the same class.
• Similar content included in the lower or higher class in the same subject.
• High difficulty level
• Content, which is easily accessible to children and does not require much intervention from the teachers and can be learnt through self-learning or peer-learning.
• Content, which is not relevant in the present context or is outdated.
• Learning outcomes already developed across the classes are taken care of in this rationalization exercise.