Common Syllabuses for Science and Mathematics
From the 2011-2012 academic session, senior secondary students across 19 boards, including the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will have core syllabuses for science and mathematics.
The common syllabuses were developed in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) and will be first offered to Class XI students from 2011 in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. The first board examinations for courses with the common syllabuses will be conducted in 2013.
While, the CBSE has already intimated its affiliated schools and has uploaded the complete syllabuses in its official website, other boards are also informing their schools and students on the changes. According to COBSE officials, of the 32 education boards operating in India, which include two national boards — CBSE and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) — 19 have confirmed the introduction of the common syllabus from 2011, while other state boards from states like Andhra Pradesh are going to introduce it from 2012.
Puran Chand, joint secretary of COBSE, said: “Eighteen state boards and CBSE have confirmed the introduction of the common syllabi from this year. Of the rest, the CISCE has agreed in principle to come on board, but yet to finalize the details. There are six-odd state boards which are yet to decide.
According to COBSE sources, one of the largest state boards, the UP board has not yet confirmed its decision. The state boards which will offer the common syllabuses from this year include Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Goa, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, among others.
In 2008-2009, a committee was formed by the ministry of human resource development, which included members of NCERT and COBSE, to frame common syllabuses for science subjects and mathematics, which would be common across the country. The idea is to offer level-playing field to all science students for various competitive examination for entry into higher education.
“There was a feeling among the students from state boards that the students of CBSE boards are at an advantage when it comes to cracking various competitive entrance examination for medical and engineering courses, among others. Now students will have the same syllabus across states,” Puran Chand of COBSE said.
Officials from the committee which framed the common syllabuses said that around 10 topics have been changed from the existing syllabuses prepared by the NCERT. Via TOI