Happy New Year Greetings for 2010

Happy New Year Greetings for 2010! As we step into this year we also step into a world of changing paradigms in terms of school reforms ushered in the last quarter of 2009.

In a similar advisory sent at the outset in 2009, the emphasis was on Life Skills, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), Value Education and the interactive website of the CBSE Board. The CBSE Board has strengthened its resolve to implement all the above in sustained way.  The agenda of the CBSE Board in the coming year is clear.

The road map is ready and there is a need to move ahead with commitment and dedicated effort.

1. Strengthened CCE

The CBSE Board vide its Advisory No. 39 dated 20.9.2009 introduced Examination Reforms and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in the CBSE. The first phase of teacher training was initiated in October, 2009 and carried on till December. The number of private independent schools covered is 6051 and the number of teachers and principals trained is 15,497. There are a few pockets to be covered in this first phase which will be completed very soon. May CNSE take this opportunity to thank each one of you who has contributed towards making this venture possible. The CBSE Board values your involvement and your feedback.

Before introducing the CCE scheme the CBSE Board conducted Focus Group Discussions with all stakeholders (parents, teachers, students, principals and educators in July and August 2009.  A research study through Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon was also taken up. An SMS Survey was also conducted to feel the pulse of the primary stakeholders.

The CCE School Based Certificate for classes VI-VIII is also ready and will reach you shortly. It is expected that schools will now follow CCE in its true spirit right from classes I - X.

1.1 Mentoring and Monitoring

The CBSE is aware that mere orientation is not enough to help teachers grapple with the CCE Scheme. The training workshops are going to be followed up with mentoring and monitoring of schools through the Sahodaya network wherever possible. In case of other schools district wise Nodal centers will be set up to

monitor and mentor the implementation of CCE. It is in this context that you can offer voluntary service by extending support in the area of your expertise. In case you are a trained master trainer please register online to be a Monitor/ Mentor. If you would like to offer your school as a venue for training kindly register online for the same. In case you are a principal or a senior teacher and would like to be a master trainer for future training programmes, you can register online. The CBSE is also planning to train teachers who are exceptionally motivated and will be asking teachers to register with us. All these announcements will be made shortly.

1.2 Support Material

As you are aware the CBSE Board has already produced the following support material for CCE which is available on the CBSE website:

i) Teachers’ Manual on CCE

ii) Flyers on CCE

iii) School Based CCE Certificate (Classes IX - X)

iv) Model Report Card Class IX v) FAQs on CCE vi) Life Skills Manual vii) CCE Song – Naya Agaaz viii) Trainers’ Manual

ii) Formative Assessment Tasks

iii) Assessing Co-Scholastic Skills – Exemplar Material iv) Life Skills Manual for Teachers (Classes IX & X) v) Movie on CCE vi) Dramatized version of Role Plays / One Act Plays / Video Lessons CCE Teachers’ Manual which will now be a priced document will be available in the month of March, 2010 at Publication Stores, CBSE, Shiksha Sadan, 17 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi and Regional Offices.

2. Sample Question Papers, Summative Assessment in Classes IX

All schools are requested to download the Sample Question Papers of Class IX, Summative test (S-2) and circulars as on 15^th December, 2009.  Circular numbers remain the same; however minor modifications in

Circulars and Sample Question Papers have been made based on feedback received from users over a period of time. Latest Sample Question Papers must be used for preparing students for Summative II test (S-2) in Class IX to be held in February - March, 2010. The major change in the format of question papers in all the subjects for class IX is the introduction of Multiple Choice Questions as suggested and recommended by NCF and position paper on Examination Reforms by NCERT. A detailed circular about Summative Assessment to be held for present Class – IX by respective schools is now being issued separately.

1 In feedback received from schools, it has been reported that some schools are holding a formative assessment task/test everyday under the pretext of CCE. Moreover students have been told that their behaviour is going to be observed minutely and assessed. This may again lead to stress and an unnatural and artificial depiction of behaviour. The tasks which relate to projects and activities can be done in groups as in-class and school activities and not become an extension of work to be done by siblings or parents.

2   Physical Education Manual and Physical Education Cards

For strengthening Physical Education in Primary Classes, the CBSE initiated a pilot project in 2006 with selected schools in collaboration with the British Council. Now the Physical Education Manual and Physical Education Cards are now available with the Stores, CBSE, 17, Rouse Avenue, New Delhi and an Advisory to this effect has  been sent to all schools and is also available on the CBSE website (Circular No. 57 dated 20.11.2009).

The schools were also advised to set aside 30 minutes everyday for physical fitness activities vide circular no. 09 dated 31.5.2006. This will also ensure that each student participates in one of the activities out of the eight activities mentioned in Physical Health and Physical Education for assessment of co-scholastic skills under CCE for Classes IX and X.

4. Adolescence Education Programmes

The CBSE has been implementing Adolescence Education Programmes in independent unaided schools affiliated to the CBSE Board since 2005. It conducts the Advocacy Programmes for principals and Nodal Teacher Training Programmes for teachers.  The time allocated for conducting activities related to AEP are 16 hours over a period of one session. This can be done through a two period slot held fortnightly.  The Manuals on AEP i.e. Advocacy Manual, Teachers’ Workbook (for Student Activities), Reference Material for Heads of Schools and Teachers, Facilitator’s Handbook for training of Resource Persons and Nodal Teachers are already placed on the CBSE website in the AEP corner and can be downloaded.

Moreover the CBSE has also initiated a Regional Level Youth Festival and National Youth Festival in 2009 which will be an annual feature in the years to follow.

5.         Health and Wellness Clubs

For promotion of holistic development, the CBSE Board advised schools to set up Health and Wellness Clubs in 2005 and four Health Manuals were prepared. The Revised Health Manuals which will be priced documents will be available in April 2010 from the Stores, CBSE, 17 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi.

It is in this context that the schools should set aside at least two periods in a fortnight for participation of students in Health and Wellness Clubs, Eco Clubs, Science Clubs, Dramatics Clubs etc.

6. Revision of Class X English Communicative textbooks

The Class IX textbooks have been revised on the basis of feedback received from schools based on an online questionnaire which was placed on the CBSE website. The revised text books aim at integration of Skills in all student books as well as introduction of revised test item types as per CCE scheme. A similar process will be followed for revision of Class X books in Communicative English. The revised books of Class IX will be available from the Stores before start of new academic session at CBSE, 17 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi and Regional Offices.

7. Inclusion of Child Rights Issues

Further to the CBSE’s Circular Nos. 16, 18 and 24 in 2009, the CBSE Board would like to once again request schools to remember that schools are ideological institutions and not factories. These must treat children as sensitive individuals who need to be protected at any cost. The schools need to be aware of the  sensitive and impressionable nature of minds of school children and must ensure that all students, irrespective of their differences in physical, social, economic status or by their being differently abled are dealt with in a dignified manner. Adolescents are vulnerable to many influences and must be empowered to take informed decisions. No school under the guise of enforcing discipline should mistreat any student or parent thereof. This must be strictly observed and enforced notwithstanding any external pressure whatsoever.

8. Science and Mathematics

In 2009, we have published the Activity Books based on the concepts given in the NCERT book for students of Class VIII in Science and for the students of Classes III to VIII in Maths.  Besides these, a report on the ‘Performance Analysis of Students of Class X in Mathematics’ has been published.  These will help in bringing about qualitative improvement in the learning of students in these subjects.

9. Other instructions

The syllabus of ‘Informatics Practices’ has been completely revamped for Sr. Sec. Classes from the session 2009-11. In this regard, nearly 1000 teachers have already been trained last year and the training of 1000 more teachers will be continued this year.

The subjects ‘Engineering Drawing’ has been renamed as ‘Engineering Graphics’ and in this, the component of ‘Computer Aided Designing’ (CAD) has been introduced for the first time in the form of a project in class XII from the session 2009-11. The training of teachers in Engineering Graphics and CAD is being planned in all the eight regions of CBSE this year.

For the first time, based on the feedback received from the stakeholders, the CBSE Board has prepared SQPs in the subjects of Agriculture, Heritage Crafts, Physical Education, Engineering and Drawing, Graphic Design etc. at Class XII level. This is in addition to SQPs available in most subjects as per past practice.

This year a huge amount of feedback has already been received from various stakeholders: Students, teachers, Parents and educators through the ‘Interact with Chairman Facility’ available on the CBSE website. As a result a FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) section has been put up on the website in the CCE corner. All teachers and students are encouraged to go through this section as this is an evolving document.