| No textbooks or teaching manuals; syllabus is still a mess
It has been two years since Environmental Education was introduced as part of the school curriculum, but students are yet to learn even the basics of the subject.
There are no textbooks, no teacher training, shortage of time in the timetable and no teaching manual, though the subject remains a compulsory one.
EVS (Environmental Studies) was introduced as a graded subject for Std IX and XI in 2005-06. It was later extended to Std X and XII as well by the state education board.
Recalls Jill Mathew, a Std X student from a school in the western suburbs, “Our teachers had taught only four chapters out of the 12 in the textbook prescribed for the subject.
They didn’t have time to complete the syllabus and whatever was completed was done in free periods. Since it was an internal exam, the questions were based only on the portion they have taught.”
Added a student from another school said, “In Std IX, we were asked to go to a municipal school and teach the students there how to make paper bags in order to promote the ban on plastics.
A few days before the board exams started this year, we were asked to deliver a project and that’s it.”
According to Mukund Andhalkar, the Mumbai president of the Maharashtra Junior College Teachers’ Union, “For Std XI, teachers don’t have board-prescribed textbooks to follow.
They don’t have a teaching manual and almost all the junior colleges are taking the subject lightly. Nothing is planned. Teachers are just giving general guidance on the subject and leaving it at that.”
Adds the principal of a school in South Mumbai, “In the first year, books came to the market in November. And for Std X, it is one year now and the books are not out as yet.
Teacher-training for the new subjects were scheduled on the radio programme — Akashwani — but teachers don’t have time to sit in front of their radio sets at the scheduled time.”
According to Andhalkar, “For teaching every subject in junior college, specialised teachers are appointed for the subject.
But for this subject, any teacher from any field is asked to teach. Schools and colleges are taking it lightly as the subject is working on grading system.” What the Board says
Vinay Dakshindas, secretary of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, says, “Teachers not following the curriculum is an administrative affair.
We are planning teacher-training by the month of July. Textbooks for Std X and XII will be out soon.”
He also added that there couldn’t be specialised teachers for the subject and anybody could teach it. |
