Soon, common syllabi for arts?

After proposing a common curriculum for science and commerce subjects across all state boards in the country for classes XI and XII, the Council of Boards of Secondary Education (CoBSE) has proposed a similar move for humanities as well.

After proposing a common curriculum for science and commerce subjects across all state boards in the country for classes XI and XII, the Council of Boards of Secondary Education (CoBSE) has proposed a similar move for humanities as well.

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Meanwhile, the CoBSE plans to call a meeting soon with state education boards to "take stock" of the preparedness to introduce common science syllabi from 2011, top government sources have told Hindustan Times.

Sources said the plans to launch common syllabi in the sciences from 2011 and in commerce from 2012 are 'well on track." Several states have already started distributing the common syllabi in science proposed by the CoBSE across their schools, a source said.

"After science and commerce, the idea is to work towards a common curriculum across boards in the humanities too," a senior CoBSE official said. The CoBSE is the country's apex platform of all state and central school education boards.

India has over 30 different school boards including two central boards - the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE).

HRD minister Kapil Sibal has been advocating a common syllabi across boards in diverse subjects to ensure that students of schools affiliated to different boards do not suffer any disadvantage while seeking higher education or job opportunities outside their state. Sibal also argues that common syllabi will help improve the standards of state boards. But the National Council for Educational Research and Training has opposed the CoBSE's common syllabi, questioning its mandate for preparing curricula.