Srinagar, Jan 4: The stakeholders and the experts have expressed their concern over the existence of the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) amid schools switching affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Also, the CBSE has relaxed the rules for the private schools to seek affiliation from the Board. The development comes amid the complaints against the JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) affiliated private schools for prescribing textbooks of the private publishers in violation of the government orders to adopt JKBOSE textbooks for students of all classes. Amid this the academicians and stakeholders have sought government intervention to safeguard the existence of JKBOSE.
A former Chief Education Officer (CEO) who also served in JKBOSE at different positions said the proposals for switching JKBOSE affiliated schools to CBSE was going on during previous years but the move was opposed by the Board. “CBSE curriculum has its advantage but de-affiliating schools from JKBOSE has its own implications as well. Any move aimed at making JKBOSE irrelevant will have its own implications,” the former CEO told Greater Kashmir wishing not to be named.
He said adopting CBSE helps students to develop national level competence but there were other implications as well. “JKBOSE should not become irrelevant at all. Government must pay proper attention to the issue and avoid any such move which is aimed at weakening this institution,” he said
President Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK), Nazrul Islam Baba when contacted said the JKBOSE needs to be strengthened financially by the government. “As of now, JKBOSE is in losses on account of printing of textbooks for free supply to the government schools,” Baba told Greater Kashmir. He said there are around 30 to 40 percent of the private schools which can never be in a position to qualify for affiliation from CBSE. “JKBOSE is not catering to only high-end schools but budget schools as well. We must understand the Board is not any printing house, it needs financial support to bring reforms,” he said. He said that Education was a welfare not any commercial activity and private schools have no issues if the government adopts NCERT textbooks directly.
“Besides NCERT textbooks, schools can be allowed to prescribe other books as per the consent of the parents,” he said. He however said that the government must not let the JKBOSE lose its relevance but instead should help it to come out of losses. “Board supplies free textbooks to 14 lakh children almost free of cost which results in losses for it. Then the students have to bear the brunt of it as their registration fees and examination fee is increased,” President PSAJK told Greater Kashmir. Over the years, scores of private schools across Kashmir have been preparing for shifting their affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Various schools have submitted their files to switch their affiliation amid the relaxation in rules by CBSE.
As already reported by this newspaper, the Ministry of Education (MoE) in June 2023 reached out to the J&K School Education Department, seeking a timeline for the affiliation of BOSE-affiliated schools with the CBSE. The official communication from the MoE was issued to the SED and asked to furnish the updated data regarding the affiliation status of schools in the Union Territories in a prescribed format.
“You are also requested to intimate the timeline for affiliation of government schools with CBSE, which are currently affiliated to state Board,” the official communication reads. The discussion on the matter (affiliation) was held by the Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) in a meeting chaired on May 4, 2023. Following this, the SED dispatched a letter to the Director of School Education Kashmir and Jammu divisions besides the Project Director of Samagra Shiksha J&K and Secretary BOSE. The officers were asked to furnish the updated data regarding the affiliation status of schools in the J&K. An official said that following the communication from MoE, the data regarding the affiliation of government and private schools was submitted to the Administrative Department on time.