[Assam] Change in mind, eye on national exams-NCERT model for Assam institutions (The Telegraph, 01.06.2009)

[Buljit Buragohain]

Change in mind, eye on national exams 
      -
      NCERT model for Assam institutions 
       
 DAULAT RAHMAN   
     
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
Guwahati, May 31: Assam has decided to
follow the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT)
model of syllabus and evaluation in schools and colleges with an eye on
the all-India examinations.   
  
 
  
An Assam government official said the
education department has taken the decision following instructions from
the human resource development ministry that the state must switch over
to the NCERT model.   
  
 
  
He said the human resource development
ministry’s instruction is part of its effort to bring uniformity in
school and college education across the country.   
  
 
  
“The education department has already
instructed the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Assam
Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) to start preparing the
syllabus on the lines of the NCERT. Enthused by the high pass
percentage both in the High School Leaving Certificate examination and
Higher Secondary examination this year, the state government wants that
the NCERT syllabus be followed from the academic session 2010-11,” the
official said.   
  
 
  
He said the SEBA and AHSEC have been
asked to follow the NCERT model to prepare their syllabus by
judiciously including subjects like history, culture and geography.   
  
 
  
He said the government does not want good
students from the state to fare badly in the all-India competitive
examinations like the entrance tests to IIT and Indian Civil Service
examination because of “non-competitive” syllabus.   
  
 
  
“Once students are acclimatised with the
syllabus that is followed at the all-India level right from school it
becomes easier for them to compete in the national examinations. At
present, several students who do well in the examinations under the
state boards are failing to clear the all-India examinations because of
differences in the syllabus,” the official said.   
  
 
  
The higher secondary council, which
prepares the syllabus for Classes XI and XII and conducts examinations,
has started writing new books by including the contents of the NCERT
syllabus for science, arts and commerce streams.   
  
 
  
U. Deka, the secretary of council said they got permission from the NCERT to follow their books and syllabus.   
  
 
  
“We are confident of introducing the NCERT model syllabus from next year,” he said.   
  
 
  
On the other hand, a senior official of SEBA said the board has already convened a series of meetings to change its syllabus.   
  
 
  
He said the academic cell of SEBA has been asked to file a detailed report as how to go about it.   
  
 
  
“Education minister Gautam Bora has asked
Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University to change their existing
syllabus and make it more competitive. Bora asked the universities to
follow the syllabus followed by Delhi University. The universities have
been asked to submit reports on the proposed syllabus by the end of
August. Some of the students from the state who cleared the Indian
Civil Service examination this year have strongly recommended that the
syllabus of GU and DU must be changed to give students an edge for
civil services examination,” a government official said.
(The Telegraph,01.06.2009)



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