Prayagraj: Music and art are being integrated into the curriculum from the primary grades in Uttar Pradesh's basic education schools. For the first time, Class 1 students in state council-run schools will receive a dedicated art textbook.
New Art Textbook for Class 1
Anil Kumar, Basic Shiksha Adhikari of Prayagraj, announced that from the new academic session beginning in June, the book will become a compulsory part of every Class 1 student's schoolbag. The textbook, titled "Kislay", has been dispatched by the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow.
Content and Activities
The book contains 27 chapters designed to introduce children to artistic and musical learning through age-appropriate activities. Kumar stated that the content aims to match the simplicity and curiosity of young learners, featuring visually engaging illustrations and easy, intuitive poems intended to connect with children's sensibilities.
One of the poems encourages movement and participation with lines such as: "Sway and dance, have some fun, wave your little hands, everyone! Move them up and down, spin them round, move your little feet across the ground! Make some noise, dance and sing..." Along with poems, the textbook includes exercises that ask children to color unfinished illustrations and complete images through guided tasks.
Activities are aimed at engaging multiple sensory skills and include print-making, identifying art materials, recognizing geometric shapes and colors, basic sketching, and finger-painting, where children complete pictures by applying paint with their fingers.
Vocational Education Objectives
To support vocational education objectives, craftwork has also been incorporated. The module includes tasks such as completing illustrations by pasting colored paper or fabric scraps, finishing pictures by sticking twine or wool with adhesive, and clay modeling exercises like rolling clay pellets to form numbers or shapes. The book also features activities where students complete illustrations by arranging elements in ascending or descending order.
Officials said the initiative is intended to provide an early foundation in creativity, expression, and hands-on learning within the basic education framework.
