CBSE To Revamp Secondary & Higher Secondary Academic Structure
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2024-02-07 14:05:35
About the Author
It has been reported that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is
proposing a significant revamp of the academic structure for secondary and
higher secondary education. Under the new guidelines, students will be mandated
to study three languages until Class X, out of which at least two must be
native Indian languages, while at the higher secondary level, they will have to
study two languages instead of one, with at least one being a native Indian
language.
As
for subjects, secondary-level students will need to clear 10 subjects instead
of five now. Similarly, in high school they will have to clear six subjects
instead of five. This shift aligns with the objectives outlined in the National
Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, which seeks to eliminate the rigid divide
between academic and extracurricular streams. A credit bank system is being
introduced to acknowledge and reward skills acquired outside the conventional classroom
setting. While this approach by the CBSE will allow students to integrate
academic training with vocational education and thereby put a value on hands-on
training (which has been largely ignored till now leading to skill-deficit among
high school graduates), the examination authority must ensure this does not put
additional pressure on already overburdened students.
Numerous
studies have emphasized that proficiency in multiple languages enhances
learning outcomes and aids in skill acquisition. However, the adoption of the
three-language formula remains a contentious issue, particularly in South
India, marked by a history of language-based sub-nationalism. Notably, the
Tamil Nadu government has expressed opposition to the NEP, despite the policy
not mandating non-Hindi-speaking states to include the language in school
curricula. While the three language formula could be a game changer in binding
the nation (if students learn English, the local language and one other native Indian
language â not necessarily Hindi, at secondary level), care must be taken to
ensure that old fault lines are not reopened and all states must be brought on
board to avoid confrontations.
