Team Goemkarponn
PORVORIM: The Goa State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will undertake a comprehensive review of textbooks prepared for Classes 1 to 8, while maintaining that the material currently included in the books is educationally appropriate and developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, SCERT Director Meghana Shetgaonkar said the council had been entrusted with preparing the new textbooks under the NEP framework, with the objective of making learning more interactive, competency-based and suitable for each age group.
She said the exercise involved forming separate subject committees for every class, bringing together nearly 150 educationists and subject experts. Their collective work resulted in the publication of 41 textbooks, including editions in Marathi and Konkani.
According to Shetgaonkar, the selection of reading material was guided by educational relevance rather than the geographical background of the authors. She said the books were designed to expose students to Goa’s heritage, environment, culture, cuisine and history, while also ensuring that the prescribed learning outcomes were met.
She explained that where suitable content from Goan writers was unavailable, editorial teams included carefully selected works by authors from outside the state to maintain academic quality and curriculum requirements.
Responding to concerns raised over certain textbook content, Shetgaonkar said SCERT had accepted the steering committee’s recommendation to appoint an expert review panel. The committee will evaluate all 41 textbooks and recommend changes wherever necessary.
She clarified that the review should not be seen as an indication of deficiencies, but as part of SCERT’s commitment to continuously improve educational resources through expert feedback and public suggestions.
The Director also pointed out that the new textbooks have already been introduced in several schools and that SCERT has not received any official complaints from teachers or educational institutions regarding their use in classrooms.
She reiterated that, until the review is completed, the textbooks remain fully compliant with the academic standards and norms prescribed under the National Education Policy.
The media interaction was attended by SCERT Director (Administration) Sarita Gadgil, NEP State Coordinator Rupesh Sawant, Marathi textbook committee member Anil Samant and Konkani content development convenor Sushant Naik.
