Board of Studies stops short of curtailing portion in grammar or language skills
PANAJI
Study content in all subjects for students of Classes I to VIII has been slashed by 30 per-cent for the purpose of examinations in the current academic year.
The curtailment is only limited to the academic year 2020-21. The curtailment of the syllabus is only for the limited purpose of examination only. However, there is no curtailment of any portion of grammar and language skills in all language subjects at the upper primary level, states the circular.
A communication from the State Council for Education, Research and Training said the Board of Studies (BoS) it constituted in all the subjects for the specific purpose of curtailing syllabi for these eight grades due to the prevailing Covid situation have accomplished their task.
"The Board of Studies after due deliberations and discussions with the members identified topic/portion in the syllabus of their concerned subjects for the 2020-21 year," said the communique addressed to heads of all government and aided schools by SCERT Director N G Honnekeri.
Honnekeri also annexed the portions identified by the BoS for curtailment to his communique.
However no portion in grammar or language skills in any of the languages has been curtailed.
The slashing of the syllabi, however, is only for the limited purpose of examination for the current 2020-21 academic year, Honnekeri said, adding that it should "not be included" in the term-end examinations.
The SCERT Director's communique also said that teachers should "encourage" the students, as far as possible, to self-study the excluded portion.
Earlier, the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) had also slashed the curriculum of classes IX to XII after an elaborate exercise conducted by BoS of the various subjects.
Students of two of these grades - - X and XII - - answer crucial and potentially career-defining public exams conducted by the Board at the end of the year.
Curtailing syllabi was inevitable after commencement of the current academic year got delayed and physical classes are yet to commence due to the pandemic.
Online teaching is currently in progress but is also facing impediments due to internet connectivity issues although students across the State are generally coping well.
