Curriculum content is same across education boards: CISCE chief

Assessment patterns could differ but the curriculum content is the same across boards. So, for answering questions in the competitive exams, you only need practice, said Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).

With over two decades of experience in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), including being appointed as the Director of CBSE, Dr. Emmanuel was appointed to the top post at the CISCE in May. In Chennai for a conference, he speaks with The Hindu regarding misconceptions about the school board, using technology to beat malpractices and his plans to improve the quality of school education. Edited excerpts:

What changes are you planning to bring to CISCE? What more does the curriculum require?

The National Education Policy 2020 has given a new focus to the entire education sector. To keep up with the recommendations, CISCE has identified major thrust areas such as curriculum development and transaction, capacity building, assessment reform and enabling ecosystem. Compatible with the 21st Century requirements, the global competitiveness should be maintained. The assessment should shift from a content oriented assessment to competency oriented assessment. We are now launching more Center of Excellences to teach teachers — such as the one in Hyderabad — in five cities: Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Chandigarh. Chennai and other emerging areas will be in the second phase.

Many think ICSE offers a rigorous academic curriculum, is it just a misconception?

It is a misconception. For example, in 1958 when CISCE was formed, the children of notable people went to such schools and it became a perception that getting into such schools were very difficult. From then, this misconception has remained. CISCE is one of the best in the country or in the world, and there is absolute freedom for these schools to implement this curriculum in their own way. The pass percentage of the students is also very high but people think that it’s a very tough curriculum. This is the board that contributes the maximum number of students into prominent colleges. Our objective is to meet the learning requirements of every learner, every person. Hence, to facilitate this there will be tailor-made specialised curriculum for sports personnel to be able to excel at both.

There is a view that ICSE can be taken up only if students plan to go abroad for further studies? Is that true?

It is the public perception because CBSE, being the government board, was responsible for conducting medical and engineering examinations. When CBSE started conducting competitive examinations, the public perception changed that CBSE syllabus is more tuned to crack these entrance examinations and that gave an indirect support to CBSE in expanding its base. Various universities in Europe and America have started giving credits to our students. It is because of the language proficiency and skill set that they don’t need to take up foundational courses. The CISCE curriculum has this advantage. It’s an edge obtained by the CISCE students. It’s not an offer from the Council. It’s because of the merit.

In Tamil Nadu, CBSE still seems to be the preferred board and not many schools offer ICSE. Why has there been a delay in embracing this board?

Anybody who thinks about the quality of education thinks about CISCE. It’s also the ease of doing business. CISCE facilitates and supports its affiliated schools. It is the strength of the curriculum and its transaction. Education should help the learner to lead a decent life. It also looks at the management vision. The attitude, aptitude and values, everything is properly inculcated in a CISCE ecosystem.

Also, the schools which offer CISCE collect much higher fees, compared with CBSE schools. Why?

The fee has to commensurate with the facilities. If the school wants only 30 students in the classroom, they would require more classrooms, teachers, facilities. The vision and mission with which you work has to be accounted for. We are willing to offer our affiliation to government schools provided they meet our standards of teachers ability and the competency of the teachers to learn to transact this curriculum, then the infrastructure of the school. It’s a call to be taken by the respective governments. All these schools are independent institutions. We don’t exercise any control on institutions, fee regulation and other things. It has to be a practical thing.

While ICSE prepares students for a smooth transition to study abroad, the scope to prepare for competitive exams in India such as NEET and JEE is minimal as these examinations rely on NCERT syllabus. How does the CISCE plan to tackle this?

Again, it’s a misconception. The country, whether it is CISCE or State board, follows a common curriculum for science and mathematics. This has started from 2011 when we initiated the common medical entrance examination. We felt the need of it in science and mathematics. The methodology could be different for science and mathematics. Assessment pattern could be different, but curriculum content is the same for all the boards. For answering such questions in the competitive exams, you need practice. The percentage of CISCE students getting selected is more. Look at the percentage, not volume.

After graduating out of a CICSE school, students joining city colleges find it tough to manage the conventional teaching methods. Are there any plans to prepare them better?

The grooming in a CISCE school to develop adaptability to any situation will help the children to survive in any area. Whether they go to Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford or such universities or they go to the local colleges, they will survive in any situation and any area. Some cultural shock could be there, but they will be able to adjust.

In the board exams, this year the question paper for psychology went missing. How are we ensuring that such instances do not happen again as it puts students in a tough spot?

We have already implemented a tracking system that will track the question paper at every point. A mobile app has been created and whoever accesses to this confidential material, they have to click a photo and upload it. Further, to avoid malpractice, we have also made CCTV cameras mandatory in examination halls. We will use technology to avoid such instances.

Published - November 08, 2024 10:38 pm IST