CBSE to regulate class 9, 11 admissions of its affiliated schools

Vinod Kakumanu
July 31, 2019, 7:18 p.m.

As per the recent announcement made on the behalf of the CBSE, the board will now regulate the admissions for class IX and XI in all the schools affiliated to the board. The move is unprecedented as the board has never been directly involved in the admission process.

The status quo has the schools taking admissions according to their own rules. This will be changed and a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be set. It has been reported that under the SOP, the CBSE will approve the requests for admissions.

This will be the first time that the board will be playing a direct role in school admissions.

There are around 20,000 CBSE-affiliated schools in the country out of which at least 12,000 are senior secondary level i.e. class XII.

The schools affiliated to CBSE have been notified about the SOP and have been directed to abide by it.

11 categories have been spelled out by the board under which admission to class IX and XI can be requested prominently including transfer of parents, shifting of family, shifting of hostel, re-admission in other school after failing in these two classes, for better education prospects, to avoid long distance, medical condition, and change of education board.

The move is however not being uncomplainingly accepted by the school managements. There are several points to which the schools have taken issue, for instance, to take admission under the premise of “better education” the student will have to submit the results of past five years of the school sought and the current school along with the application. The qualifications of the teachers of both the schools will also be required to be submitted with the board. In other words, the onus of proving the premise that the admission is being sought for better education, will lie on the one seeking admission.

The critics of the position state that the board should not be directly involved with the admission process and the quantum of information being asked for is not proper for an outgoing student to demand. Moreover, the premise that the past year results will give an unambiguous picture of the educational ecosystem is faulty.

According to Sanyam Bhardwaj, CBSE’s controller examinations, the SOP will streamline the process of admissions and only the deserving students with genuine reasons will get admissions.

“There have been cases when students unnecessarily try to change the schools in class 9 and 11, citing that the other school is better. In such circumstances, we have asked the parents to prove that through the results of both the schools – admitting and leaving— and the quality of teachers working in them,” said Bhardwaj.

CBSE has also issued the directive to the schools making it incumbent upon them to set deadlines for admissions in 9^th and 11^th.

“It has been observed that requests are made at the end of the academic session for change of school. Last minute shifting of school does not provide conducive educational environment to students, as they are not well acquainted with new classmates and teachers. That’s why deadlines are being set,” read the directive.

The schools are further directed not to admit students in 9^th and 11^th coming from unaffiliated schools. “There have been instances when unaffiliated schools have tie-up with some CBSE affiliated schools and make their students appear in the CBSE’s exams. That’s why this instruction was given,” Bhardwarj clarified.