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If you’re a parent or a student exploring the world of CBSE schools, you’ve likely wondered  which book does CBSE prefer? With so many publishers and so many book options available in the market, this is a common and important question. After all, knowing what CBSE recommends can help make sure your child is on the right track.

The response, however, is not as straightforward as simply listing one book. CBSE, being a school board, has a very precise function in India's education system. It determines the curriculum, holds exams, and gives guidelines but it does not publish books. Yet, there is one organization whose CBSE school books uses and recommends and that's NCERT.

Let's see how this works in detail, and also examine what this implies for schools, children, and parents particularly the early grades.

What CBSE Actually Does (And What It Doesn't) 

CBSE, the Central Board of Secondary Education, is a national-level board of education that affiliates thousands of schools. But CBSE itself does not write or print textbooks. Rather, it sets the academic framework, deciding what should be taught at each class level, what should be achieved by way of learning outcomes, and how pupils should be tested.

NCERT is a government institution which develops textbooks, learning aids, teacher's guide, etc., all under the CBSE curriculum. Moreover, most guidelines for CBSE clearly refer to NCERT books as they have been developed according to the CBSE prescribed exact syllabus. So, the very simple response to the query of "CBSE prefers which book?" would be NCERT textbooks.

These books are easy to read, well-researched, and emphasize concept-building. They are free of unnecessary complexity and only adhere to what students need to learn, which is why they have been CBSE-recommended for years.

But usage of these books in schools, how and where, differs across classes. Let's see.

NCERT Books in Classes 9 to 12: 

A Clear Preference After Class 9, nearly every school affiliated to CBSE strictly follows NCERT books without exceptions. Why so? Because NCERT syllabus alone is to be followed during CBSE board examinations in Class 10 as well as in Class 12. Questions are asked directly out of these books and students can respond according to what is written there.

That's why in Classes 9 to 12, NCERT books are not only the choice of CBSE, they are practically regarded as standard.

What About Classes 6 to 8? This is where it gets a little more relaxed. CBSE still prefers NCERT books for Class 6 to Class 8 and suggests that schools adopt them. However, at the same time, it also does not make them mandatory. Therefore, schools can opt for other books or even textbook books from private publishers as long as they are in line with the curriculum of CBSE.

Some schools remain with NCERT for uniformity. Some think private publishers have more vibrant layouts, more activities, or more interesting content and opt for them or use a mix of both.

So, although CBSE does like NCERT in Classes 6 through 8, there's scope for schools to use varying study material based on their methodology.

Classes 1 through 5: 

Some schools opt for NCERT for Maths and Environmental Studies. Others opt for books from private publishers that provide more child-friendly layouts, interactive material, or improved teacher support. In most instances, schools create their own blended curriculum with various publishers for various subjects.

The outcome? Students in two different CBSE schools may be studying the same topics but from completely different textbooks.

What About Nursery, LKG and UKG? 

Here's something that comes as a shock to many parents: CBSE does not suggest any books for Nursery, LKG, or UKG. Actually, these pre-primary books & classes are not formally a part of the CBSE academic system. That means schools are totally free to pick or create their own learning material.

Some schools develop early childhood curriculum independently. Others are based on best-selling private publications. But since there is no standard or officially recommended, the type of book used in those formative years can differ extremely even at CBSE schools.

The standards of these books and the extent to which they align with child development requirements also tend to rest on the philosophy of the school. This creates inconsistencies  and makes it difficult for parents to be sure whether what their child is being taught is actually current CBSE thinking.

However, CBSE launched the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) under the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). This framework seeks to totally rethink early years learning on the lines of play-based, activity-based approaches that encourage all-round child development instead of mere rote learning.

But again, CBSE didn't release any official books for this phase. That job has been left to schools, publishers, and teachers, leaving an obvious need for materials that capture the intent of NCF-FS but provide schools with a structured content to operate with.

Filling the Gap of Early Childhood Learning - LumaLearn for Nursery to UKG 

This is where LumaLearn steps in. As there are no books provided by CBSE for pre-primary levels, LumaLearn provides a pre-built learning system for Nursery, LKG, and UKG, carefully built around the latest foundational framework by the CBSE.

Rather than cumbersome textbooks and scholarly worksheets, LumaLearn takes a play-based route. Children learn through stories, games, songs, and real-life activities. Every book and activity is aligned to specific learning outcomes from NCF-FS, ensuring that children are not only having fun learning but also acquiring the correct skills at the correct time.

For schools that wish to join hands with CBSE's vision of early education, LumaLearn is an authentic, research-based choice. It introduces structure without rigidness and makes learning fun and purposeful in the formative years.

ThinkTrail as the perfect CBSE-Aligned Books for Classes 1 to 8 

When kids transition into middle school and primary school, there is a requirement for more subject-based content but it must still be fun and age-relevant. That is where ThinkTrail comes in.

ThinkTrail provides an entire range of CBSE-based textbooks and learning materials books for Class 1 to 8. Every book mirrors the CBSE curriculum but approaches the content in a manner that's engaging and real. Be it Mathematics, Science, English, or Environmental Studies, there is an emphasis on making kids understand concepts as opposed to merely memorizing them.

What distinguishes ThinkTrail is the use of 3D videos, interactive learning resources, and real-life examples. So, rather than reading in a textbook about the water cycle and then going on to something else, students are able to observe it happening and learn how it occurs in real life.

For those schools that would like to gear up students for the organization of senior classes and still want to ensure learning remains enjoyable, ThinkTrail is an efficient, innovative solution that integrates with CBSE's favored learning outcomes.

Which CBSE School Books Do CBSE Prefer? 

To put it in short CBSE does not bring out books, but it favors NCERT textbooks since they are made to keep pace with the curriculum CBSE itself formulates. NCERT books are indispensable in Classes 9 to 12. In Classes 6 to 8, they are favored but not required. In Classes 1 to 5, schools enjoy more autonomy. And in Nursery to UKG, there are no CBSE-recommended books as such.

This flexible system has its advantages; it enables schools to tailor learning styles to students' requirements. But it leaves gaps and inconsistencies, particularly when children transfer between schools or when parents attempt to find the correct learning assistance.

That's why thoughtful, CBSE-compatible learning solutions such as LumaLearn and ThinkTrail are in demand. They provide what CBSE likes, sequential learning, well-defined outcomes, and appropriate content for age without being restricted to one book or fixed approach.

The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a significant change for the Indian education system as it brings more involvement for students to their practical life. After more than 30 years, the government brought this policy with a hope to sort out the problems with the current system so that education becomes more immersive and less about memorization. And with that kept in mind, NEP 2020 brings an idea for education that is creative, practical, and future-ready. But what does it mean to students, teachers, and the system of education? You can find all the details about NEP 2020 in detail here.

Why is there an introduction of a new education policy?

The education system in India, before NEP 2020, was really in the past. The system was more focused on exams and memorization, which did not contribute to students learning how to think critically or solve real-life problems. In addition, there was not enough emphasis on creativity and skills needed for modern jobs. Therefore, NEP 2020 was introduced to rectify these issues and make education more relevant, inclusive, and accessible.

The traditional education system was plagued by many problems. One major problem was that it became too exam-oriented and rote-based. The students memorized facts for passing exams but did not understand what they were saying or learned any practical skills for real life. The problems in such a scenario also included that students had to choose from streams like science, commerce, and arts, often not being able to take an interest in other areas fully. This was frustrating and limited their future choices too.

NEP 2020 wants to change all this. In fact, NEP envisions education with all-round development so that the student learns not only by books but through play based learning experiences and creativity and even by means of skills. It wishes that all students are well-equipped in handling real situations, capable of thinking, analysing and adapting to new situations. It aims at taking off the pressure and letting students get better in learning and exploring through the knowledge.

Key Takeaways from NEP 2020

School education is the most prominent change in NEP 2020. Instead of the earlier 10+2, there will be a new 5+3+3+4 structure. The curriculum will be divided into four stages: foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary.

Foundational Stage

For children aged 3 to 8, the education will be early childhood care and education (ECCE) and also falls into the pre primary education. Learning at this level will be through play, stories, and activities, through which these children will have the knowledge of basic abilities such as reading and writing and minimal arithmetic calculation. This type of approach makes a good start for better learning.

Preparatory Stage

This stage ranges from ages 8 to 11, grades 3 to 5. In this stage, formalized subjects gets introduced, but learning is kept to be a fun experience with games and more. Subjects such as art, sports, and music are also included for creativity development.

Middle Stage

In this age bracket of 11 to 14 years, subjects are taught in detail so that understanding is deep. The student gets an option to explore the different study areas and understand what interests them mainly. This helps them hone their interests and skills in the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage

In this phase (14-18 years of age), students have greater freedom to choose their subjects. For the first time, they can choose not to get admitted to a specific science, commerce, or arts stream. Instead, they can select subjects in line with their interests. If you wish to learn both biology and music at the same time? With NEP 2020, that's possible!

NEP 2020 is also transforming higher education into more forms. It is promoting multidisciplinary courses in the universities. Here, a student will get the opportunity to take multiple subjects simultaneously. A student can simultaneously pursue computer science and literature. This way, the students will become all-rounded and ready to handle various professions.

It also permits the student to take a break and do the degree over a much longer period of time. The student can exit after one year with a certificate, two years with a diploma, and after three years, he or she gets a degree. There will be an Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) that will allow the credits to be transferred from one institution to another. Isn’t this practically a dream that students now get to live.

Vocational training also begins at the school level, and by the time the students complete school or college, they will be job-ready. Be it coding, cooking, or carpentry, students would be ready for careers from a very young age.

And in all this one of the most exciting changes is how NEP 2020 promotes the use of technology in education.

Technology is becoming an integral part of learning. The policy encourages the usage of advanced tools like AI, VR and AR in  education to be more interactive and engaging. 

Online learning platforms will also play a major role in ensuring students can learn from anywhere.

Ensuring that every pupil gets equal online learning opportunities means improving the quality of internet access and digital infrastructure in school buildings across the country. 

Special attention is given to rural educational institutions that will help urban and rural disparities in education bridges.

In NEP 2020, there is a focus on changing the paradigm of working in and for schools. Teachers would take more responsibility in re-structuring the future in their class. The policy is set to encourage more practical or hands-on teaching. Under NEP 2020, teachers would have a lot of freedom inside the classroom. They can prepare their lesson plans the way they want and may use whatever assessment method to get their students' performance. In this way, teachers can also vary their methods according to their students' needs.

Taking care of our physical body in good health doesn't have to be so complex. It is all about the right food, a little bit more exercise, and proper sleep is all about annamaya kosha.

NCF is the short form of National Curriculum Framework.

This document has been formulated to provide guidelines for the education of the country of India. It has helped schools, educators, and policy makers to design a uniform high-quality education system that meets the country's aims and objectives.

It tells what to teach, how to teach, and what is to be evaluated at the end with the student's learning.

The National Curriculum Framework was first introduced in 1975 and has since been revised several times to adapt to the changing educational and societal landscape.

From helping teachers draft the right lessons to ensuring every student, where they are located or which school they attend, has balanced learning and development, NCF sits right at the heart of education in India.

Meaning of NCF

The National Curriculum Framework is not a rulebook. It is more like a flexible guide where schools can design their curriculum, still respecting the differences within regional and cultural diversity. For example, schools in the coastal regions have curricular content regarding lessons related to marine ecosystems. In the same vein, schools in mountainous regions could speak about sustainable tourism.

This flexibility ensures that education remains relevant to the needs of the local community and yet remains in line with national goals. Besides, NCF stresses interdisciplinary learning such that students are always relating concepts across subjects. For instance, a project on climate change could therefore combine science, geography, and social studies.

Why It Matters

So, why is NCF so important? Well, let's just break it down:

NCF ensures that schools - whether in towns or faraway villages - are together. This would end the disparities across schools and provide each child with an equal chance for excellence. And not good marks alone but the good human being he or she eventually turns out to be is significant. Moral values, EQ, and Social Skills are important things that make this child a totally well-rounded personality.

This world is fast changing with newer problems like climate change and technological disruption. NCF equips learners with adaptability, innovation, and ability to bring major changes in society.

Core Principles of NCF

Inclusion and Accessibility

NCF advocates education for all and not just education for some selected one. Inclusive education is encouraged because it considers the various needs of children in marginalized backgrounds, and ones who are differently abled, and those areas that are underserved.

For example, it promotes teaching in the mother tongues and different methods of teaching accommodate diversified learning styles. Therefore, the learning becomes more accessible and enjoyable for every child irrespective of his or her background.

It focuses on the development of the four aspects of holistic development, in intellectual, emotional, physical, and social fields; these being acknowledged by NCF as going beyond being merely students, tomorrow's leaders, artists, scientists, innovators.

For example, sports hone one's aptitude for physical fitness. Apart from that, one acquires an attribute of being on a team and develops discipline with the potential of turning out to be a good leader, like arts or music, enhancing creative, emotive self-expression.

Focus on Experiential Learning

Ever notice how one usually remembers things by doing? That is what NCF aims at - experiential learning.

Instead of the traditional method where students might read in a textbook how photosynthesis works, they might actually see the process happening by doing an experiment. This type of learning makes the process both enjoyable and results in better comprehension and retention.

NCF Shaping Education System

Curriculum Design

Curriculum can be said as the backbone of education, and NCF provides a structured yet flexible framework for designing it.

The NCF ensures the curriculum is aptly designed along the developmental stages of children. For example, for the 3-8 age group of young learners, it is learning through play. For the students aged 14-18 years, it branches into more specific subjects such as biology, economics, or computer science.

Interdisciplinary Approach

The days when students learned subjects in isolation are gone. NCF promotes an interdisciplinary approach where students relate ideas across disciplines. For instance, a lesson on agriculture may include science-soil fertility, geography-climate, and economics-crop pricing.

Skill Development for the Modern World

Skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and digital literacy are as important as academic knowledge in today's fast-paced world. NCF ensures that students develop these skills through project-based learning, group discussions, and technology integration.

For instance, a project on designing a sustainable energy solution for the community may involve concepts from physics, environmental science, and engineering.

Empowering Teachers

Teachers form the very backbone of any education system, and NCF is not immune to this reality. Explicit guidelines and resources are provided for teacher preparation.

Training sessions and workshops provide teachers with the newest techniques in teaching, such as using technology in classrooms or how to use open-ended questions that promote critical thinking.

Major Events - Evolution of NCF over the Years

NCF changed with time considering the challenge as well as new opportunities, especially in the present scenario in terms of educational requirements. All revised versions had some newness within them.

1975: Provide each child with schooling

1988: A pedagogy learning by which centre is for child

2000: In relating education with living

2005: Focussed was upon constructivist knowledge building activity whereby the child student was involved while learning and producing knowledge.

Latest Framework in line with NEP 2020

This latest  NCF has brought changes in different areas. One of them is as follows:

A nep 2020 structure directed at the cognitive and emotional needs of diverse age groups.

Coding, artificial intelligence, and vocational training will be introduced to the curriculum.

Environmental education and sustainability would become a significant aspect.

The National Curriculum Framework is more than just an education guide; it is a vision of the future for India. With inclusivity, holistic development, and real-life skills, the students are groomed to handle the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

With New National Educational Policy (NEP) 2024, India is set to take a huge leap. This policy transforms the face of education and throws open the challenges of the modern world in which it remains true to its rich heritage. It would be centered on making learning more engaging, inclusive, and future-ready-laid down by the foundation work of NEP 2020.

Let's go through the key takeaways from NEP 2024 and see how it is going to change the way we perceive education.

Early Childhood Education to Shape The Foundation Years for Young Minds

Early years are the foundation for child growth. NEP 2024 gives special significance to this phase.

Universal Access: Quality early education for all children in the age group of 3-6 years will now be a priority, regardless of their location.

Play-Based Learning: Engaging and interactive practices, such as storytelling, playing, and the innovative Jaadui Pitara, would keep learning interesting and effective.

Teacher Training: The necessity of the early foundational skills of the children would be understood through the training of the teachers and, in return, children develop the basics during their early years.

Literacy and Numeracy: Every child should meet the elementary skills of reading, writing, and mathematics by the time they enter Grade 3 through meaningful and effective teaching methods.

The 5+3+3+4 Framework for a Planned Approach

NEP 2024 follows the 5+3+3+4 education system from NEP 2020 and adds more to it for better outcomes.

Foundational Stage: 5 years Play, storytelling and some reading.

Preparatory Stage: (3 years) Activity-based learning for a sound academic foundation.

Middle Stage: 3 years Experiments and activities on critical thinking for cognitive skills.

Secondary Stage: 4 years Flexible choices of subjects with multidisciplinary learning that would lead towards higher education and career opportunities.

Competency-Based Learning to Choose Skills Over Memorization

NEP 2024 shifts focus from cramming facts to real-world skills.

Critical thinking and problem-solving: The lessons encourage a student to think critically, find solutions, and not just memorize the answer.

Practical applications: Subjects are taught with everyday life examples to make it relatable and useful

Use of technology: With tools like animated videos and AR, complex topics seem easy to understand and enjoyable to learn.

Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education

Education is more than books and all around. NEP 2024 underlines the balanced approach to study.

Students can combine and choose a combination of subjects from multiple streams-science, art, or vocational training. 

Indian culture, customs, and values are also a part of the curriculum to foster the global citizen with a very strong identity.

Sports, music, and art are as important as academics and play a vital role in holistic growth.

Providing Support to Teachers

The teachers form the core component of young minds being educated, and the role of teachers in NEP 2020 and NEP 2024 is more of a support system along with empowerment.

Continuous Training: Workshops and training programs will be conducted to keep updating teachers on modern techniques of teaching.

AI Tools to Support: Smart tools such as the Mittsure Lens will enable teachers to create interesting and engaging lessons for their students.

Recognition Programs: Teachers will be incentivized for innovation and creativity in teaching.

Digital Learning because The Future Is Here

Technology is the game-changer in education and NEP 2024 inculcates it in all the learning modules.

E-Learning Platforms: All digital resources, animated videos, and interactive apps for interactive lessons.

3D and AR Tools: These will be infused in the curriculum to make the concept more visual for better comprehension.

Digital Literacy for All: Students will be provided with the most important technology skills that they would need to thrive in this digital world.

Inclusive Education for Every Child

NEP 2024 makes sure no child is left behind and provides a system that works for all.

Disability Support: The NEP 2024 provides special aids and learning resources for the students with disabilities so that they can do well in regular classes.

Financial Support: Scholarships and grants will ensure that education reaches the economically weaker sections.

Teaching in Local Language: Lessons shall be given in regional language so that the children will understand and learn better.

Exams Hassle-Free

No doubt, exams are stressful, but NEP 2024 plans to make evaluation student-friendly.

Skill-based Grading: It focuses on what the students have learnt and understood rather than how much they can memorize

Evaluation will be continuous: Teachers will track the progress throughout the year. So, the students won't be judged by a single final exam.

Multiple Opportunities at Board Exams: Board exams are offered twice a year. So students get ample chances to boost their scores.

A better tomorrow for Indian education

The New National Educational Policy 2024 is a vision for a better, more aspirational tomorrow. This might help make the joy of learning accessible to all students and the strength and positivity of NEP 2020, bringing some bold new initiatives along.

Education is not just about passing exams, it's about making people confident, capable, and compassionate citizens who are ready to take the world head-on. 

And this is what NEP 2024 is all about.

Schools, teachers, and parents need to mould themselves according to these changes in order to work in coordination with each other in helping bring this vision to real life.