10-member panel to revamp

school curriculum in Tamil Nadu

TNN | Jul 5, 2017, 08.16 AM IST

CHENNAI: Following in the footsteps of the national curriculum

framework (2005) and the National Education policy draft, the Tamil Nadu
government has constituted a curriculum frameworkcommittee to help provide a
roadmap for the school education set-up in the state. A GO was issued on
Tuesday to formalise the constitution of the committee and its members.

The 10-member committee, headed by former IIT Kanpur chairman and former
VC of Anna University , M Anandakrishnan, will look at forming a curriculum that
is inclusive of different kinds of learning to promote a holistic approach to
education.

The curriculum will include technology , sciences and Tamil History , culture, arts
and literature and environment.

"We realise that curriculum doesn't end with academics and hence the committee
includes members from different walks.It is not just about bookish knowledge but
about holistic development," said T Udhayachandran, principal secretary , school
education department.
While a high level committee already exists, a number of committees will come
under its umbrella including the curriculum framework committee.The first step
will be to form the curriculum providing a macro level view of the educational set
up including evaluation and the educational context. The State Council for
Educational Research and Training (SCERT) also wrote to the government earlier
stating that the curriculum needs to be revamped to be on par with CBSE
standards.

The committee will consult stake holders, form sub committees and will present a
draft of the curriculum framework for public consultation. The government will be
inviting suggestions from public and hold consultations at district level following
which a curriculum will be finalised. Based on that syllabus will be developed and
texts will be written and see how they fit into the framework.

High level committee reconstituted

The high level committee that looks after multiple aspects in the educational set-up
has been reconstituted after two members from the original committee recused
themselves. Members P S Balasubramanian, retired HOD of the department of
education, University of Madras and Swaminathan Pillai, former director of
Bharatiyar University, Coimbatore, have stepped down from the committee due to
health reasons.

The reconstituted 13-member committee will be lead by school education minister

K A Sengottaiyan and will include school education secretary T Udhayachandran,
Mylswamy Annadurai, sirector, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore and MP
VIjaykumar, former corporation commissioner.
The school education department has organised a
grand seminar on developing new curriculum for state
board here on Thursday. More than 1,000 teachers and
educationists participated in the seminar. For the next
two days, 22 sub-committees for various subjects will
discuss about the important aspects to be added in new
curriculum and syllabus.

We have chosen best available experts to come out

with new syllabus and curriculum, Sengottaiyan said
while peaking at the inaugural function.
He also welcomed suggestions from educationists and
experts to improve school education.