NCERT clarifies Grade 9 maths syllabus: Topics not dropped, concepts redistributed across chapters

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has clarified concerns over its draft syllabus for Grade 9 Mathematics, saying that topics should not be assessed merely by counting the number of chapters listed in a textbook or syllabus document.

The council said the school curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 is designed around Curricular Goals, Competencies and Learning Outcomes. The draft syllabus currently being discussed was released as an initial proposal for feedback and is expected to be finalised and released in October by NCERT and CBSE.

NCERT says draft syllabus was meant for feedback

According to NCERT, the earlier document was only a draft and was circulated to seek inputs from teachers, students, authors and educators. The feedback received during the consultation process will be considered before the syllabus is finalised.

The council has also stressed that the structure of the new curriculum is different from simply assigning one chapter to each topic.

Under the NCF-SE framework, Curricular Goals outline the broader objectives of a subject at a particular stage. Competencies specify what students should be able to achieve by the end of that stage, while Learning Outcomes provide observable milestones that can guide teaching, learning and assessment at each grade.

Textbooks, NCERT said, are among the resources used to achieve these goals. Their chapters are organised to provide students with content, activities, examples and opportunities to apply concepts. Therefore, a topic does not necessarily need to appear as an independent chapter to remain part of the curriculum.

Grade 9 maths topics have been integrated across chapters

Addressing concerns over the Grade 9 Mathematics draft syllabus, NCERT said no overall topics were dropped from the draft. Instead, some concepts that traditionally appeared as standalone chapters have been incorporated into other chapters.

For instance, several concepts and applications related to Lines and Angles have been included in Grade 9 Part 2 chapters such as âPropositions and Their Conversesâ and âQuadrilateralsâ. NCERT pointed out that students have already encountered a dedicated chapter on Lines and Angles in Grade 6 Mathematics textbook Ganita Prakash.

The council said this approach is intended to help students develop concepts through their application rather than treating individual topics as isolated units.

Euclidean geometry to be taught through multiple chapters

NCERT has also clarified the treatment of Euclidean geometry in Grade 9. Euclidean geometry covers the geometry of flat, two-dimensional space and includes concepts related to polygons, circles, parallel lines, intersecting lines and other geometric relationships.

Rather than retaining a conventional standalone chapter built around axioms, theorems and proofs, the new approach distributes these concepts across several chapters. NCERT said key ideas from Euclidean geometry are addressed in Chapters 5, 6, 9, 12 and 13 of the Grade 9 Mathematics textbook.

The decision followed consultations with teachers and educators, with the objective of encouraging students to explore concepts and develop an understanding of their applications across different contexts.

Why algorithms have been added to Grade 9 mathematics

The inclusion of algorithms in Grade 9 Mathematics is another area NCERT has sought to explain.

The council said the rapid development of artificial intelligence has made it increasingly important for students to understand mathematical ideas related to algorithms, data structures and running-time efficiency.

Computational thinking is also part of the broader direction outlined under NEP 2020. NCERT said that while a separate module on AI is being developed, students also need exposure to the mathematical concepts underlying modern technologies.

The proposed algorithms chapter is therefore intended to introduce these ideas through mathematics rather than treating AI only as a separate technology-related subject.

Curriculum focus shifts from chapters to competencies

NCERT's clarification comes against the backdrop of a broader change in the way school curriculum is expected to be designed and assessed under NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023.

The council said schools, teachers, school boards and other stakeholders should plan classroom teaching and assessment around the prescribed competencies and learning outcomes.

A simple comparison of the number of chapters in a syllabus with the number of chapter headings in a textbook, NCERT said, does not accurately show how much of the curriculum has been covered.

The new textbooks across subjects, including Mathematics and Social Science, have been developed with the aim of helping students achieve the prescribed Curricular Goals, Competencies and Learning Outcomes through an integrated and experiential approach.

The Grade 9 Mathematics syllabus will be finalised after the feedback process, with the final version expected to be released in October by NCERT and CBSE.

Powered by शिक्षा खबर Skillogy