CBSE set to become international board from next session

New Delhi, March 17, 2010 (PTI) - After deciding to make Class X board exam optional, India’s premier school board CBSE is set to go global by introducing a new syllabus for international students and would affiliate any school from any country from the next academic session.

The Central Board of Secondary Education would introduce a new syllabus to make it on par with international boards like International Baccalaureate (IB).

The new syllabus will be only meant for international students and will be taught in the interested affiliated schools from abroad.

“From next session, the CBSE will introduce a separate curriculum for international students. This will help the board to become an international board like IB,” a HRD Ministry official told PTI.

However, CBSE will continue its existing curriculum for domestic students.

The new curriculum will be of international standards and give a global perspective to the subjects of study.

Citing an example, the official said while the subject of history in the existing syllabus mainly deals with Indian history, the new syllabus will focus on world history.

Similarly, the syllabus of all subjects would be made keeping in view the curriculum of international boards.

The CBSE would introduce the new syllabus in Class I and Class IX in the next session. Then every year, the new syllabus would be introduced in a new class.

“Over a few years, CBSE will have international standard syllabus for all classes,” he said.

The board at present has affiliated schools in a number of Gulf countries and Singapore. However, such schools are mainly started by the Indian diaspora there.

The new curriculum will help even other schools in any country to opt for the CBSE system and get affiliated to it.

“CBSE, in the process, will be an alternative to any international school boards,” the official said.

This will help the students of those schools better compete at international level. It will be easier for them to study anywhere in the world.

The new curriculum will give more importance to activity-based teaching. More project works and practical experiences will be the thrust, the official said.

CBSE has set up a committee which is working on the new syllabus. The syllabus will be ready within a month.