Login Register
Follow Us

History books still elude students

LUDHIANA: Nearly five months have passed ever since the new academic session has begun but the ambiguity over history syllabus for senior secondary classes is still intact.

Show comments

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20

Nearly five months have passed ever since the new academic session has begun but the ambiguity over history syllabus for senior secondary classes is still intact.

The alteration in history syllabus was made to bring ‘uniformity’ with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) snowballed into a major controversy when political parties and social organisations pointed out deletion of several chapters related to Sikh history.

The oversight committee led by historian Dr Kirpal Singh was set up by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in May after errors in history books were found. The committee will provide chapter wise study material.

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) had recently uploaded contents of five chapters of Class XI and XII on its website. It was decided to release chapter wise material online. So far, only two chapters – Politics, Society, and Religion in Punjab (c. 1450-1550) for Class XII and The Indus Civilisation for Class XI has been uploaded.

Teachers say there is a lot of obscurity pertaining to chapters. As midterm exams are nearing, students have been left to fend for themselves. Moreover, differences between Punjabi and English medium chapters have further augmented uncertainty.

“After every couple of days, there are rumours about the old syllabus being introduced or new syllabus being withdrawn. Students come to us asking about the syllabus. Children have suffered a lot due to it and we demand the book to be released at the earliest. Midterm exams are scheduled in September and we are clueless how to go about it. Though the syllabus for five chapters has been made available, the improbability will continue till the time chapters are not disclosed. We don’t know yet which maps are to be used. Moreover, there is the difference between Punjabi and English medium chapters uploaded on the website,” said a history teacher on condition of anonymity.

“By August, 50 per cent of the syllabus gets completed, however, only one chapter has been released for each senior secondary class. We are not even sure how many chapters will be there in the syllabus. There is also a mismatch in the English and Punjabi text. We are apprehensive that political parties may raise issues with new chapters as well,” said another history teacher on condition of anonymity.

Sources in the head office say that a new chapter will be uploaded after every fifteen days on the website. However, a complete history book may be made available by the end of the year or the next year.

Director Academics PSEB Manjit Kaur said, “In a day or two, the contents of the syllabus will be made available on the website. The chapters will be uploaded as and when they will be prepared. It can take fifteen days or even less. We don’t want students to suffer and hence the work is in progress.”

Chapters released

  • For Class XII: Politics, Society and Religion in Punjab (c. 1450-1550), Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1539): A New Religion and a New Panth, Development of the Sikh Panth (1539-1606), Confrontation with the Mughal State (1606-75) and Guru Gobind Singh Ji: Creation of the Khalsa and its Aftermath (1666-1708).
  • For Class XI: The Indus Valley Civilisation, The Vedic Times (c.1500 – c.600 BCE), The Maurayan Age (c.600 – c.200 BCE), Significant Developments in Early India (BCE c.200 – c.650 CE) and Early Medieval India (c.650 – c.1200).

Official Speak

In a day or two, the content of the syllabus will be made available on the website. The chapters will be uploaded as and when they are prepared. It can take 15 days or even less. We don’t want students to suffer and hence work is in progress. — Manjit Kaur , Director Academics, PSEB                               

Show comments
Show comments

Top News

Most Read In 24 Hours