State syllabus to get value addition: topics on values

Students studying the state syllabus will have an addition soon: topics that help inculcate values among children. Students will study offbeat subjects that the department believes is necessary to make them better individuals.

Top officials in the department of public instruction said this is being done to ensure students learn more than what their textbooks have.

S R Umashankar, principal secretary, department of education, said these could be incorporated in textbooks or studied additionally. However, students will not necessarily have to take exams on these topics. Road safety and traffic guidelines are a few such topics. A team of experts and the Department of State Educational Research and Training are compiling the study material. “Children must learn about aspects such as environment protection, animal rights and gender sensitisation,” said Umashankar.

Further, students will study about their social responsibilities, a good citizen charter, maintaining hygiene and keeping their surroundings clean.

Nagasimha G Rao, “It is a good idea to include these in the textbooks. However, there are no teachers trained in the subject. It is not ideal to initiate ideas such as this, at a time when English medium is being introduced, as it will add to the burden of teachers. Instead, having a tie-up with non-government organisations and build strategies with them will help.”

“Taking the guidance of teachers who have the subject expertise is also important,” Rao said.