I know this is a stale news, 4th December 2009 to be precise.

But looking at the  Maharashtra Education Ministry’s past record, that  would give out a statement only to backtrack the following day, I chose to wait and watch.

It’s been 4 days since the news and now I feel I should write about it 🙂 for my readers benefit.

It’s a no brainer but took decades to even reach this decision although I am skeptical till the final process takes any shape.

Why did we first of all allow to have so many different education boards in India? If the ruling country had only one education board ie Cambridge aka IGCSE, why did Indian bureaucrats allow proliferation of other boards?

How and when so many boards creeped into our education system is anyways a thing of the past.

I am glad the new HRD minister is born with the courage and aptitude to think differently. He difinitely has thought about the disadvantages of having many education boards and  took the bold decision of making a single syllabus for all boards in Xth std across all states in India. Hat’s off to him. Like always, any new decision has to be ready to be battered by those who take pride in taking up causes where no cause exists.  But when something has selfless intentions behind it, it’s difficult for any one to attack it.

Success of the common X std syllabus in science and math may be just the beginning but it’s here to stay and inspire others. ANd boy it did inspire Maharashtra State Education Department rather sooner than expected.

And what comes as a quick and much needed need of today’s education system in Maharashtra was finally unveiled by the State Education Department on the 4th Dec 2009.  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Educaton-dept-mulls-common-syllabus-up-to-standard-V/articleshow/5298524.cms Excerpts from TOI link:

PUNE: The state school education department is planning to introduce common syllabus for classes up to standard V across all boards — state, CBSE, ICSE and IB. “Yes, we are thinking on the lines of introducing a common curriculum across all boards up to Std V. We are in the process of working out the modalities,” Sanjay Kumar, secretary, school education, told TOI on Thursday.

Asked when the proposal would be ready, Kumar said the exact timeframe can be decided only after working out the modalities, while refusing to elaborate.
Sources from the state education department told TOI that Pune- based Maharashtra State Council of Education Research and Training (MSCERT) will soon be asked to prepare a draft of the common curriculum for all boards up to standard V.

I hope this decision sees light of at  least the year 2011 in the form of a common syllabus across all schools in Maharashtra.

All the dilemma of which board to choose, which is better, CBSE, ISCE, IGCSE or State Board will become a thing of the past. Amen!