The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced its decision not to reduce the syllabus for the students from classes 9 to 12 for the 2021-22 academic year.
The board had in the last academic year rationalized the Class 9 to 12 syllabus up to 30 percent considering the pandemic and lockdown situation. The students who have studied the reduced syllabus will be appearing for the board examinations in May-June 2021.
Chapters dropped previously restored for the new academic year
According to the new CBSE syllabus released by the board, the chapters and topics omitted in the last academic year have been restored for the students in the official curriculum for the academic session of 2021-22. The CBSE board officials further stated that the board already announced that the rationalization exercise was a one-time initiative since the teaching and learning process was conducted in the online mode of other alternatives were considered considering the situation at the time.
Schools closed in March 2020
Schools across the country were closed in March 2020 ahead of the nationwide lockdown issued to curb the spread of COVID-19. Teaching and learning activities were conducted online during the lockdown. Although several of the schools partially reopened in October, many of the states continued with the online classes for the students amidst the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
The board had dropped the chapters on Democracy and Diversity, Demonetisation, Nationalism, Secularism, India’s relations with its neighboring countries. Growth of local governments in the country, etc among several others.
The chapters were chosen to be dropped out from the syllabus however drew a backlash from the political parties and a section of academicians in the country who claimed that the move was ideologically driven although several school principals welcomed the move as a relief to the students.
The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations had announced a reduction of the syllabus up to 25 percent for the class 10 and 12 board exams in 2021 considering the learning disruptions caused due to the closure of schools during the lockdown. The syllabus is yet to be announced for the new academic session by the CICSE.