Primary-level teachers to get training for revamped curriculum

Chennai: Primary-level teachers of govt, aided, and corporation schools handling classes I to III will undergo a three-day training programme in activity-based learning and lesson planning before schools reopen on June 4.Officials from school education department said the district-wise training aims to familiarize teachers with the revamped syllabus, as classes I–III will receive new textbooks for 2026–27. "Printing of term-I books for classes I–III will begin soon. For other classes, we are processing the suggestions received," said A Pugalendhi, joint director, SCERT (Syllabus). Earlier, the govt had sought feedback from educationists and subject experts and engaged content writers to make the text more engaging. The draft curriculum for classes I-V introduced new themes such as first aid and safety, understanding self-identity, self-care routines, and developing a positive outlook from an early age.Chief education offices and district institutes of education and training have been asked to prepare schedules for the training, which will be held after elections, Pugalendhi said. The new textbooks will feature more activity-based content, moving away from traditional text-heavy format. During the previous revision, the state introduced QR codes in textbooks. This year, the linked videos have been simplified and focuses more on conceptual understanding. Officials said the training will give teachers a preview of the changes and a checklist of classroom practices to adopt or avoid.