PANAJI
Education Secretary Prasad Lolayekar on Thursday clarified that the ‘model timetable’ provided by the Education Department to schools for implementing the NEP in Class IX is not mandatory even as he stressed that instructional hours have not been increased.
“All concerns have been addressed to avoid misunderstandings, and we will communicate this in writing. Everyone (headmasters and teachers’ associations) is on board… It is often the case that there will be apprehensions when a new policy is implemented,” he said after a meeting with the Goa Secondary School Teachers Association (GSSTA) over instructional hours.
The Secretary explained that the model timetable shared with schools during a presentation is not compulsory, as each school has the liberty to frame it according to its own needs.
“Each school can decide on its own timetable; it is not necessary to follow the model timetable because ground realities differ. We have given schools the liberty to frame their timetable according to their suitability,” he stated, adding that instructional hours have not been increased.
He further clarified concerns about the continuity of foreign language options, stating that students who have opted for Portuguese, French, German, and Arabic will be allowed to continue these languages in Class IX. “We have not stopped this,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources said that students opting for these languages will be allowed to continue until they clear the Board, with full NEP implementation expected to be completed by 2027-28.
Regarding the syllabus, he said that there will be no changes to the syllabus for Science, Maths, and languages.
