Use NCERT Books-CBSE instructs the Schools

CBSE has issued a circular to all CBSE schools not to force parents buy costly text books by private publishers. The complete circular is as as below :

As you are aware, all the schools affiliated to CBSE follow syllabi prescribed by the NCERT up to the Middle class level (Class VIII) and the syllabi prescribed by the CBSE from Class IX to XII. The Board often receives reports and complaints regarding the pressure exercised in several schools on children and their parents to buy an excessive number of textbooks. The Committee under the Chairmanship of Professor Yashpal had also made several recommendations to reduce the curricular burden and stress on children in its report entitled ‘Learning Without Burden’. The National Curriculum Framework, 2005 has called for several curricular and systemic reforms to make children’s life at school enjoyable. One of these reforms pertains to reduction in the number textbooks for different classes.

In spite of all these initiatives, it is unfortunate that several schools are exerting pressure on children and their parents to buy an excessive number of textbooks predominantly published by publishers other than NCERT.

This is a matter of grave concern and the CBSE would like to reiterate its stand in unequivocal terms that prescribing of too many textbooks and coercing parents and children to buy them is an unhealthy practice that is educationally unsound, especially since NCERT textual materials are the base for preparing test items in the Board Examination and the question paper of CBSE is set according to the prescribed syllabus of the subject.

It has come to attention that schools are compelling children to purchase and use books of publishers other than NCERT which are costly, voluminous, and unscientifically designed. This practice of the schools is jeopardizing the proper teaching learning activities of the schools and imposing pressure on students.

It is, therefore, reiterated that Parents should not be coerced to buy additional textbooks by the school authorities.

ACAD/JS & I/C (A&T)/2015 20th July 2015 Circular No: Acad-41/2015