NEW DELHI: While students and teachers believe the syllabus for classes IX to XII should be reduced given the online nature of classes, educators say CBSE must take a quick decision so that schools don’t waste time and energy on text portions that are eventually excluded.
Last year, the syllabus for these classes was reduced by 30%.
Ashok Pandey, director, Ahlcon Schools, said, “I think the syllabus should be reduced because classes are online and we don’t know if schools will reopen soon.
The other very important reason is the time wasted in teaching some topics for a month or two that might later be excluded from the year’s syllabus.
There is no harm in reducing the burden now and add a chapter or two later if there is time left.
But the prudent thing to do is to reduce it and not keep things uncertain.”

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Rachna said, “CBSE reduced the syllabus last year and this year too the Covid situation is identical.
I don’t know why the board takes such a long time to take a decision.” Rooma Pathak, principal of MM Public School, added, “The mental and physical toll on students’ health this year is higher than last year, so reducing the syllabus makes sense.”
A few principals disclosed that CBSE had held an informal discussion on the syllabus with them.
A K Jha, principal of Government Co-ed Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 8, Rohini, noted that the digital divide between students made syllabus reduction a necessity.
“Most government school students, even in Delhi, do not have net access devices.
Sometimes, two students share a phone.
With family incomes hit by the pandemic, internet packs are a problem too,” said Jha.
Jyoti Arora, principal, Mount Abu Public School, suggested that instead of cutting the syllabus, some topics could be turned into projects.
Whatever the decision, it should be done in a proper manner, insisted Keshav Agarwal, who provides JEE and NEET coaching, highlighting how last year, the deletions for Class XII mathematics were “quite bizarre and meaningless” because what had to be taught relied on what had been cut out.