Common maths and science syllabus for all Boards

All national and regional Boards across the country is set to have a common mathematics and science syllabus for Class IX to XII from the 2011-2012 academic session.

The Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) — which has 41 Boards as its members — has approved the proposal. It is now with the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry waiting for its approval.

The decision on such a proposal was taken in a COBSE meeting held in New Delhi in November-end. The representatives of 17 major Boards, including CBSE, ICSE and Uttar Pradesh Board, had approved the proposal. The members who could not attend the meeting had sent their consent in writing to the COBSE, said sources.

According to the proposal, students of all Boards from Class IX to XII will have similar books for mathematics and science. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has been entrusted with the task to prepare the syllabus for the common curriculum.

“The aim to introduce a common syllabus is to bring about uniformity in the curriculum so as to provide equal platform to the students,” a senior state government officer who attended the COBSE meeting said.

The proposal was basically the idea of the HRD Ministry. Since COBSE represents all Boards in India, the Ministry had asked COBSE to mobilise support for the common curriculum. “The Ministry is in favour of the curriculum if the Boards agree to it,” said a joint secretary in Ministry.

The proposal was mooted two years ago when noted educationist Ashok Kumar Ganguly was the chairman of COBSE. Ganguly is currently the additional project director of the state government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

“It is a very good move and will surely improve the quality of education in the country. The best thing is that it will end the disparity among the courses of the various Boards,” he said.

The COBSE, established in 1979, is a voluntary association of all the Boards of School Education in India.

It works in close collaboration with the HRD Ministry, other national level apex educational organisations and agencies like NCERT, National University of Educational Planning and Administration and National Council of Teacher Education.

It was established by CBSE to provide a forum for mutual exchange. Since 1989, it has established itself as an independent body.

Source : Indian Express (blog) on Wed, 9 Dec 2009