Covid-19 : MHRD mulling to reduce syllabus, instructional hours for 2020-21

Hyderabad: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is contemplating the option of reducing the syllabus and instructional hours for the coming academic year, in view of the current circumstances prevailing due to

Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The ministry informed that they have started thinking about reducing the syllabus after receiving a lot of requests from parents and teachers. MHRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has appealed to all the teachers, academicians and educationists to share their opinions on this matter using #SyllabusForStudents2020 on his Twitter and Facebook page.

On Tuesday, the HRD minister took tweeted, "In view of the current circumstances and after receiving a lot of requests from parents and teachers, we are contemplating the option of reducing the syllabus and instructional hours for the coming academic year."

He further added, "I would like to appeal to all the teachers, academicians and educationists to share their point of view on this matter using #SyllabusForStudents2020 on MHRD's or my Twitter handle and Facebook page so that we can take them into consideration while making a decision."

Mrs Anjali Razdan, CEO-GD Goenka School Hyderabad and an education expert believes this was much expected looking at the current scenario. She further added, "There is reasonable 'Rationale in Reduction' of the syllabus this academic session due to Coronavirus pandemic. Firstly, syllabus is different from curriculum. Curriculum is a broad perspective of concepts to be understood while syllabus is a small part and the road-map for it."

"Why do we need to pump in loads of content (which was the earlier norm) instead we could now be more selective, qualitative and better engaging in 'uncovering the syllabus' rather than covering it, the new norm," she questioned.

She added, "It is a question of students understanding their learning rather than teachers finishing the book. Hence, a few parts cut here and there is better than all parts gathered but nothing as a whole. Moreover, let the focus be more on the outcomes of learning, on the objectives and aims, at the engaging pedagogy beneficial to all the children rather than completion of the humongous load of unjustified academic matter making no sense at the end of the day. Its a classic case of 'Quality vs Quantity'.

Mr Ashish Naredi from Hyderabad School Parents Association said, "In the present Corona times, a large number of schools haven't started yet and those who have started, have only started online, which is not as effective as actual classes. Hence, the move to reduce syllabus is definitely welcome. Based on how the situation develops and when physical classes can be restarted, the decision may be further reviewed. For the present though, this move is a big relief."

Reportedly, the government is hoping to reopen schools after August 15, 2020.