Classes 1 and 2 of Maharashtra state board schools to continue with old-pattern textbooks this academic year

But according to Balbharati, the state textbook bureau, there are no directives of changes in textbooks as yet. “Changes in textbooks need to be communicated at least a year in advance not only to Balbharati to prepare new textbooks but also as a notice to booksellers in the market. This process will begin this year,” said an official from Balbharati.

Maharashtra’s school education department is in the process of revising the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) as per the recommendations by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Foundational Stage (FC) is the first phase of SCF revision which focuses on children from age 3 to 8 years. This covers students from three classes of pre-primary section along with classes 1 and 2.

The State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) which is preparing the SCF, completed the SCF-FS in 2023 and a final document was released earlier this year. Apart from new curriculum for classes 1 and 2, the SCF-FS also recommends that three classes of pre-primary section in state board schools will not have textbooks. Instead, teachers in pre-primary will be given handbooks on expected learning outcomes.

However, there is no clarity on whether Balbharati will prepare these handbooks or a document will be released by SCERT. Additionally, even as SCF-FS included the pre-primary section, the state is also in the process of bringing a regulation to bring the three classes under the purview of school education as in absence of any such regulation the new curriculum cannot be effectively implemented.