CHENNAI: The Directorate of School Education is preparing new textbooks for the new academic year 2026-27. The schools are set to reopen on June 1, and the new set of books would be distributed on the same day.

Changes to the school curriculum for the new academic year were announced after the release of the State Education Policy (SEP) in August 2025 by the DMK government, which will be implemented from the 2027-28 academic year. For this, two committees were also formed.

However, for Classes 1 to 3, the textbooks with the new syllabus are ready after completion of printing. For Classes 4 to 12, the new set of textbooks with the old syllabus is also being prepared by the department. The textbooks and the kit with free education materials will be distributed to the students on June 1.

In the case of new textbooks for Classes 1 to 3, the teachers' workbook and textbook have been combined by the committee. And, the same is likely to be followed for Classes 4 to 12.

"The work for textbooks for Classes 1 to 3 was sped up and completed early. However, the work for textbooks for Classes 4 to 12 is still in primary stages and needs to be expedited, which is likely after the formation of the new government or after the reopening of schools in June," said a department staffer.