Manipur Education dept. to introduce comic textbooks for primary classes

Our Correspondent Imphal, Oct. 21 (EMN): For the first time in the state and perhaps in India as well, the Education department is planning to introduce comic textbooks for primary classes from Class I to V from the next academic sessions in Manipur, said Education Minister Th Radheshyam. The minister said that the department is bring up the new idea to encourage and ignite the young minds. The department is planning to introduce comic textbooks on three subjects first for Class I to V. The subjects are environment studies, language and mathematics, he informed. Radheshyam was speaking at the formal launching function of first ever comic textbook on environmental studies for class III at the Samagra Shiksha Manipur hall, Babupara in Imphal on Monday. Commissioner (Education-Schools) T Ranjit said that the comic textbook will attract the attention of the students and help them in gaining knowledge. The textbook being carried out on trial basis is intended to bring inclusive ideas to lessen the learning burden of the young children, he added. Echoing a similar feeling, Education Director Th Kirankumar said that the comic textbooks which are supplementary books for the students were compiled and designed by a big team of subject experts in the state. “We’ll be consulting the competent authority in case of Mathematics as it has certain technical issues,” he said. The textbooks will be distributed to the selected schools in the state so that it can reach the group students in different places such as churches and other platforms. The idea of the textbooks have been conceived to bridge the shortcomings in curriculum, quality of textbooks, shortages of teachers , he said. On September 5,the department had introduced ‘No school bag Day’ for students studying in class I-VIII in all the private, government aided and government schools since September 5 on every working Saturday “to make schools a more joyful place for learning.” Earlier in January, BJP led coalition government had also launched “School Fagat-Hansi” mission, a government initiative to give renewed thrust towards the improvement of government schools both in terms of physical and manpower infrastructure in 60 assembly constituencies of the state.