CBSE to offer vocational skill-based courses from class 6 to 11

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is going to offer vocational skill-based courses from class 6 to 11. The students would be studying these courses from the academic year 2020-2021 onward.

These skill courses would help the students gain necessary skills required for industries later in their lives. Considering the fact that there are not many skilled graduates in India, this new decision by CBSE is a welcome move.students will be offered skill courses or vocational subjects from class 6 onward. Thus, by the time they reach class 11 or 12, they will have the necessary knowledge to make an informed choice about their careers.

These courses will be of short duration and teachers would have to spend only 12 hours of teaching time on these courses. At Secondary Level, a skill subject may be offered as an additional sixth subject along with the existing five compulsory subjects. As per existing CBSE policy, if any student fails in any one of the three elective subjects (i.e. Science, Mathematics and Social Science), then it will be replaced by the skill subject (offered as a 6th subject) and the result of Class 10 will be computed based on the best five subjects. However, if a candidate desires to reappear in the failed subject, he/she may appear along with the compartment examination.

CBSE schools are all set to begin skill courses in three different levels for students:

• For classes 6 to 8 (middle level)- Nine courses
• For classes 9 and 10 (secondary level)- 18 courses
• For classes 11 and 12 (senior secondary level)- 37 courses

To make the new generation more creative, innovative and physically fit, and to keep pace with the global developments and requirements at workplace, CBSE is introducing three new subjects namely ‘Design-thinking’, ‘Physical Activity Trainer’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ at Class 11 from the Session 2020-2021. Beside these new program, Board is already offering 17 Skill subjects at Secondary level and 37 Skill Subjects at Senior Secondary level to upgrade the skills and proficiency of the young generation and also to provide them awareness to explore various career options 

To learn more about the various courses and other important information visit:  http://cbse.nic.in/newsite/attach/25_Circular_2020.pdf

The step was taken because the new “draft New Education Policy 2019 has clearly stated that there should be ‘no hard separation’ between curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular or academic and vocational/physical education/art.