SCERT Releases Draft Syllabus for Classes VI to X in Tamil Nadu

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Chennai has released a draft curriculum for Classes VI to X, placing major emphasis on do-it-yourself experiments, practical lessons, and classroom projects across science, social science, and mathematics for the upcoming academic years.

The draft syllabus aligns with the state education policy launched in August last year. It proposes a shift in assessment methods by introducing student field visits and oral questionnaires designed to evaluate conceptual understanding rather than memorisation.

Under the proposed rollout, students in Classes IV to VIII will receive new textbooks in the next academic year, while Class IX and higher grades will receive them in the subsequent year.

A senior faculty member with the SCERT stated that while nothing has been finalised yet, the objective is to make textbooks text-light and filled with activities to discourage rote learning. For example, students studying flora, fauna, or biodiversity will be encouraged to maintain journals recording their observations of their local environment. Additionally, subjects like history and civics are planned to be drafted in a narrative format for easier comprehension.

Earlier in January, the School Education Department released a draft syllabus for Classes I to V, which proposed the introduction of safety, first aid, life skills, and financial literacy into the primary curriculum.