CISCE to tailor syllabus, exam model for competitive exams

With the aim of preparing its students for competitive entrance examinations, the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will soon “tweak” its syllabus and question paper model to meet that end.

“We want to tweak the syllabus in order to achieve parity with a common curriculum and increase focus on preparing for competitive examination. These changes will be brought about step by step and will start with classes 11 and 12 first,” said Gerry Arathoon, Chief Executive and Secretary, CISCE. He spoke to Deccan Herald on the sidelines of a programme here on Saturday. “These changes will be introduced by 2018,” he added.

When asked what he meant by a “common curriculum”, Arathoon explained that it related to the common syllabus agreed upon by the Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE), an association of state and national school education boards. The CBSE is also a part of COBSE.

Explaining the need for education to change with the times, Arathoon said that emphasis should not only be on “learning outcomes and knowledge but on skills and competitiveness.”

Mahima, a class 11 student of a prominent ICSE/ISC affiliated school welcomed the changes. “It will be really good and helpful if such a plan by the board is implemented. Our dependence on coaching institutes will also greatly reduce.”

Given that a number of students and parents tend to think that CBSE better equips students for competitive examinations, a number of students migrate from ICSE to CBSE or state boards after passing out of tenth standard.

Tejaswini Sankeshwar, principal of Daffodils English School (ICSE), Mekhri Circle said that in her years of teaching she has seen many opt for CBSE or state boards. “In this year’s batch itself, of the 21 students who passed their class 10, only one opted for ISC (Class 12) while the rest opted for CBSE and PUC. There is, however, no real difference”

Gaurav Goyal, head, FIITJEE, Bangalore also said that while the CBSE syllabus may have an edge in preparing students for IIT-JEE, it hardly matters what board a student belongs to. “The ICSE/ISC board is also advantageous in preparing for various other exams. In any case in competitive examinations it is thinking ability and subject knowledge that matters,” he said.