From the academic year starting from 2018, students of the Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), will appear for examinations with a new syllabi that will include a revamped question paper pattern.
The council has decided to change the syllabi for Classes 9, 10 and 12 to ensure that more students crack competitive exams. The changes have also focused on making syllabi lighter for Classes 9 and 10.
Changes will be made to subjects such as history, civics, geography, mathematics and physics in the Class 9 to 10 in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and Class 12 in the Indian School Certificate (ISC) exams. Most of the changes will be brought in the ISC (Class 12) exams in the science stream for subjects including physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology. The question papers will also be framed on the lines of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Some changes will also be made to upgrade the accounting paper.
These changes have been made with an eye on competitive exams, according to the council. “Experts felt the need to realign the syllabus to ensure that our students do not lag behind in competitive exams. Some of the topics have been shuffled between classes 9 and 12 to suit students appearing for engineering and medical competitive examinations,” said a senior official from the council. “The content will remain as per the COBSE (Council of Boards of Secondary Education) guidelines.”
{{/usCountry}}These changes have been made with an eye on competitive exams, according to the council. “Experts felt the need to realign the syllabus to ensure that our students do not lag behind in competitive exams. Some of the topics have been shuffled between classes 9 and 12 to suit students appearing for engineering and medical competitive examinations,” said a senior official from the council. “The content will remain as per the COBSE (Council of Boards of Secondary Education) guidelines.”
{{/usCountry}}In comparison, schools stated that the CBSE and the Maharashtra state board Class 12 curriculum were much more geared towards competitive exams. “Students interested in pursuing engineering would switch to other boards after Class 10,” said Father Carl Laurie, principal, Christ Church School, Byculla. “We found the number of students taking up ISC considerably dropping.”
The focus will be on realigning some topics and making syllabus lighter in the ICSE exams. The council had received complaints from schools across the country the ICSE syllabi in Classes 9 and 10 was too heavy. “It is a progressive idea, we have to move ahead with the times,” said Perin Bagli, principal, Activity High School, Peddar Road. “The new syllabi will prepare them for competitive exams. This was a much needed change as other boards had already introduced it.”
Schools admitted that there was also a need to lighten the syllabus for ICSE. “We don’t need to supply children with information, which they can access easily on the internet,” said Meera Isaacs, principal, Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort.