Kerala Govt Breaks Ground by Embedding Preamble to Constitution in School Textbooks
- April 2, 2024, 11:14 a.m.
In a historic move, the CPI(M)-led Left Government in Kerala has decided to include the preamble to the Constitution in revised school textbooks for classes 1 to 10. General Education Minister V Sivankutty, also the chairman of the State Curriculum Committee, announced the groundbreaking decision, stating that it's the first time the preamble will be printed at the beginning of every textbook. The decision is part of the government's broader efforts to instill constitutional values in students. The State Curriculum Steering Committee recently approved 173 new textbooks for selected classes, marking the first comprehensive curriculum reform in a decade.
Jayaprakash R K, the director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), revealed that the Preamble will be integrated into all revised textbooks and included in teacher training. He emphasized that the move is aimed at creating awareness about the Constitution's significance among youngsters. Moreover, the language of the Preamble will align with the medium of instruction, with Malayalam in Malayalam textbooks, Tamil in Tamil textbooks, and Hindi in Hindi textbooks. The objective is to make constitutional understanding a fundamental part of early education.
Recognising potential challenges in comprehension, the SCERT Director highlighted that although understanding the Constitution might be challenging in lower classes, students are expected to grasp its basics by at least the fifth standard. Senior Left Leader T M Thomas Isaac lauded the decision, positioning it as a response against attempts to "communalise education." The revised textbooks, expected to reach students weeks before the next academic year begins, will not only include the Preamble but also emphasise gender sensitivity, lessons on Pocso rules, democratic and secular values, and scientific temperament.
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