Now, school info at click of mouse

In an unprecedented move by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), parents and students may soon have the opportunity to evaluate a school’s compliance with academic, infrastructural, safety and other CBSE byelaws — at the click of a mouse.

In an unprecedented move by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), parents and students may soon have the opportunity to evaluate a school’s compliance with academic, infrastructural, safety and other CBSE byelaws — at the click of a mouse.

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The board has ordered that each CBSE-affiliated school must start its own website highlighting its levels of compliance of each norm including details of teachers, students strength and contact details of administrators.

In a letter to all affiliated schools, CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi has said that the schools must comply with the order within six months and should prepare annual reports which can be uploaded on their websites.

Over 10,500 schools across India and in a few foreign countries are affiliated to the CBSE.

Schools must also specify timelines by when they will complete compliance with any bye laws they are at present unable to meet.

The CBSE affiliation byelaws relate to the governance structure, land area and other physical infrastructure and facilities, salaries, teacher-to-student ratio, admission policies and fee structures that schools are required to follow.

The move is a key component of human resource development minister Kapil Sibal’s drive aimed at ensuring greater transparency in educational institutions, sources said.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already ordered technical institutions like engineering and management schools to place on their websites details of teachers, students, infrastructure, fee policy and governance structure.

“The CBSE move will take the transparency drive forward to schools,” a senior government source said.

The CBSE letter mentions that the board decided to make it mandatory for every affiliated school to develop its own website “containing comprehensive information about the school and its management” at a governing body meeting.

The Central Information Commission, in an order dated August 5, 2010 had also stated that all schools affiliated to the board must place on their websites the status of their implementation of norms.