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Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Welcome step, practical implementation difficult': Pune school principals on CBSE's teaching in mother tongue move
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), in a circular dated May 22, has instructed schools across the country to use the mother tongue or state language as the medium of instruction in the pre-primary to Class 5 stages. While this is in line with the Centre's National Education Policy, 2020, as well as UNICEF and UNESCO's advocacy for education in the mother tongue, there are a few challenges to implementing this ambitious move. The Indian Express spoke to principals of English-medium CBSE schools in Pune to get their views on this change and the obstacles they anticipate while enforcing this mandate. What the CBSE circular says Quoting the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, the circular states that the first language of literacy (R1) in schools should be the student's mother tongue. However, if this is not possible due to classroom diversity, the state language can be used as R1, it adds, directing schools to begin implementing the change from this year onwards. According to the CBSE's SARAS portal, there are 30,859 schools affiliated with the Board in the country. All of these schools are now required to create an NCF implementation committee by the end of May. This panel will be responsible for 'mapping student mother tongue, aligning language resources, and guiding curriculum adjustments'. What schools say Aditi Mukherjee, the principal of Billabong International School, Pune, enthusiastically supported the move by CBSE. 'I think this is a very welcome step because it has been long enough that we have followed English as a medium of instruction in different international schools, and in fact, schools in general,' she said. After mapping students' mother tongues and understanding teacher competency in these languages, Mukherjee said the school will have to make a training calendar to 'capacity build teachers' in the school. 'And if we see that there is some requirement for, you know, external training or even recruitment, we have to do the same,' she added. One of the challenges, Mukherjee said, would be that not all non-educators would agree with shifting the medium of education from English, the language of the elite, to a local language. 'I would also love to call upon our stakeholders, the children and the parents in particular, and have them as the third point of the pyramid. So, teachers, the leadership team and the board committee, as well as the parents, that would be the design,' she explained. The NCERT already has textbooks in 22 languages, and teachers should be able to train themselves to teach in the required language and even create their own teaching resources, opined Mukherjee. However, Nirmal Waddan, principal of The Kalyani School, Pune, envisioned greater challenges in implementing the move. 'I appreciate the CBSE's move on the language policy, but, unfortunately, there are many practical hindrances. In our school at least, we have children coming from diverse backgrounds. They are IT professionals who keep on shifting base, and they do not belong to a single mother tongue like Marathi or Telugu…So, we cannot cater to different mother tongues at the same time,' Waddan said. Even if the medium of education is to be changed to the state language, like Marathi in Maharashtra, Waddan said it will be quite challenging for teachers. 'A teacher who is from North India, how will she know how to teach a child in Telugu or Kannada? Practically, it is not going to be possible to implement this circular to the T…Completely changing the medium is not possible. It will be bilingual in most of the schools,' she said. Even though most of her teachers know Marathi, teaching in the language is a different game altogether, she explained. 'Core subjects like science and maths would be very, very challenging. Because there are certain words which have a proper meaning. I am born and brought up in Maharashtra, but even for me, it is going to be very difficult to explain in Marathi,' Waddan said. She said that even with training workshops for teachers, the shift in medium will still be quite challenging. 'I appreciate the main objective CBSE has behind this language policy circular and the NEP also…to make the children understand and get familiar with the basics…Learning outcomes will be better, I understand that completely. But practical implementation is very difficult,' she added. Indira National School's principal, Arati Garampalli, expressed similar views. 'My personal opinion would not be completely shifting to a vernacular language. I would still prefer that they go on with English and side-by-side give an explanation in Marathi or any other local language…We have diverse people, I do not have only Maharashtrians here. I have Bengalis, North Indians, South Indians. South Indians don't even pick up Hindi easily. So imagine for Marathi, it would be more difficult,' she said. 'We have to look at our stakeholders, which are our students and also my staff. My staff should also be particularly very perfect in that vernacular language. When you are teaching in a language, you have to be perfect in that, you cannot just go on (casually),' she added. However, Milind Naik, principal of Jnana Prabodhini School and a member of the steering committee for NEP implementation in Maharashtra, offered a different perspective and explained how the move might seem challenging, but is achievable. He said that a majority of CBSE school teachers in Pune speak Marathi in their daily lives and are compelled to speak in English in schools. 'A majority of the teachers already know Marathi. So there might be a few, as less as say 10 per cent, who just do not know Marathi. So it is expected that the teachers must communicate in Marathi. That means schools do not require teachers who have mastery over Marathi but are fluent enough to talk, to communicate basic things with the students. So, all those teachers residing in Pune for the last two to three years must be able to do this. It is not so difficult,' he explained. For other languages like Sindhi or Urdu, where teachers might not be easily available, Naik said, 'They (schools) have to try to get those teachers. Otherwise, the students get affected. Many times, the children try to shift from the CBSE English-medium schools to a vernacular school. So if they do not want the students to drop out, then they must try to have multilingual teachers at their school.' A major point of focus in the NEP is to address and improve the school dropout rate in the country. Naik also explained that practical issues would not be unique to English-medium schools but also affect regional language schools. 'Marathi-medium schools from Maharashtra will also face the same problem. If the school is in the Konkan region or near Goa, then they (teachers) must know Konkani also. Or if it is around Amravati or Nagpur, they must know Ahirani, and all those local languages. So, Marathi-medium schools are also going to face the same problem…All schools have to take care of all these things,' he added.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM honours CBSE top performers, reiterates reforms
Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday congratulated the students of classes 10 and 12 who performed well in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations this year. The honorary event was held at Rajkiya Pratibha Bal Vikas Vidyalaya in north Delhi's Civil Lines. Delhi's education minister Ashish Sood was also present at the event, where CM Gupta felicitated 87 students — 16 from class 10 and 71 from class 12 — with tablets. The results were declared earlier this month. Additionally, principals of 20 government schools, whose institutions recorded 100% results in the CBSE examinations, were also honoured and awarded computers, an official said. 'Students have achieved this milestone through dedication, discipline, and relentless effort. Today, you are not only making your parents and school proud but are also bringing honour to the entire nation. The Delhi government is proud of all of you,' the CM said while addressing the students. She also assured educational reforms aiming to equip every government school with smart classrooms, hygienic toilets, digital libraries, and well-trained teachers. Gupta also emphasised on the government's plan of opening 75 new CM Shri schools in Delhi this year. CM at other events Later, CM Gupta also attended a special scholarship disbursement programme, organised by the directorate of higher education on Friday at the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) in Kashmere Gate. 'The flagship event was aimed at recognising and financially supporting economically meritorious students pursuing higher education across various state universities in Delhi,' an official said. Around 1,305 students from various Delhi state universities received scholarships during the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Gupta said, 'As your chief minister, I am proud to share the remarkable strides our government has taken in just the first 100 days. Guided by the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister, we are committed to transforming Delhi into a model of inclusive and quality education.' 'For the first time, students preparing for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, CUET, and others will receive free coaching in Delhi government schools….We have committed a historic ₹20,000 crore budget for education in Delhi. This is the largest investment in our capital's educational future — covering infrastructure, digital learning, teacher empowerment, and student support,' Gupta added. She also launched an initiative to directly connect youth with industry through Delhi's Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), an official aware of the matter said. 'The Delhi government signed three-year MoUs with four prominent industry partners — Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL), Quest Alliance, and Hettich Power Wood Working Institute (HPWWI),' the official said. The CM stated that the primary objective of these MoUs is not only to ensure technical education but also maintain vocational excellence, hands-on training with modern industrial equipment, and robust employment opportunities. Providing details on the same, the CM said that students in various ITIs across Delhi will now receive direct, advanced, and practical training aligned with industry standards. HPWWI will offer free technical training under the Wood Working Technician Trade (formerly Carpenter Trade) at ITIs in Jail Road and Nand Nagri. This will include tools, equipment, specialized instructor training, and on-the-job experience. Similarly, SMIPL will establish a state-of-the-art training centre at ITI Jahangirpuri for trades such as two-wheeler repair, welding, and robotics, while also developing necessary infrastructure under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Quest Alliance will provide training in career awareness, employability skills, and soft skills, with a special focus on encouraging female students to take up non-traditional trades like welding and fitting. Meanwhile, MSIL will deliver specialized training in automobile-related trades such as four-wheelers, diesel engines, and auto body repair at ITIs in Pusa and Arab Ki Sarai, offering students access to advanced technical knowledge and real-world industry projects. Sood also highlighted key features of the MoUs, stating that all training programs under this initiative will be completely free of cost. 'Upon course completion, students will receive recognised certificates that validate their skills. The core objective is to prepare youth for employment, make them self-reliant, and equip them with modern technologies to successfully thrive in a dynamic industrial environment,' Sood said.
NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
CBSE Allows Basic Math Students To Study Standard Math In Class 11
In a significant shift, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has allowed students who studied Basic Mathematics (241) in Class 10 to opt for Mathematics Standard (041) in Class 11, starting from the academic year 2025-26. This initiative offers greater flexibility to students in shaping their academic path, provided they meet certain conditions. The decision, announced in an official notification dated May 27, 2025, marks a shift from the earlier rule where only students who had taken Mathematics Standard (041) in Class 10 were permitted to continue with the subject at the senior secondary level. Students with Basic Math were previously limited to choosing Applied Mathematics in Class 11. According to the circular, heads of schools must assess and ensure that students who wish to switch from Basic Math to core Mathematics in Class 11 have the necessary aptitude and academic preparedness to handle the subject's rigour. The Board has instructed schools to communicate the change to parents and students so they can make informed subject choices while filling the List of Candidates (LOC). Once subjects are finalised in LOC, no modifications will be permitted. This relaxation is a continuation of temporary exemptions introduced during the pandemic years, when students who opted for Basic Math were allowed to take Mathematics (041) in higher classes. However, the CBSE has clarified that the current decision will remain valid only until a new scheme of studies is introduced under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE). Until then, other provisions of the earlier circular issued on January 10, 2019, will continue to apply. The dual-level Mathematics system was introduced by CBSE in the 2019-20 academic session to offer students options based on their interest and future academic plans. While Mathematics (Standard) caters to those wish to pursue the subject in higher studies, Mathematics (Basic) is designed for those who do not wish to continue with it beyond Class 10.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
CBSE Supplementary Exam 2025 registration begins today at cbse.gov.in, details here
Central Board of Secondary Education will begin the CBSE Supplementary Exam 2025 registration on May 30, 2025. The submission of LOC for supplementary exams for both Class 10, 12 will begin through the official website of CBSE Pariksha Sangam. As per the official notice, only those students whose name is submitted through the online process shall be allowed to appear for supplementary examinations, 2025. The schools will have to use their affiliation number as a user ID and the password already available with them for login to the system for submission of LOC. Those students who have appeared for the Class 10, 12 board examination this year as regular students from the affiliated schools and whose result has been declared as 'compartment' should approach the school from which they have appeared in 2025 main examinations for sponsoring of their name for supplementary examinations. Similarly, the schools shall also contact their students placed in the compartment category and inform them about their candidature for the supplementary examinations. The CBSE class 12th supplementary examination will be held on July 15, 2025, i.e., only on a single day. The Class 10 supplementary examination will start on July 15. The datesheet will be available on official website. The supplementary examination 2025 will be conducted based on the syllabus prescribed for the board examination for session 2024-25, which is available on the official website. For more related details candidates can check the official website of CBSE.
India Today
2 days ago
- Science
- India Today
CBSE allows Basic Math students to take Mathematics in Class 11
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has confirmed that students who took Basic Mathematics (241) in Class 10 can continue to take Mathematics (041) in Class 11, as long as they have the ability and interest to handle the subject. This rule will continue for the academic year had first introduced the two-level Mathematics system -- Basic and Standard -- for Class 10 students starting with the academic session 2019-20, with the first exams under this system conducted in March idea was that Basic Math was for students not planning to study Math further, while Standard Math was for those who want to pursue it at a higher level. Normally, students who took Basic Math were expected to continue with Applied Mathematics, not Standard due to COVID-19 and related challenges, CBSE allowed an exception. Now this exemption remains in place for next year, giving Basic Math students the chance to switch to the more advanced Mathematics course in Class TO ASSESS STUDENT READINESSSchools must check and confirm that students are ready for this swith.'The head of the institution/school should satisfy that the students have the aptitude and ability to pursue Mathematics (041) in class XI,' the CBSE notification and students are advised to note that once the subject is chosen and entered in the List of Candidates (LOC), it cannot be changed later. Schools are asked to share this update with their communities to avoid move aims to give students more flexibility, especially those who decide later that they want to pursue science, engineering, or other courses requiring higher-level maths. advertisement
