Nagpur: With the new Class 9 academic session set to begin on April 1, CBSE-affiliated schools are struggling to plan lessons in the absence of prescribed textbooks, leaving teachers uncertain about what to teach on the first day. Around 10 days ago, the NCERT issued an advisory stating that new Class 9 textbooks aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 would be available for the 2026–27 academic session. However, with the session imminent, physical copies have not yet reached schools, and digital versions are also unavailable. “We are worried about how to proceed. The session begins next week and we have no textbooks,” said the principal of a CBSE-affiliated school in Nagpur, requesting anonymity as the board discourages school heads from speaking to the media. Another principal said schools would rely on the draft curriculum to avoid academic disruption. “We will try to cover the prescribed topics, but a curriculum document cannot substitute for a textbook,” the principal added. In its draft syllabus document published in February, NCERT had stated that the new Grade 9 textbooks were under development and would be available by March 2026. That timeline has lapsed without delivery. The draft syllabus—covering Science, Mathematics and Social Science—runs to 80 pages and outlines themes, key concepts and learning outcomes. Mathematics includes 15 themes across 134 instructional hours, covering coordinate geometry, number systems, sequences, probability and linear equations. Science spans topics such as cell biology, atomic structure, motion, force, energy and sound. Social Science integrates history, geography, political science and economics across 16 chapters. The framework adopts a competency-based, inquiry-driven approach, emphasising conceptual understanding over rote learning. The draft Mathematics syllabus notably includes contributions by Indian mathematicians, such as Brahmagupta’s quadratic formula and Madhava’s formula for pi, aligning with the NCF-SE 2023’s focus on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). Similarly, the Science syllabus highlights contributions by Indian scientists alongside standard content. However, educators stress that a syllabus cannot replace structured textbooks. For now, schools plan to use the draft as a guide and rely on improvised teaching material until the textbooks are released.
