Panel to improve higher education

The committee, to be headed by the director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), will have a two-year term.

The panel will also have representatives each from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Council of Teacher Education and State Boards of School Education.

“There has been a substantial increase in the enrolments in elementary schools after the Right to Education Act came into force. But, the lack of quality in  school education continues to be a matter of great concern.

“The committee will look into all these issues and suggest appropriate measures that could help improving the quality of school education in the country,” a ministry official told Deccan Herald.

The committee will place its recommendations before the General Council of Central and State School Education Board, headed by the secretary of the department of school education and literacy in the MHRD. The panel and the council will meet at least once in six months. The representation of state education boards and state council for educational research and training will be on rotational basis, the official said. Seeking to bring reforms in the school examination system, the ministry has already set up a committee to look into the matter and suggest measures. The committee is headed by CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi.

It has been asked to explore if class X board examination can also be made optional and a grading system can be introduced in its place in the schools functioning under state education boards, as has been done by the CBSE.