1 week Ago
Pune: State school education minister Dada Bhuse on Monday moved to clarify doubts swirling around the integration of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern in the curriculum for state board schools in the upcoming academic year. After submitting the entire plan for implementation of the newly developed curriculum for Stds I to IX to the state assembly on Monday, Bhuse stated that it lays more emphasis on practical learning and regional context. After the minister's announcement of the adoption of the CBSE pattern in state board schoolbooks last week, confusion had prevailed among parents, students, schools, and teachers.
Now, Bhuse has clarified that students will engage with local history, geography, and cultural elements while developing critical thinking skills. Balbharati will develop supplementary learning materials to support the new curriculum, which will be available in multiple languages, including Marathi, to ensure accessibility for all students. The minister also said that the newly integrated curriculum would be beneficial for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, and UPSC at the national level.
He said, "With the cooperation of informed parents and the positive efforts of teachers, the implementation of the New Educational Policy (NEP) can be carried out progressively in Maharashtra. The textbooks created by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have been studied by Balbharati experts. Necessary changes have been made to create state-specific textbooks.
" Maharashtra issued a govt order on June 24, 2022, accepting the NEP 2020. Subsequently, with the help of expert committees, state curriculum frameworks were developed considering the educational background and needs of the state. Foundational stage curriculum and course development were also undertaken.
NEP discourages rote-based examinations. Therefore, the exam system of CBSE will be integrated into the Maharashtra State Board's evaluation system, with necessary changes and improvements implemented. Drafts were posted on the SCERT website for public feedback, and based on the responses, both curriculum drafts were finalised and approved by the state-level steering committee on Sept 9, 2024.
"We conducted discussions with representatives of various teachers' organisations. With the help of expert committees, a curriculum was developed for the foundational stage, preschool to Std II, and the final draft received approval from the state-level steering committee. Work has begun on developing textbooks for Std I under the new curriculum through Balbharati.
The curriculum for Std I to X is being developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) for the state," clarified Bhuse. However, Mukund Kirdat of the AAP Parents Union said the journey to implement the CBSE pattern in the state board curriculum was undertaken rapidly by the education minister, without consulting all relevant stakeholders. "Instead of making such decisions during the exam period, it is expected that detailed discussions with experts, teachers and parents take place allowing for sufficient time.
This approach of flattening education diversity and opening it up as a service sector for private profiteering is dangerous," he said. Mahendra Ganpule, former vice president, State Headmasters' Association, pointed out, "The curriculum will be prepared by Balbharati, and evaluation will be done according to the state curriculum framework guidelines. The examination process will be conducted through the SSC board in our existing manner.
This is all clear, so why create unnecessary confusion by calling it the CBSE pattern? It is sufficient to say that the curriculum will enhance the ability to face competitive exams like NEET and JEE." Guidelines for summer conditions issued to edu dept In light of the potential for severe health issues due to heatwaves, the state revenue and forest departments issued guidelines to all district collectors for various departments on Monday. Instructions for the education department include adjusting school timings, granting holidays based on heatwave conditions, advising students to avoid outdoor physical activities during summer, and conducting exams only in the morning session, stated a circular released by Sanjeev Rane, under-secretary of the revenue and forest departments.
The SCERT has announced the schedule for this year's annual exams and periodic assessments, which will continue until the end of April. Due to the intensity of the heat and water scarcity issues in different parts of the state, teachers, principals, institution administrators, and parents had opposed this schedule. However, despite the opposition, the council has not altered the timetable.
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