Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) today announced major changes in CBSE Affiliation Byelaws. The core mantra of the changes give the impression that the system is trying to move towards a simpler process from a complex one.
It is endeavoured through these changes that affiliation with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) becomes faster, transparent, hassle free, and overall makes it easier for institutions to do business with the Board.
#1. Now schools need to submit only 2 documents, as opposed to 12-14 required earlier. One, a document vetted by the head of district education administration with regards to matters like land ownership, safety in building, sanitation shall be required. Two, a self affidavit that the school adheres to fee norms and infrastructure norms.
This change was necessitated by the fact that until now there exists a duplicacy in processes carried out by state and CBSE. On one hand, the state has to do due diligence about applicants certificates from local bodies, revenue department, cooperatives department and inspection to issue certificates for RTE and NOC. On the other hand CBSE also had to reverify them after getting the certificates. Now this process is being eliminated by taking only two documents.
#2. The whole process that follows receipt of applications have also changed. Now, the board will carry out inspection of schools just after receiving applications. It will issue a ‘letter of intent’ to the school intimating its intention to issue affiliation. Thereupon, school will endeavor to fulfill the conditions necessitated under post-affiliation process like hiring qualified teachers, educators, counsellors and having due processes to pay salary through online payment. Once the school complies with all the instructions it will submit online commencement certificate latest by 31 March. On its basis, CBSE will confirm affiliation of the school and then the school will be able to start academic session under CBSE.
#3. CBSE shall now have outcome based school inspections. The dominant change in this aspect is that earlier schools were checked upon on basis of their infrastructure primarily, whereas now the focus will be on academics and quality.
Inspection of schools shall be on basis of excellence in academics, innovations, inclusive practices, progress of students over time, quality of pedagogy, focus on sports and games, adherence to norms of curriculum load, co-scholastic activities quality, capacity of teachers and teacher training.
Efforts in this direction will enable the board to track progress and also channelize resources in that direction where it is felt most necessary that improvements are required.
#4. CBSE will dispose off applications in the same year.
#5. Applications, inspection, affiliation granting is a paperless process. All processes involved shall be online.
#6. It will be mandatory to have 2 days training every year. Teachers training is one more focus area of the new CBSE Affiliation Byelaws. Even Principals and Vice Principals shall have to attend them.
#7. ‘Innovative Schools’ is a new category. This is for such schools that are taking innovative steps in fields such as science, arts, sports, skill development. This special category of schools are not covered anywhere else in the Byelaws.
#8. Schools cannot have any hidden charges that they can charge as ‘fees’. Schools must mandatorily disclose all fees that they will be charging from students and the same should be in accordance with government norms.
#9. School fees must be as per norms of the respective government and government norms, laws, regulations shall be followed for revision of fees.
#10. Through the revised CBSE Affiliation Byelaws, schools are encouraged to promote environmental conservation such as by segregating waste, campus greening activities, rain water harvesting, harnessing solar energy, Swachhata on campus.
In India and 25 other countries, the total number of schools affiliated to CBSE are 20783. 1.9 crore students are studying in CBSE affiliated schools, taught by 10 lakh teachers. CBSE is a board of education of Government of India. It conducts the final examinations of class 10 and 12 and defining educational standards across its schools.
