Would it be advantageous for India to have a singular Central Board?
TOPIC OF THE MONTH: Do you believe it would be advantageous for India to have a singular Central Board with optional state languages, or do you see value in maintaining the current diversity of State, Central and International Boards?
It would be advantageous for India to have a singular central board with optional state languages. First, the students will benefit most. There will be uniformity in the syllabus; all students will learn the same syllabus except for the state languages. Second, students moving from one part of the country to another wouldn’t face the challenges of adapting to a different curriculum. It would result in decreased stress and inferiority complex among students, as India often experiences a situation where one board is considered superior to others. This would also improve the migration level, and providing optional languages would allow for greater flexibility. Students can choose languages based on their interests, career goals, and backgrounds. Last but not least, it would be easier for the government to manage the education system, policies, and practices and keep improving on them.
Ishani Chamling (13)
New Horizon Scholars’ School, Thane, Maharashtra
State boards often incorporate state-specific content, making them more culturally and regionally aligned. CBSE is often preferred for students preparing for competitive exams in India due to its focused curriculum and alignment with national level entrance exams like JEE and NEET. CBSE promotes uniformity in education regardless of their location. State boards allow for more flexibility in curriculum design, which can lead to variations in the quality and content of education between States.
Sneha Suman (12)
Notre Dame, Badarpur, New Delhi
The main reasons for me to go with the choice of singular Central Board are:
1. Nowadays, almost every level of competitive exam in India is based on the syllabus of a particular singular Central Board like CBSE (NCERT). So, if a student wants to clear the NEET, JEE or even UPSC exam, he will have to study the CBSE based books. This makes the student think that it is a lot tougher to clear such exams.
2. If India has a singular Central Board with optional state languages, then every student will get to know the culture of each other’s state. Thus, we will get to know our country which will increase its unity. As the term suggests “Unity in Diversity”.
Kanishka Singh (13)
Montfort Inter College, Mahanagar, Lucknow
I believe having a centralized education is indispensable and the need of the hour for diverse countries like India. Invariability in the education system is necessary for imparting proper and quality education to all students across the country. If a centralized board is constituted, then bias and partiality among children will be eradicated. Improvement in Governmental and private institutions will take place and all stakeholders will be able to manage the education properly. The uniformity may be helpful for assimilation of knowledge and further parents of transferable jobs will not face any problems while managing their child’s education. The uniform curriculum will lead to enhancement in the standardisation of books and teaching methods. Furthermore, the regional culture and traditions may be incorporated in optional state language making education more accessible and agreeable for all.
Sara Tamseel Khwaja (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Bankipore, Patna
Yes, it would be advantageous for India to maintain the current diversity of state, central and international board in the following ways:
Recognized internationally: These boards are advantageous for students planning to study abroad and for parents wanting to shift abroad.
Advanced education system: These boards are recognized internationally, and their education system is advanced in technology, language and orientation.
Flexible syllabus: CBSE offers a lot of flexibility to the students to pursue their fields of interest.
Strong connection with their state’s culture and traditions: State boards are more rooted in the culture and language of the specific state.
Daksh Bhardwaj (13)
Notre Dame School, Badarpur, New Delhi
A central board with optional state language might be beneficial for students. The education and examination system will be uniform throughout India. In case of an interstate change of school, students can cope with the study pattern easily. More underprivileged students will benefit from the singular central board. However, this would have some drawbacks. Presently, the state board teaches regional history, literature, and cultural heritage of one’s state in a very comprehensive manner, so value in maintaining the diverse knowledge will be lacking.
Nandita Singh Bariha (14)
Kendriya Vidyalaya, NHPC Singtam, Sikkim
Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, influenced by India’s unique socio-political, cultural, and economic context. Standardization might ensure that students across different regions have access to the same quality of education, resources, and opportunities. This could help bridge educational disparities between urban and rural areas, or between states with different levels of educational infrastructure. The choice between a singular Central Board and maintaining the diversity of boards depends on balancing the benefits of standardization and national integration with the need to preserve local significance and foster innovation. A possible middle path could involve a hybrid model that establishes a core national curriculum complemented by region-specific modules, allowing for both uniformity in essential educational standards and flexibility to cater to local needs and identities.
Priya Raj (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli, Patna
It would be a great benefit for India to have a singular central board. Singularization of boards will help students to transfer and take admission throughout schools easily as the exam format and syllabus would be consistent. With uniformity among various boards, students can concentrate fully on studying a single curriculum rather than relying on multiple textbooks for support in upcoming competitions. Standardization can reduce the administrative costs and also promote regional distinctiveness due to the availability of optional languages. Although it risks cultural diversity, it is advantageous for both students and teachers as it creates a straightforward and more compact way of learning in just one schedule/course.
Aadya Kumar (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli, Patna, Bihar
I think it would be advantageous for India to have a singular central board with optional state languages as many people of other states do not understand English or Hindi as many have their different languages for their different states, regions and places like villages and so on. I see value in maintaining the current diversity of State, Central and International Boards because many don’t know about their culture of a particular city, state, place or region.
Darshmeet Kaur Saluja (12)
St Francis Convent Inter College, Jhansi
It would be advantageous for India to have singular Central Board with optional State Language. It would bring uniformity in standard of education, evaluation and grading system all over India. It would provide equal opportunity to students of India and would promote national integrity. It would also minimise the cost incurred on education. The language problem and problem of variability in the educational standard, earning outcome, performance and their comparison would be automatically solved by a singular Central Board.
Aditi Shekhar (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli, Patna