Delhi Government's move to chop off 25% syllabus for classes 6 to 8 in its schools to incorporate skill-based subjects will not cause any loss of learning to students as efforts are being made to "reuse" the deleted portions in more constructive forms, officials say.

The AAP government's decision to reduce the syllabus has been flayed by some activists and academicians, who have termed the process to be "arbitrary" and one that has not been completely deliberated upon. The Directorate of Education (DoE) officials, however, say the experts studying the subjects that can be deleted, are also keeping in mind how the same can be "reused" in higher grades to ensure that the basic standards of learning for each class do not suffer.

"There is not going to be any loss of learning for students if the syllabus is going to be sacrificed for co-curricular activities like music, arts and theatre. Whatever portions will be deleted from the syllabus are likely to be incorporated in "some form or the other" in the higher grades," a senior DoE official told PTI.

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"This reshuffling and reduction of the syllabus is indispensable because we realised that half of the students can't even read and write properly. Class 6 students do not know basic mathematics. So we are deleting some portions of the syllabus to make space for basic skills programme," said the official.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier this month announced government's decision to reduce 25% syllabus for classes VI to VIII from October onwards to pave way for more skill-based courses, art, theatre and sports in its education system. Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, had said that the government is in talks with CBSE to see how a similar reduction can be worked out for the syllabus for classes IX- XII from next year.

The government had then invited suggestions from teachers to reduce syllabi and nearly 40,000 inputs have been received by it. "Inputs have been received and then the draft for the reduction will be worked out. This experiment will be introduced in 50 model government schools on a pilot basis from the current academic session," thse official said.

"Suggestions included removal for some chapters, deletion of portions instead of complete chapters and not removing a few chapters. We have put the draft of the reduced syllabus on the public domain and also sent the same to government schools seeking suggestions," she added.

A review committee consisting of members from National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Delhi University, educational organisations, civil society, among others will be constituted to examine these suggestions over a period of one month. "The members of the committee will be made public in the coming week. The review committee will be coming up with the final draft next month," the official said.