The syllabi for Science and Mathematics in Classes XI and XII will be the same in all schools across India from the forthcoming academic session, irrespective of the board the school is affiliated to, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said on Tuesday.
This will create a
level playing field for all students who take the numerous post-school national entrance tests to various educational institutions.
“All 22 higher secondary boards in the country have agreed,” said Sibal, after a meeting of the Council of School Boards of Education.
The common curriculum is the first step towards standardising entrance tests and creating a single national test for entry into medical and engineering colleges by 2013. This test will be on the lines of the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college admission in the US.
Educationists aren’t entirely convinced. “Common curriculum is a good idea. But whether one entrance test can be conducted for medical and engineering colleges has to be debated,” said S. Shankaranarayana, executive director, Karnataka Examination Authority.