The Tamil Nadu government on Monday reconstituted the Curriculum Development Committee for the purpose of formulating curriculum and syllabus for schools in the state. Moyilaswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO, has been appointed as the chairman of the new committee.
The previous curriculum committee chairman, Sultan Ahmed Ismail, was forced to resign on June 2 after the recently elected TVK government indicated that it would form a new committee to reform the curriculum. After a few weeks, the government took new steps.
The new 17-member committee has been appointed by the School Education Department for a three-year term. Apart from Annadurai, this committee has several eminent persons. Among them is TV Venkateswaran, a scientist and professor at IISER Mohali, Physicist Rita John, Tamil scholar M. Sudhandhiramuthu, Botanist N Madhivanan, Historian T. Ashoka, S. Angel Ratnabai, an IT expert, English language education expert Uma Raman, Mathematician P. Mahavir, Artist Moniyam Chelvan, Archaeologist K. Rajan, Educationist and Chandana Devan, M. Selvam, Chairman of Diet Dr, National award winning government school teacher S Dilip and education rights activist KSD Anantjit Makia. Also, Director of SCERT will act as Member-Secretary and Senior School Education Officers will be ex-officio members.
This committee is entrusted with the responsibility of formulating the curriculum and syllabus of the state. In addition, Dr, Govt to Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training for preparation of syllabus, Authorizes the formation of sub-committees for preparation of textbooks and other educational activities.
It is noteworthy that, The previous DMK government formed a high-level curriculum expert committee headed by then school education minister Anbil Mahesh Payamoji and a curriculum preparation committee chaired by Sultan Ahmed Ismail. Before the new formation, The previous course was first by committee, The first phase of textbooks for class II and III has been completed and published, which is being used in the school in the current academic year.