The intent is there. The NEP is verbose on critical thinking, experiential learning, multidisciplinary education and flexible curricula. Yet, actual reforms have been shallow.
I see changes aligned with just two objectives:
~ An aggressive attempt to “correct history” and build a historical and political narrative aligned with current political leanings.
~ Rationalising the syllabus to “ease the burden” on students.
Neither prioritises the larger goal: developing critical thinking, innovation and problem-solving mindsets.
Innovation is a mindset. It isn’t measured by products or software coded. Problem-solving is a mindset too. It isn’t about enrolling students in school projects or having them work with an NGO.
Good schooling needs four elements to develop these capabilities:
Contents
1. Scientific temper and STEM literacy
Every student must understand basic physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, irrespective of post-Class 10 stream specialisation. Not cursory exposure, but conceptual understanding and problem-solving.
Dropping the periodic table from Class 10 is a blunder in teaching basic inorganic chemistry. Similarly, Darwin, speciation, fossils and human evolution have been dropped from Class 10. For humanities students, this may be their last exposure to fundamental scientific concepts.
2. Political history and institutions
Students need to understand political systems, comparative institutions, rights and institutional responsibilities, and critically assess governments. This is integral to responsible citizenship.
Thinning out the applied, contested dimensions of democracy risks weakening this understanding: how diversity is negotiated, movements shape rights, party systems evolve and democracies fail.
The reduction of material on popular movements, one-party dominance, the Gujarat riots and the Emergency, alongside the removal of chapters on the Cold War and US hegemony, raises important questions about what students are no longer encouraged to examine.
3. Cultural history and syncretism
India’s sociocultural diversity and syncretic traditions matter. No development endures in a society embroiled in conflict.
“Otherness” may feel empowering, even assertive. But an exclusionary society can use knowledge and education for destructive rather than constructive ends.
Development is more than material possessions. It includes inclusion, harmony, mental health, belonging and environmental quality. Technology alone cannot deliver these. There is wisdom in the idea of Gross National Happiness.
4. Communication and comprehension
Reading and writing develop abstract thinking and help us imagine a diverse world. Yet comprehension, writing and critical engagement with literature remain underemphasised.
Regional languages and the critical appreciation of books, essays and poems in English and Hindi deserve far greater priority.
In my view, the IB curriculum offers a stronger emphasis on critical thinking, research and exploration. CBSE has considerable catching up to do.
Education reform must go beyond lighter textbooks and revised historical narratives. The real test is whether it teaches children to think, question, understand and create.
By, Shabbir A. Bashir Sir
