Himachal'€™s history, heritage to be part of school curriculum: Education minister

Shimla, Sep 9 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Tuesday presided over a high-level meeting to deliberate on revising the school curriculum, with special focus on incorporating the rich history, literature, culture and art of the state.

He directed officials to prepare a curriculum that must include ancient temples, monasteries, forts, heritage sites, traditional architecture, dialects, folk arts, handicrafts, fairs, festivals and historic movements of the state, according to an official statement.

Thakur also asked them to contextualise NCERT textbooks for Classes 6 to 12 with local Himachal references to help children develop a sense of pride and belonging.

The minister stressed the importance of highlighting freedom fighters like General Zorawar Singh, Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, Dr Y S Parmar and martyrs such as Captain Vikram Batra, Major Somnath Sharma and Captain Saurabh Kalia. "Such inclusions will strengthen students' connection with the state and prepare them for competitive examinations," he said.

Thakur directed that contemporary issues like disaster management, climate change, green energy and sustainable development be incorporated in the new curriculum. "Disaster education must be practical and activity-based to equip children to respond effectively to real-life challenges" he said.

He further said that the curriculum should enhance knowledge without increasing children's burden. He suggested replacing irrelevant chapters with meaningful ones and promoting learning through workshops, field visits, visual aids and practical exercises rather than rote memorisation. He also stressed promoting local languages.

The minister directed the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to provide open access to resources in Himachal Pradesh via their website and portal, with QR codes and digital links for easy access.

During the meeting, a major decision was taken to constitute a committee of experts to develop the revised curriculum. The committee will review NCERT textbooks in the context of Himachal, make necessary modifications and prepare supplementary material for a balanced and locally relevant education. The committee will be notified shortly, the statement said.

Himachal Pradesh University Vice Chancellor Prof Mahavir Singh shared his views on the curriculum reforms on the occasion and said the university was working to provide students better learning opportunities by including the state's heritage along with modern subjects like disaster management, green energy and skill development. PTI COR KSS KSS