Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has instructed all the affiliated schools to add skill based subjects to the list of options for class 6 and 9 students from 2020-21. To make the new generation more creative, physically fit, and innovative, central board has also added 3 new skill subjects for class 11. These are design-thinking, physical activity trainer and artificial Intelligence.
CBSE is already offering 17 skill subjects at secondary level and 37 skill subjects at senior secondary level. However, keeping pace with the changing times, the board has shifting focus on upgrading skills and proficiency of the students. Hence, in the new press release it has detailed the guidelines for all the schools.
Skill subjects introduce candidates to various career options and provides a break from core subjects. At secondary level, the schools are to offer skill subject as additional 6th subject, in addition to 5 compulsory subjects. After adding of 6th skill subjects, if a student fails in any one of the elective subject, such as maths, science, and social science, then they may replace it with the 6th subject and compute result on the basis of best of 5.
The need of 21st century is problem solving and advanced design and thinking. These courses will not only help the students to develop a trainer’s skill but will also help in developing life skills. Introduction of artificial intelligence is expected to be beneficial for the students in coming times.
Presently, more than 8 lakh students are studying skill subjects in 8,543 CBSE schools. Each school offers 40 elective subjects, in which they have been requested by the board to add few skill subjects . The board has provided a direct link in the circular for the schools to apply for skill courses.
The skill subjects offered for class 6, 7, 8 include artificial intelligence, beauty & wellness, design thinking, financial literacy, handicrafts, information technology, marketing / commercial application, mass media, and travel & tourism. The total duration of each of these course is 12 hours and is divided into theory and practical. The theory is of 15 marks and the total marks for practical is 35.
For class 9 and 10 students there are 18 options for skill subjects, which are retail, information technology, security, automotive, introduction to financial markets, introduction to tourism, beauty & wellness, agriculture, food production, front office operations, banking & insurance, marketing & sales, health care, apparel, multi media, multi skill foundation course, artificial intelligence. The new skill subject added for classes 9 and 10 is Physical Activity Trainer. For these classes, the theory and practical are of 50 marks each.
CBSE has listed 37 skill subjects for students of class 11 and 12. These subjects are retail, information technology, web application, automotive, financial markets management, tourism, beauty & wellness, agriculture, food production, front office operations, banking, marketing, health care, insurance, horticulture, typography & computer application, geospatial technology, electrical technology, electronic technology, multi-media, taxation, cost accounting, office procedures & practices, shorthand (English / Hinid), air-conditioning & refrigeration, textile design, design, salesmanship, business administration, food nutrition & dietetics, mass media studies, library & information science, fashion studies, yoga, early childhood care & education, and artificial intelligence.
Other than adding to the list of skill subjects, the board has also removed 3 skill electives form the list. These are x-ray technician, music production, applied physics, applied chemistry from session 2020-21 onwards. However, students in class 11 who appeared for compartment examination in 2021 and opted for any of these skill electives in session 2019-20 shall appear in the board examinations 2021 for these subjects only.
