DO NOT GIVE HOMEWORK TO SECONDARY CLASS: DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION:
CIRCULAR TO BAN HOMEWORK TILL CLASS II ISSUSED, HC TOLD:
☛ The Madras High Court has asked the Centre to direct all the states and union territories to ensure that no school, irrespective of educational boards, gives homework to students of Classes I and II, in accordance with recommendations of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
☛The order by Justice N Kirubakaran came on Tuesday after a petition filed by lawyer M Purushothaman, raising concerns about the welfare of students over homework being assigned to them in violation of NCERTguidelines.
☛ During the hearing in April, the NCERT submitted before the court that Class II students at the 18,000-odd CBSE schools should not be given homework and only three subjects should be taught up to Class III.
☛ Criticising a culture that is “robbing the innocence of children”, the order said it is unrealistic to expect students of kindergarten, and Classes I and II to do home assignments on their own and this should be prohibited.
☛ Noting NCERT guidelines issued in this regard, the order said that CBSE-affiliated schools are bound to follow the syllabus and books prescribed by the NCERT since the central government and the council decide the curriculum. “It is shocking and surprising to note that grammar and computer science have been prescribed for Class I students. It is not understandable as to how five-year-old children could comprehend the concept of computer or understand general knowledge,” the order said.
☛ Observing that CBSE schools were unnecessarily putting pressure on students by teaching irrelevant subjects not prescribed by the NCERT or CBSE, the court also ordered to direct concerned authorities “not to prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for Class I and II students, and language, environmental studies and mathematics for Classes III to V”.
☛ Asking the states to formulate policies to reduce the number of books carried by children, Justice Kirubakaran remarked that children were not weightlifters.
☛ The order also includes a direction to the Centre to make sure that every state government and Union territory forms flying squads to conduct inspections in schools to monitor compliance with the directions.
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