Updated on: Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Making it clear that reforms initiated in classroom teaching in recent years is not intended to put a student through too many tests, CBSE has said it will broad-base its teacher training programme and make such exercise compulsory for all affiliated schools.
It said while advisories have stated that schools "should not micro manage and assess students behaviour or conduct too many tests, schools have been also explained about the objective of the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) introduced last year.
"The Board has clearly brought out what is CCE and what is not and what schools should do to implement CCE in the right spirit," it said in a new year circular issued to all affiliated schools.
The CCE package was implemented in schools to de-stress the students, help them develop their positive attributes with an emphasis on conceptual and experimental learning rather than bookish knowledge.
The move, though, has come for both praise and criticism from students and parents alike.
Consequently, to achieve its broader goals, the circular said CBSE will broad-base its training of teachers and plans to empanel agencies for training in the online and interactive mode, the circular said.
"The processes have been finalised and the list of agencies approved will be communicated shortly. It is mandatory for all schools to train their teachers," it said.
The circular also reminded schools that it was "imperative" that complete transparency is maintained and open communication channels are followed with the parents' body by the school while taking into account that such interactions
take place just once or twice in a year.
It mentioned that in addition to Mass Media Studies, Media Production, Geospatial Practices, Hospitality and Tourism, CBSE also proposes to bring out more subjects to provide more options for students at Senior Secondary level.
It said for the first time the Board is planning to conduct training for those teaching Urdu in classes IX and X.
The Board also reminded the schools to develop their own websites to help the larger community know more about schools in their neighbourhood.