School principals in the UAE have backed the latest decision by the CBSE board to reduce the syllabus by 30 per cent – bringing a much needed relief to its students.
India’s HRD Minister Ramesh Nishank first announced the major syllabus reduction today, which was soon followed by an official notification by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The minister said that considering the loss of classroom teaching time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, CBSE reduced the syllabus of classes 9 to 12 after consulting NCERT.
This has now been officially communicated with the heads of CBSE-affiliated schools in the UAE as well, after principals here received the official circular on Tuesday evening.
A part of the circular states: “The prevailing health emergency in the country and at different parts of the world as well as the efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of classroom teaching due to closure of schools. Therefore, the Board has decided to revise the syllabus for classes IX-XII for the academic session 2020-21.”
It further reads, “the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for Internal Assessment and year-end Board Examination”.
A copy of the Curriculum Deduction details, seen by Khaleej Times, highlights portions deleted from subjects like, “accountancy, business studies, engineering graphics, geography, home science, physical education, sociology, applied mathematics, chemistry, English core, Hindi core, Informatics Practices and Physics, among others.”
Head teachers in UAE called the announcement an undoubtedly welcome move for all.
Zubair Ahmad, Head HR & Administration Springdales School Dubai, said, “It is indeed a welcome step considering the unprecedented time. Education has suffered to a great extent as we have had to unlearn a lot and learn a lot new methods. So it is good that the syllabus has been reviewed. It will help us become more orientated towards learning – and not just passing or preparing for exams.”
Although CBSE affiliated schools began their new session in April and certain portions have already been covered, principals maintain that it still brings a huge respite in such extraordinary circumstances.
Annie Mathew, Principal, Gulf Model School said, “These are unprecedented times and such times do call for extraordinary measures. Reduction in portions by CBSE is indeed a big relief for the school communities but it has come a little late in the day as some of the deducted topics have already been covered. Nevertheless, it is a helpful and wise decision by CBSE, and as us educators like to say no learning is ever wasted.”
Another principal said, “We could anticipate this news. Students were studying under very demanding circumstances amid the pandemic, being at home and doing online learning. It’s a positive move that will help everyone.”
CBSE has over 220 schools in 25 foreign countries – including 78 in the UAE. There are roughly 9,500 CBSE students in grade 10 in the UAE and about 6,500 in grade 12.
© Khaleej Times
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