Sibal plans to pull global students in CBSE schools

Updated on: Thursday, November 05, 2009

New Delhi: Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal is tinkering with the idea of transforming India’s national education board — the Central Board of Secondary Education— into an international board. Just like the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Cambridge International Examinations, the ‘international’ CBSE would reach out to students across the world as an alternate system of learning and evaluation.

Praise for India’s secondary education system from US secretary of education Arne Duncan appears to have given further impetus to this idea.

The plan, senior ministry official said, is at a conceptual stage. “We are working things out. No deadlines have been set. There is a lot of work that needs to be done.” The first order of business would be to internationalise the curriculum. “After all, why should a student in Ethiopia be studying Indian history”.

Alongside, the quality issue should also be addressed. This would mean setting up parameters for the standards that schools will have to meet to remain affiliated to CBSE. The parameters would mandate requirements in terms of infrastructure, teaching staff and facilities for students.

The existing international systems like the IB and Cambridge have rigorous assessments before schools are taken on. CBSE would have to set up similar and rigorous systems.

The argument is that CBSE already has a global brand, with schools affiliated to it spread across 23 countries. The aim now is to internationalise CBSE so that it becomes an option for not just Indians or Indian expat students. Leveraging on its global presence, CBSE will now seek to become the “best gateway for higher education in India”.

“The focus will be on countries that send a large number of students to India for higher studies. Just like students opt for IB and Cambridge examinations to improve their options for admissions to universities in the US and UK, students opting for India as destination for higher education will opt for CBSE,” a ministry official said. This would make Africa, West Asia and South East Asia, the initial catchment area for the “international CBSE”.

The CBSE school-leaving certificate is recognised by leading universities across the world. An improved curriculum would necessarily increase the board’s standing. Additionally, the lower cost, as compared to IB and Cambridge, for a world-class school-leaving programme would also be a factor that would appeal to students, especially in developing countries.

The idea of transforming CBSE into an international board is part of the effort to make India a global education player. Sources said this effort is also part of the reform process in school education that is currently being undertaken by the ministry.

Sibal plans to pull global students in CBSE schools

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