CBSE Boards 2020: Holding exams in containment zones dilemma for board

In case the CBSE decides to call students from containment zones to test centres, it may also require permission from the Union home ministry.

By : Amandeep Shukla | Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Jun 09, 2020

As it readies to conduct nationwide exams for classes 10 and 12 in three weeks, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is faced with a dilemma: What to do if candidates in containment areas who cannot appear in the test.

The human resource development ministry has declared that the crucial exams will be held in July in 13,000 schools.

“There can be options like treating these students at par with those in CBSE schools abroad for whom there are no exams. However, these are not simple issues and have to be thoroughly deliberated,” said an official who wished not to be identified.

In case the CBSE decides to call students from containment zones to test centres, it may also require permission from the Union home ministry.

Some officers also point out that a large number of schools in areas like Delhi and many schools like the Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are being used as quarantine centres. For exams to be conducted, these institutions would need to be handed back to the organisations managing them. “The board and the ministry are aware of these matters. However, decisions on such aspects cannot be taken in a hurry. All aspects are being considered,” said the official cited above.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/

CBSE introduces skill subjects in middle school

TNN | Jun 8, 2020, 07.46 PM IST

CHANDIGARH: Class XI students will study three new skill subjects (design thinking, physical activity trainer, and artificial intelligence) from the session 2020-21. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced these courses to make the new generation more creative, innovative, and fit, to be able to keep pace with the requirements of the global industry. Schools can opt for one of three vocational courses.

Classes VI to VIII will read one skill subject of a 12-hour module.

The CBSE plans to develop students' critical-thinking mind for solving the 21st-century problems. Design thinking is a systematic process of opening up the horizons of creativity to come out with new and innovative solutions. Artificial intelligence or AI is machine simulation of the unlimited thinking capacity of humans.

CBSE's training and skill education director Biswajit Saha said: “Physical activity is a must to keep the body and mind healthy. The 'physical activity trainer' course is based on this principle. It will not only develop the skills of a trainer in students but also keep them fit for life."

  

At the middle level (Classes VI to VIII), the board will introduce a skill module of 12 hours for a single academic session. Schools can teach it in Class VI, VII , or VIII for necessary orientation early on for an informed choice later on to pursue skill courses at the secondary and senior secondary levels, or go for a higher vocational degree.

This flexibility will give students multiple career possibilities and save them from getting caught in the current situation of rigidity once the first choice is made.

This year, the CBSE will accept online applications for willingness.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/chandigarh-cbse-introduces-skill-subjects-in-middle-school/articleshow/76265583.cms

MHRD releases NCERT alternative academic calendar for class 11, 12

By : EDUCATION Updated: Jun 03, 2020

hindustantimes.com| Edited by Nandini

Click here for NCERT higher secondary alternative academic calendar    

Union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has released an alternative academic calendar developed by NCERT on Wednesday. The alternative calendar directs teachers on the use of various technological tools/social media tools to educate students while they are at home.

Tweeting about the alternative academic calendar, HRD minister wrote, “The calendar will cater to the needs of all children including Divyang children (Children with Special Need)- link for Audiobooks, Radio programmes, Video programmes, etc. will be included. This will empower our students, teachers, school principals, and parents to find out positive ways to deal with Covid-19 using on-line teaching-learning resources and help in the attainment of learning outcomes.”

Meanwhile CIET- NCERT also tweeted about the academic calendar, “Come online, teach your children at home and be safe with Alternative Academic Calendar.”

About the Alternative Academic Calendar:

A week-wise plan for the higher secondary stage (for Classes XI and XII) has been developed, keeping in view the availability of tools with the teachers. The week-wise plan consists of interesting activities and challenges, with reference to the themes and chapters taken from the syllabus or textbook across the subject areas. Most importantly, it maps the themes with the learning outcomes.

Initially, this calendar is prepared for four weeks, which may be extended further. In this calendar the themes/topics have been selected from syllabus and are linked with the learning outcomes. Guidelines have been developed for conducting interesting activities based on these learning outcomes. But it is a matter of fact that many teachers and parents only have simple mobile phones as a tool available at their homes and all the teachers and students do not have virtual classroom facility. In view of this the activities are designed and presented in such a way that many activities can be conducted by the parents and students on their own after talking to the teachers over phone.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com

CBSE issues guidelines for students taking board exams from July 1

By : Hindustantimes |  Correspondent |  Jun 02, 2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday released the provisions and guidelines for board students slated to appear for their examination between July 1 and 15. The exams had been postponed since March 19 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown that followed.

The board has laid down special provisions for students who have returned to their home towns and wish to appear from a different examination centre than their schools. Last week, HT had reported that students in residential or boarding schools were likely to face challenges while returning to their schools to appear for their papers.

“The CBSE will allow change of examination centre with respect to candidates who have shifted and are residing in districts other than the place of their school,” the board said on Tuesday. Students who were residing in hostels, or were being sponsored by state governments, or those who have shifted from the district of their school to other districts will be eligible to change their exam centres.

Since Delhi will be considered as a single district for this purpose, change of examination centre from one local district to another will not be permitted, the board said. While the exams for 12 subjects of Class 12 will be held across the country, the examinations for six subjects of Class 10 will be held only in north-east Delhi, which was torn by communal riots in February, with the result that children in these parts were unable to take their exams.

For students whose schools fall in containment zones, different centres will be allotted outside the containment zone. The board will accept requests of candidates for change of examination centre only through their school. Schools have been asked to contact the students and provide the necessary information to the board through the e-pariksha portal of the CBSE website between June 3 and 11.

The board will later provide “Permission Letters” to the schools to forward it to students who will have to take printouts of the letter and carry it to their exam centres. The CBSE has also said the exam results of children with special needs, who need scribes and do not wish to appear for their papers, will be declared as per the assessment scheme that is to be decided by the board.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/

CBSE schools go for alternatives to allot subjects to students

By : TNN | May 25, 2020, 05.53 AM IST

INDORE: Schools affiliated with CBSE are now opting for various alternatives to allot streams to students since they have been promoted to Class XI without writing all papers of Class X.

Emerald Heights International School has already conducted a psychometric test of all students of Class 10.

"The test was already done prior in advance and 75 % of the students are cleared about the streams that they had planned. With the remaining 25% students, we are conducting one on one zoom meeting to understand the aptitude," career counsellor of the school Vandana Murjani told TOI.

Schools are also opting for know your aptitude (KYA) test as suggested by CBSE via digital platforms to give subject stream for the new admissions in the schools. Daly College has been giving subjects to students as per their choice. "Only when we feel that they won't be able to cope up with the stream we try to counsel them and make them understand. However, the subjects are still given according to the choice of students," principal Neeraj Kumar Bhedotiya told TOI. Several private schools have also been opting to give the subjects on the basis of pre-board or other internal assessments conducted by the schools.

Schools, including Queens College, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Delhi Public School and New Digamber Public School have opted to give streams on the basis of marks obtained by the students in their pre-board exam which used to get upgraded after the results of the board exam.

Some of the schools have also been opting for one on one counselling of the students along with their parents so as to analyse students' aptitude and give them the stream. Choithram School and many convent schools have given Google form to students to give their choice of subjects and after counselling the students along with parents via video conferencing or telephonic call, the streams are given.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

CBSE cyber safety handbook warns teenagers on revenge pornography, sets limits to online friendships

CBSE cyber safety handbook: While the digital exposure of students has increased due to teaching activities moving completely online during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, concerns about the potential threats have been brought to the forefront with the recent “Bois locker room” controversy.

By : Press Trust of India| Posted by Nandini | New Delhi | May 24, 2020

Warning against “revenge pornography”, setting limits to online friendships, valuing consent and reporting to elders if faced with a problem, are among lessons the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) wants teenagers to learn to ensure their safety in the virtual world.

While the digital exposure of students has increased due to teaching activities moving completely online during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, concerns about the potential threats have been brought to the forefront with the recent “Bois locker room” controversy.

The CBSE has shared a Cyber Safety handbook with schools for class 9 to 12 students. The handbook also details guidelines for students as well as parents, listing the do’s and dont’s and activities to understand the sensitivity of the issue.

“Students must learn to set limits to their online friendships as well as online communication with real life friends. There has to be a limit to what they share or exchange in terms of written words, photographs or videos. They must remember that, once online, they may not be able to control who will actually see it, prevent breach of trust and misuse and potential risk and harm to their person and reputation,” a senior board official said.

“Teenagers need to understand gender relations. Boys must learn to interact with girls on equal terms and respect them and their desires as those of human beings, not simply as objects of respect or desires,” the official said.

“Consent must be an important part of relationships. Pictures, videos and other material shared in confidence cannot be published on social media without the permission of the person just because the other person does not want to continue in a relationship. Youngsters must learn to cope with rejection as it is a part of life but not the end of the world,” the official added.

The board has advised parents to empower children to decide for themselves how others collect and use their information by requiring their consent. “As of now, there is no minimum age of digital consent in India. If there are people offline who you would be uncomfortable talking to about your physical or sexual experiences, chances are, you would be uncomfortable doing this with strangers online too. Cyber Groomers create fake accounts to befriend people, for the purpose of harming them whether physically, sexually or emotionally,” the official said.

“Students must be cautious when their chat partner gives them many compliments regarding their appearance within a short span of their acquaintance. Do not talk to people who ask you to share your sexually explicit photographs or videos. Never accept a friend request from someone you have never met in person. If you share your sexually explicit photos or videos with someone, the person can share those photos with others or post them on social media. They can also blackmail you,” the official added.

The handbook warns against falling into the trap of revenge pornography. “Teenagers in the age-group of 14 to 18 years are the worst victims of revenge porn as well as the perpetrators themselves, which is a matter of concern. Some teenage students who have been in a relationship and end it find their explicit photographs circulated on social media platforms. When such images go viral, students are often harassed and bullied by their peers – branded with insult and in the end, isolated,” the handbook states.

“A teenager may be targeted by her jealous classmates, her ex-boyfriend or even an unknown friend on social media who may be victimising her because she stopped communicating with him when she realised the dangers of online relationships,” says the handbook.

Earlier this month, a massive outrage erupted online after it emerged that an Instagram group named ‘‘bois locker room’‘ was being used by some persons to share objectionable pictures of minor girls and discuss illegal acts including rape.

People posted purported screenshots of crude conversations among members of the group – believed to be students of some top schools in Delhi and some allegedly as young as 13. It is alleged that they shared photos of teenage girls and made explicit comments about their looks.

However, during its investigation into the ‘Bois Locker Room’ case, the Delhi police has stumbled upon a conversation on Snapchat where a girl, posing as a male, suggested a “sexual assault plan” to a boy just to test his “values and character”.

Source : /www.hindustantimes.com/

Maharashtra: ‘School hours will be shortened, only one student will be permitted per desk’

Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit coronavirus state, is keen to reopen schools gradually from June 15 onwards. State’s School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad speaks to The Indian Express on the plans, safety measures and new SOPs. Excerpts:

Written by Sandeep A Ashar | Mumbai | Updated: May 24, 2020

What is your plan regarding the reopening of schools?

We’re examining the option of gradually reopening schools from June 15 onwards, but a lot will depend on the clearance from the Union Home Ministry. The reopening can be done in a phased manner. Schools outside containment zones in non-red zones can open first. For non-red zones in Vidharbha, the proposal is to reopen schools from June 26 onwards. But we will first take several steps to maintain a safe environment for the students when they return to school. While schools have switched to e-learning in the big cities, our bigger concern at the moment is continuity of education of poor children from rural and tribal areas who do not have access to a smartphone or live in areas without internet connectivity. Classroom lessons are vital for them.

But some of the campuses are being used as Covid-19 quarantine facilities?

We’re compiling a list of all such campuses. The district Collectors and Chief Executive Officers of zilla parishads are helping us with it. Obviously, they can’t be put to use immediately. We won’t reopen any school before undertaking a proper disinfection in even those that are not being used for Covid-19 measures.

What about schools in Mumbai, other red zones?

They may have to wait longer. We’re closely monitoring the situation but the situation needs to improve a great deal before we can plan the reopening of schools in Mumbai. While the schools remain closed, our teachers are doing their best to make sure the students do not miss out on lessons. We are running an hour-long televised show on DD Sahyadri, Balbharti has also designed customised e-learning solutions, schools have switched online. But one thing’s for sure.

E-learning cannot entirely replace classroom experience. Young kids, especially, find it difficult to grasp lessons online. But we are planning to appoint teachers to follow up regularly with the parents to check how they are coping with it. We’re also exchanging notes with other states.

Will reopening make children vulnerable?

Incidence among children has so far been lower as compared to adults, but we do not intend to take any chances. The plan is to reopen the schools slowly in a manner that lowers the risk for the children and the teachers. We are formulating new SOPs for schools. Schools will have to follow strict hygiene guidelines and social distancing will have to be maintained at all cost.

What will a post-Covid school look like?

Maintaining a physical distance between students at all times will be key. We’re discussing running of classes in two shifts or calling one batch of students every alternate day. School hours will be shortened. Only one student will be permitted to sit on one desk. There will be no morning assemblies or sporting activities. Parents won’t be permitted inside school complexes. Teachers who have cold, cough or fever will be given the day off. There will be a strict hand hygiene routine for students. Toilets will be cleaned twice daily. Classes will be disinfected every day. We’re also examining the option of holding outdoor classes wherever possible. The feasibility of identifying spaces within educational complexes to separate and nurse students, teachers and staff who fall sick will be explored. The Diwali vacation calender may be shortened to make up for lost time.

How do you convince parents to send their children to school?

I’m aware that any announcement regarding the reopening of schools may meet some resistance. It’s not unexpected. That’s why we are planning to involve parents and teachers in the decision-making process. Next week, I’ll be holding an interaction with the parents to hear their suggestions and objections to the idea. We may even conduct a snap survey. Attendance to school might not be compulsory to start with.

How do you pull back children who have gone back to their native places? How do you minimise dropouts?

We’ll need to be more pragmatic. Not everyone who has gone to their native place will return immediately. So we are instead planning tie-ups with the local administrations to ensure that the children of migrants who have travelled back to their native villages within the state can be accommodated in local schools in that area. A more challenging response would be for children of migrants from other states.

We plan to map all such cases too. School managements will be asked to make sure that they continue to receive education, either by way of online classes or by their accommodation in schools in their respective states.

The lockdown has impacted both the schedule and paper assessment work of SSC and HSC board exams. Students are now worried about college admissions. What are the plans?

The future of more than 16 lakh children who appeared for their SSC exams, and another 12 lakh, who sat for the HSC exams, is at stake. Despite facing several issues, our teachers and my department’s staff are doing their best to announce the results as quickly as possible. We’ve allowed teachers to travel for assessment-related work. Moderators have also been permitted to carry answer papers home.

Normally, HSC results come out by the end of May, while the SSC results are out by June 10 or so. Our efforts will be to ensure that the results are out by the third week of June. Our aim is to complete the FYJC admission process, which is online, by July end.

Source : https://indianexpress.com

Public Notice :Rescheduling of JOINT ENTRANCE EXAMINATION JEE (Main) April -2020 Examination

Source : https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/webinfo/public/home.aspx

CBSE launches cyber security handbook for students

Apart from the lessons, the manual will also have activities to assess the knowledge of students on the topics covered. It is meant for secondary and senior secondary level students.

By: Education Desk | New Delhi | Updated: May 20, 2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a cyber security handbook to ensure safe and healthy digital habits among students. The HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal tweeted, saying that the handbook has been prepared to aware students from classes 9 to 12 about various aspects of cyber security.

CBSE has prepared a ‘Cyber Security Handbook’ to make students from class 9th to 12th aware about cyber security. This handbook is available at the CBSE website, the minister tweeted.

The new module will cover topics in cyber safety, such as cyberbullying, including social exclusion, intimidation, defamation, and emotional harassment, online sexual abuse, cyber radicalisation, online attack and fraus, and online enticement. It will also introduce the nine elements of digital citizenship — digital access, literacy, communication, etiquette, health and wellbeing, rights, freedom and responsibility, security and law.

Apart from the lessons, the manual will also have activities to assess the knowledge of students on the topics covered. The manual, to be launched in collaboration with the Cyber Peace Foundation, is meant for secondary and senior secondary level students.

“Many young people are confident in using a wide range of technologies and often turn to the internet for information,” the board noted, “but the confidence with digital technology can also be misleading.”

“Many of them frequently struggle when applying them to research tasks. They can find it difficult to work out whether information on an unfamiliar website is trustworthy, and rely on their chosen search engine’s rankings for their selection of material. They may not understand how search terms work or of the powerful commercial forces that can result in a particular company being top of the search engine’s list. They may not be aware of the lurking risks and threats and the fact that some of their actions can invite them trouble,” the board said.

CBSE has recently announced to adopt a different form of teaching and learning for classes 1 to 10. Several topics will be taught through different modes of art to students. Students will be given projects as well for hands-on learning. One project for each class will include Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ (united India, supreme India) programme by the government.

Download Manual : http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Manuals/Cyber_Safety_Manual.pdf

Source : https://indianexpress.com/article/education/cbse-to-launch-cyber-safety-handbook-for-students-6417835/

CBSE Launches Handbook On 21st Century Skills

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched ‘21st Century Skills: A Handbook’ consisting of learning skills, life skills and literacy skills.

By: Education | Edited by Maitree Baral | Updated: May 20, 2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched ‘21st Century Skills: A Handbook’ consisting of learning skills, life skills and literacy skills. “Simply teaching to test or learning for exams is not going to help a student face everyday life situations. 21st Century Skills are key to the empowerment of children and adolescents to deal with the issues and concerns related to their life. They experience a number of feelings, many of which are related to their growth and development from childhood to adolescence and beyond,” the Board has said.

Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has tweeted about the book. Students, this book will empower you with learning skills/transversal competencies for your holistic growth, he has said.

The 21st Century skills are essentially the outcome of experiential learning, i.e. they are imbibed through observing, understanding, practising and experiencing, it added.

The Board intends to implement 21st century skills in the teaching-learning process through core subject areas like Native Language/Reading, World Language(s) including English, Arts, Geography, History, Mathematics, Science, Government/Civics and 21st Century Themes like global awareness, Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy Civic Literacy, Health Literacy and Environmental literacy.

It emphasizes on enhancing the learning skills of students through critical thinking, creativity & innovation, collaboration and communication.

The handbook has list of activities. “These activities can be blended with the subjects during classroom transaction, or can be conducted in the zero period or integrated with Art and Sports,” CBSE has said.

Source : /www.ndtv.com/

Download Handbook here Link : http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Manuals/21st_Century_Skill_Handbook.pdf