SILENCES IN THE CURRICULUM: AN ANALYSIS OF MISSING SOCIAL REALITIES IN SECONDARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS

School textbooks are ideological constructs that shape learners’ understanding of society through both representation and omission. This study examines curricular silences in secondary-level English textbooks prescribed by the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) for Classes IX and X, focusing on the absence or marginalisation of key social realities. Grounded in the policy framework of National Education Policy 2020 and National Curriculum Framework 2023, the study adopts a qualitative content analysis of selected chapters from Beehive and First Flight. Through close textual reading and thematic interpretation, the analysis reveals persistent silences around gender inequality, marginalised communities, regional identity of the North-East, environmental vulnerability, and contemporary social issues. While the textbooks promote moral values and literary appreciation, social concerns are largely individualised and depoliticised. These findings point to a significant gap between policy aspirations and curricular practice, a gap further intensified by curricular rationalisation. The study argues for a more inclusive and socially responsive English curriculum that meaningfully engages learners with diverse, region-specific, and contemporary social realities.