Does change in CBSE bye laws affect affiliated schools?

Vinod Kakumanu
Oct. 30, 2018, 11:27 a.m.

Over the last week, there has been a volley of questions from the school management of CBSE affiliated schools we helped establish as well as management of upcoming CBSE schools. It is critical to bring clarity about the affects of the change in CBSE bye laws, hence this article.

We have made familiar in our earlier articles that there is a considerable departure from the preceding bye-laws. We have also published a search-friendly version of new CBSE Bye Laws 2018. While there are provisions that are not entirely new, progressive steps are taken by CBSE are highly appreciated.

Schools affiliated to CBSE board are instructed to fall in line with the new bye-laws as disaffiliation is not as far-fetched as it used to be, Let us look at How does the new CBSE Bye-Laws effect affiliated schools?

The obligation of renewal of affiliation is to be heeded.
Schools will now have to concentrate on the curricular implementation and upgrading skills of teachers through training.
The performance of teachers will be judged by the results of the students and consistent below the mark performance will invite correctional measure which can be toll taking.
The sports and games being put at par with the subjects are the most striking and is enforced by the ministry of Human Resource which is to be seriously taken despite the absence of paper and pencil exam.
Computers in the lab have been raised from 10 to 20.
Mathematics lab is required
Recognition is granted to the innovative schools by making them eligible for certification exams i.e 10^thand 12^th.
The needs for children with disabilities are made much more stringent.
The website of the school must be exhaustive meaning completely free from obscurantism. The affiliation status of the school, number of enrollments, infrastructure details, postal address, and e-mail id must be displayed on the website.
Schools must make themselves ready for periodic and surprise inspection.
Qualified Physical Education Teacher is required. The ratio that is prescribed by the board is 1:500. The provision is applicable to Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary. The qualification is PRT, TGT, and PGT (all in physical education).
Appointment of a Special Educator. The qualification, experience and job specification will be according to the qualifications laid down by the board and the minimum requirement laid down by the Rehabilitation Council of India with regard to the special education at schools.
The appointment and maintenance of the chair of Counsellor and Wellness teacher who is required to be a graduate/post graduate in psychology or Child Development. Diploma in career guidance is also an eligible qualification.
Books—though it is a common knowledge that the books that are followed in CBSE schools’ classes are made by NCERT. The books of private publishers are not proscribed anymore but they must be immune to follies and must be thoroughly scrutinized before they reach the classroom.
The dual affiliation is proscribed by the CBSE. While the school is affiliated to CBSE it cannot be affiliated with any other board unless the infrastructure being used is not the same for both sets of classes.
Composite affiliation --from 1 to 12, 1 to 10, 1 to 8, 6 to 8, 6 to 10, 6 to 12 grades are allowed

The inferences we can draw from the amendments in the affiliation bye-laws is the renewed commitment of the CBSE to elevate the standard of school education and bring it at par with the schools in the developed countries or even the Indian schools which are running the international programs.

The digitization of the affiliation process ensures that the avoidable delays and lapses are done away with. The affiliation committee will have its independent agenda which is scrutinizing the academic standard, academic prospects of the pupils and teacher capacity. The ability of the teachers to educate a child will now be reflected by the pupils’ interest in studies and the assessment will ideally judge the merit of the child.