Bigger, brighter, better: State board school textbooks may get makeover

A panel constituted to review textbooks has suggested to the state government that all revised books for state schools be bigger, brighter and also be printed on high-quality paper.

The panel, headed by writer Baragur Ramachandrappa, has recommended that all revised textbooks, to be introduced from Class I to X in state schools (363 titles in all) from the academic year 2017-18, be of size one-fourth demy (approximately the size of a magazine or 21.9 cm width x 29 cm height) in dimension.

Bigger textbooks have become the norm of the day. Textbooks brought out by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for schools affiliated to Central boards are of one-fourth demy size. Recently, Maharashtra, Kerala and West Bengal too have adopted this size for their respective state schools.

“The bigger books help in easier reading, navigation and also enhance the scope for better layouts. Studies have also found that bigger sized textbooks provide a psychological advantage to students during their learning process,” Ramachandrappa told DH. Hitherto, textbooks for state schools were printed in smaller sized crown quarto (18.9 cm x 24.6 cm).

The process of revision and review of the textbooks taken up by 27 sub-panels comprising 185 members is in the final stages of completion, Ramachandrappa added.

Another suggestion made by the committee is to print the textbooks in 70 grams/square metre (gsm) quality paper considering the wear and tear of books in the hands of the children. At present, state textbooks are printed on 60 or 50 gsm quality paper. The paper is brittle and tears easily.

Both the proposals  --  to have bigger sized textbooks and also printing them on higher quality paper -- have got in-principle approval of the state government, official sources said. The new format and better quality paper are likely to cost the government an additional Rs 12 to Rs 15 crore. As the financial implication exceeds above Rs 5 crore, the proposals will have to be placed before the state Cabinet, the sources said.

Karnataka Textbook Society will be entrusted with the task of calling for tenders for printing textbooks once the Cabinet gives go-ahead, sources added.