Common syllabus for science, mathematics from session 2011-12

New Delhi: Senior secondary students across 19 boards of education from all over the country will have core syllabuses for science and mathematics from the next academic session of 2011-12.

The combined syllabus for science and maths was developed by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE). The syllabus will first be offered to students of Class 11 from the year 2011 in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics.

The first board examinations for the courses with the new syllabus will be conducted in the year 2013.

The CBSE has already informed all schools affiliated to it and has also uploaded and published the new syllabus on its website. Other boards are still in the process of intimating their schools and students regarding the changes to the syllabus.

COBSE officials have said that there are currently 32 school education boards in India, out of which 19 have confirmed to introduce the new syllabus for science and maths. Other state boards such as of Andhra Pradesh have decided to implement the syllabus from the 2012 academic session.

The boards that have agreed to implement the new syllabus from this academic session include two national boards, CBSE and Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).

COBSE Joint Secretary Puran Chand informed that the CISCE has agreed to come on board in principle but has not yet finalized details. Also, about 6 schools boards are yet to decide if they would introduce the new syllabus.

COBSE officials also said that the UP schools education board, which is one of the largest in the country, has not yet taken a decision regarding the introduction of the new syllabus.

State boards that will be introducing the new syllabus from the current academic session include Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

A committee had been formed in the year 2008 by the ministry of human resource development that had consisted of members of NCERT and COBSE to frame a common syllabus for mathematics and science subjects. This syllabus could then be made common throughout the country.

The purpose behind the introduction of the common syllabus is to offer a level-playing field to all science students who wish to appear for various competitive examinations for pursuing higher education.

Members of the committee that framed the new common syllabus said that around 10 topics were changed from the current syllabus for science and mathematics syllabus.