No art books in govt schools despite mandatory subject, spark concerns

Jaipur: Art education continues to be a compulsory subject for students up to Class 10 in Rajasthan’s govt schools, but an RTI reply has revealed a striking gap in its implementation. There are no prescribed textbooks or documented curriculum guidelines for the subject in Classes 1 to 8, raising concerns about how students are being taught and assessed.

Information provided by the School Education Department in response to an RTI application shows that while other subjects follow NCERT-based curricula, art education remains largely unstructured.

According to the reply dated April 27, “The subject of ‘Art Education’ is not included in the list of textbooks applicable for classes 6 to 8 during the academic session 2026-27; however, the textbook titled ‘Kala Kunj’ is included in the curriculum and list of textbooks applicable for Classes 9 and 10.”

The department further stated that records available with the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT), Udaipur, contain no documentation relating to compulsory art education, including painting and music, for students from Classes 1 to 8.

The disclosure comes despite significant public investment in infrastructure for the subject. Between 2010-11 and 2024-25, the state approved and constructed 5,713 art and craft rooms in government secondary and senior secondary schools at a cost of Rs 418 crore.

RTI activist Mahesh Gurjar, who sought the information, questioned the effectiveness of the system. “In Rajasthan, there is neither a prescribed textbook nor a curriculum for Art Education—an ostensibly compulsory subject—for students in grades 1 through 10. Since 1992, the posts for art teachers have been abolished and recruitment was halted,” he said.

He further alleged that students are being assessed without proper teaching support. “Art Education (comprising drawing and music) remains a mandatory subject, and a fraudulent evaluation process worth 100 marks is being conducted, resulting in lakhs of children being assigned bogus grades on their mark sheets,” Gurjar said.

Teachers echoed concerns over inadequate facilities and staffing. A senior Jaipur-based govt school teacher said, “Even if students want to choose the subject, mostly they cannot take it because of lack of resources.”

Education department officials did not respond to queries seeking comment.