When schools across Kerala reopened this June, students returned to classrooms with more than just new timetables. This year, they will be learning from newly revised textbooks that reflect a more inclusive and progressive worldview. As part of a major curriculum overhaul led by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), these textbooks now feature gender-inclusive language, imagery, and illustrations aimed at fostering awareness and sensitivity from a young age.
This is the first major revision since 2013 for textbooks in Classes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. In fact, SCERT began laying the groundwork in 2024 by revising textbooks for Classes 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, weaving in court judgments, gender-related legislation, and a more balanced, gender-sensitive lens across subjects.
The updates go beyond inclusive language to incorporate timely, socially relevant content. In 2025, the Class 10 Health and Physical Education textbook takes this mission further. It introduces students to real-life role models like Arunima Sinha, the former international volleyball player who became the world’s first female amputee to scale Mount Everest, and Catriona Gray, who won Miss Universe 2018 while living with scoliosis. The books also explore systemic issues like the gender gap in labour force participation and features stories of transgender individuals, marking a vital step in normalizing diverse gender identities within schools.
Behind these changes was a rigorous review process. In 2022–23, SCERT convened 26 expert focus groups to assess existing content and identify gaps. Gender was just one of many areas under the microscope, but its impact may be the most transformative.
This revision in the school textbooks signals a long-overdue and welcome change. Finally, classrooms are beginning to reflect the realities and the aspirations of the world students live in. And maybe, just maybe, in the years to come, the tired joke, “Another day goes by without me using algebra” will fade away. Because now, education is becoming more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. It’s about rights, representation, and relevance.
Here’s hoping the other states take a page from Kerala’s new gender inclusivity playbook and start rewriting their own chapters for a better, more inclusive tomorrow.
InkSights is a monthly art series by NWMI member Anupama Bijur viewing current affairs through a gender and news lens.
