“We will examine what kind of response we get to the international curriculum. If
it is good, it (the international curriculum) will be extended to more schools”,
Joshi said.
The CBSE is set to offer its international curriculum in
select schools, the move prompted by the increase in the number of schools affiliated
to foreign boards. The curriculum will be introduced in 50 schools on a pilot basis
to assess the demand. Such a syllabus is already being followed in a few CBSE-affiliated
schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
“The response to our international curriculum has been increasing in foreign countries.
There seems to be a lot of interest among certain sections of parents in India that
their children should study in international boards such as IB (International Baccalaureate)
and Cambridge. Since our international curriculum has got a good response, we want
to introduce it in India also,” CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said. The number of schools
affiliated to boards such as the Geneva-based IB and the UK’s Cambridge International
Examinations (CIE) has increased significantly in recent years. The number of those
affiliated to IB stands at 64.
Over 200 are affiliated to the Cambridge system. In the 1990s, there were less than
50 such schools. The annual fee in most of these schools is high ringed, from
12 lakh to 20 lakh. But Joshi said “the fees in schools offering the CBSE’s international
curriculum will be much less, probably less than
1.5 lakh. The CBSE has set up CBSE International, or CBSE-I, as its global front
to which the schools in foreign countries like the UAE and Singapore are affiliated.
They cater mostly to the Indian diaspora. The board’s global wing has established
itself as an alternative to IB and CIE in these countries, Joshi said. The curriculum
offered by CBSE-I is different from the regular CBSE course. The international syllabus
gives a global perspective in subjects like social science. For example, the thrust
is on world history and emerging global issues, such as climate change, new break
through in science and international politics.
In languages, there is greater flexibility with the students given the option to
study English, their mother tongue, the local language or any of the foreign languages
offered by the board. “We will examine what kind of response we get to the international
curriculum. If it is good, it (the international curriculum) will be extended to
more schools,” Joshi said. The study material will be available on the CBSE website,
while the teachers will be given tips on imparting lessons, Joshi said. HRD minister
Kapil Sibal launched the website of CBSE-I yesterday. He also unveiled the National
Vocational Education Qualification Frame work, which seeks to implement a structured
vocational education system in polytechnics and engineering colleges from this year.
The vocational courses will include information technology, media, entertainment,
telecom, automobiles, construction, retail, food processing, tourism, hotels, jewellery
design and fashion design.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
Related Articles
