CBSE schools in a fix over textbooks

CBSE schools in a fix over textbooks

Worried that NCERT books might be made mandatory for Classes I to VIII from this year itself

While a number of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools in the city use textbooks by various publishers for Classes I to VIII, a circular issued by the board, a few days ago, has put many of them in a dilemma.

The circular specifies that arrangements are being made for the availability of NCERT textbooks in schools across the country.

This has led to worries among schools that the board might bring in a rule for compulsory usage of these textbooks in the coming academic year.

The circular also specifies that schools can place orders online for NCERT books till February 22.

The CBSE, though, is yet to address the confusion among schools on whether this would be compulsory.

“While the circular does not specify whether the NCERT textbooks have to be used compulsorily from the coming academic year, it puts many of us in a tight spot as orders have already been placed for new textbooks in December for the 2017-18 academic year from the publishers,” said a principal of a city school.

Orders placed

The Chennai Sahodaya Schools Complex (CSSC) had, earlier, sent a representation to the board on the behalf of schools from across Tamil Nadu stating that while they were ready to follow the compulsory implementation of NCERT textbooks if implemented, they would like the rule to come into place from the 2018-19 academic year as most schools were done choosing textbooks for the year and had placed orders for the same.

“While it is mandatory for Classes XI to XII to use the NCERT textbooks, the board has allowed affiliated schools to use textbooks by other publishers for the rest of the classes and follow their curriculum based on the broad CBSE framework.

“The CBSE affiliation by-laws too specify that the schools are free to pick and use books by private publishers for middle school classes,” said Ajeeth Prasath Jain, Senior Principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram.

The State, however, is not entirely new to change of this magnitude. Matriculation, Anglo Indian and Oriental schools all adopted the ‘Samacheer Kalvi’ system a few years ago.

“If the CBSE clarifies and brings in a rule that NCERT books will have to be used across all schools, it will definitely narrow down the learning disparities among students from different States. Even though the textbooks used presently are based on CBSE curriculum, the content varies widely,” said K.R. Malathi, CEO, Auuro Educational Services. “If the rule is being brought in, the board should, however, give schools at least a year or two to make a complete shift to the NCERT textbooks,” she said.

S. Poorvaja 

 Thanks to : THE HINDU - 20.02.2017

CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exam Dates Revised

CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exam Dates Revised 

For CBSE, from March 9, the Class 10 board examination will begin and will go on till April 10. For Class 12 also exams will commence on March 9 and end on April 29.

The revised exam dates for the board exams have been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on its official website. From March 9, the Class 10 board examination will begin and will go on till April 10. For Class 12 also exams will commence on March 9 and end on April 29.

The CBSE class 10 and class 12 board examination timetable revised schedule is as follows: 

Class 10 Timetable 

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Subject Name                                                 Old Date                   New Date 

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Tamil........................................................March 3, 2017............March 18, 2017 

Gurung.....................................................March 23, 2017..........March 10, 2017 

National Cadet Corps...............................March 15, 2017.......... March 23, 2017 

Class 12 Timetable 

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Subject Name                                               Old Date                    New Date 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Theatre Studies........................................April 20, 2017.............April 10, 2017 

Tanghkul.................................................April 10, 2017.............April 12, 2017 

Sociology................................................April 12, 2017.............April 20, 2017 

Food Service II........................................April 29, 2017.............April 26, 2017

ll the CBSE schools must submit their information to the regional offices. In the official press release, the board said, "It has made all possible efforts to maintain reasonable time gap between the major papers and also ensured that the students appearing for Joint Engineering Exam and upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test complete the CBSE examinations ahead of these entrance exams.

" About CBSE "

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a well-known and a distinguished board of education under the Union Government of India. CBSE board was formed in 1952, since then, it has been providing quality education and a standard learning environment to all.

The syllabus and educational pattern is formed after a series of research, providing state-of-the-art education to all. This makes students competent in all aspects of educational environment. CBSE Board Exam is a critical stage for any student. CBSE board exams are not as tough as they seem to be, but lack of guidance can be one of the major reasons for poor results.

Only a few students succeed in crossing the 90% mark while most of them end up hitting 80% in this exam. Obtaining good marks in the board exams is a necessity as candidates appearing for competitive exams are selected based on their board exam scores.

Posted by: Malavikka

Thanks to : CAREER INDIA - 27.01.2017

CBSE Should Limit To Conducting Exams

CBSE Should Limit To Conducting Exams 

Demand for a separate Education Board for Budget Private Schools to be intensified 

December 2016, New Delhi: India's largest congregation of unaided budget private schools, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) expressed its anguish and opposed the recent circular issued by Central Board of Secondary Examinations (CBSE) mandating to appoint the heads of the schools. 

It is a grossly incorrect decision which questions and jeopardizes the autonomy of private unaided schools. CBSE's core expertise is to conduct board exams and should not interfere with the regulatory and other functions of the private unaided schools.

CBSE Should Limit To Conducting Exams: NISA 

Commenting against the CBSE announcement, Mr Kulbhushan Sharma, President, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) said, "CBSE should limit itself only to conducting examinations and should not overstep its boundaries. The board is gradually trying to take the reins in its own hands and is interfering with the functioning of the private schools. All the recent official/ unofficial surveys and studies clearly indicate that the private schools are performing better than the government schools. This step will prove to be an unnecessary intrusion and will mar the performance of budget private schools."

Expressing his concern, Mr Rajesh Malhotra, Vice President, NISA and co-ordinator of it's Delhi Chapter- Delhi Independent Schools Alliance (DISA) said, "Due to such unrealistic rules made by CBSE and other boards, we as an association of budget private schools have been demanding for a separate education board. After this particular circular, we will intensify our efforts towards the same. Such decisions are made in isolation and private schools are not even consulted while drafting and passing such rules.

" About The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA): 

The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) is a platform that brings together affordable private schools (APS) from across the country to give them a unified voice to address their concerns about regulatory challenges and to facilitate quality improvement in schools. As of today, NISA represents 55,000 schools from 23 state associations which cater to the needs of 22 million children at an average of 400 children per school. For further information visit, nisaindia.org.

Posted by: Vidhya Shree 

Published: Monday, December 26, 2016 – CAREER INDIA

Private CBSE schools cannot appoint their own principals

Private CBSE schools cannot appoint their own principals

No candidate rejected by the CBSE or State government representatives can be appointed principal of even a private school.

Private schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are set to lose their autonomy in appointing their principals, as each aspirant will have to pass an eligibility test conducted by the CBSE and representatives of the CBSE and State government will have a veto in the selection committee to pick a principal.

Teachers aspiring to be principals will soon have to appear for a Principal Eligibility Test (PET), the CBSE has decided. Those who are already principals will also have to take the test. However, this amendment to the affiliation bye-laws does not apply to government schools.

“Consequent upon the recommendations of the Affiliation Committee and ratified by the Governing Body…, the Board has decided to conduct the Principal Eligibility Test for aspiring teachers to become principal and for existing principals, who fulfil the minimum qualifications of Principal..,” says the new amendment in the CBSE’s affiliation bye-laws. “The amendment shall not be applicable to principals of government schools.”

This comes just after another amendment that gave the State governments and the CBSE an effective veto in the appointment of private school principals.

While earlier the selection committee for choosing a principal of a school comprised the president of the society, the chairperson of the managing committee and a person having experience of administration of schools nominated by the managing committee, the constitution of the committee has now been tweaked.

As per the new amendment to the affiliation bye-laws, the person on the selection committee with experience in administration of schools or an educationist will be appointed by the managing committee in consultation with the CBSE. Two or more other persons will now be on the panel – a person nominated by the CBSE and nominee(s) of the State government as per the State Education Act.

What offers the State government and the CBSE a veto is the condition that “recommendations of the selection committee shall invariably have concurrence” of the last two categories of members on the committee.

In other words, no candidate rejected by the CBSE or State government representatives can be appointed principal of even a private school.

Vikas Pathak 

THE HINDU, DECEMBER 23, 2016

CBSE for making Class X board exams mandatory

CBSE for making Class X board exams mandatory

Currently, it is optional for CBSE students to choose either the board exam or a school-based examination.

Board exams for Class X are set to become compulsory for all CBSE students from 2018 as CBSE’s governing body on “unanimously approved” a proposal in this regard.

At the meeting of the CBSE governing body, its members agreed that from the academic session 2017-18, compulsory board exams should be introduced for all students of Class X, sources told PTI in New Delhi.

The decision will now have to be approved by the government before it is implemented.

Currently, it is optional for CBSE students to choose either the board exam or a school-based examination.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has in the past favored making board exam compulsory for CBSE students as is the practice in all State boards.

The sources said while there is a view that for the Class X Board exams, 80 per cent weight age will be given to the marks scored in examinations while 20 per cent weight age will be given to school-based evaluation.

In another key decision, the CBSE has decided to recommend to the HRD Ministry that the three-language formula, under which Hindi, English and modern Indian language are taught, should be extended to class IX and X as well from the current VI to VIII, a source said.

Officials added that the board also favored sending a recommendation to the Centre that those languages which are listed in schedule VIII of the Constitution should be taught under the three-language formula while languages which are “purely foreign” should be taught as a “fourth language as an elective subject”.

In the past the HRD Ministry-run Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) used to offer German as a third language, but the practice was later discontinued.

The final call on these decisions will be taken by the government, a senior official said.

The Hindu – 20.12.2016

CBSC Instructs Schools To Skip Teaching

CBSC Instructs Schools To Skip Teaching 

In a follow up to a Public Interest Litigation, the Madras High court had ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ask all its affiliated schools to withdraw teaching an objectionable content in a specific portion to Class IX students.

Adhering to the direction, CBSE had also asked the schools to follow the order to that portion where Nadar the community, a community in south India, has been written about in an objectionable manner.

In a circular to all its schools a couple of days back, the Board has issued instruction to them to stop teaching the section - caste, conflict and dress change under the theme - "Clothing - a Social History" from Social Science textbook of Class IX students. Also, questions related to that particular section should be excluded in the upcoming exams, the circular said.

In its circular, CBSE said: "This is to bring to your notice that from the session 2016-17, the section 4.1, about Caste Conflict and Dress Change under the theme - 8 "Clothing: A social history" given in page number - 168 of in the textbook of Social Science of Class IX published by NCERT stands omitted from the curriculum."

 Earlier advocates Forum for Social Justice submitted that in the social science textbook, published by National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), some wrong information was given in respect of evaluating the history of the Nadar community.

The petitioner claimed that after doing some research, it was known that the history narrated in the book was incorrect and some of the contents 'degraded' the entire Nadar community. So issued a notice dated September 14 asking authorities to rectify the mistakes in the book.

Posted by: Malavikka 

Published: Friday, December 23, 2016, CAREER INDIA