School principals, experts welcome decision to form Delhi Board of School Education

New Delhi, March 6

School principals and educationalists on Saturday said the Delhi government's decision to form a separate education board for the city at par with international standards will bring in aspects of best global practices and promote research and skill-based studies.

However, the All India Parents' Association opposed the setting up of the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE), saying it will "lower the standard of education" and claimed that most of the biggest schools in the country are under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Currently, schools in Delhi are either affiliated to the CBSE or the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE).

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced setting up of the DBSE which he said would be based at par with international standards to prepare "fiercely patriotic and self-dependent students" through focus on understanding and personality development.

To start with, 20-25 Delhi government schools will be affiliated to the DBSE from the 2021-22 academic session, Kejriwal said, hoping that all state-run and private schools will come under the new board within four to five years.

There are around 1,000 Delhi government schools and about 1,700 private schools, most of them affiliated to the CBSE, in the city.

Welcoming the Delhi government's decision to form the DBSE, the principal of MRG School, Rohini, Priyanka Barara, said with the introduction of this board, students' assessment will get a qualitative outlook and this will definitely be helpful for their future.

"We are looking forward to understand more about the aspects of the DBSE, and its management criteria," she said.

President of the Delhi Parents' Association Aprajita Gautam said with the formation of the DBSE, the pressure of competing with students of national education boards will reduce for students in schools here.

"The aim should be to create a healthy relationship between students and education. There should not be any fear of exams and study. The Delhi Board of School Education will also reduce the dropout rate of students by decreasing the fear of education in them," Gautam said.

Educationist Sunita Gandhi said that the DBSE can play a "decisive role" in the evolution of the school ecosystem in the country as it has "modern day components such as international practices, focus on innovation and research, entrepreneurship, skill-based development, employability and other qualitative aspects".

"This decision (of setting up the DBSE) aligns well with the National Education Policy and the DBSE is likely to set a benchmark for other boards," she said.

Principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Alka Kapur, said that the focus of the new board on children's personality development will play a crucial role in their lives.

"While giving his statement, CM Kejriwal has also mentioned that the focus will not be on learning by rote but on understanding (of concepts) and personality development, which play a crucial part in every child's life. I think this is great news," she said.

The COVID-19 induced situation and lockdown "made us all realise that mental health should never be neglected in any way, shape, or form and I believe that with this change (forming of DBSE), we may move towards an extraordinary future for children as well as schools," Kapur said.

Raising concern on a separate board for the national capital, All India Parents' Association national president Ashok Agarwal said that the decision will not be in the favour of students.

"At a time when most of the biggest schools in the country are under the CBSE and there is a rush in schools to get CBSE affiliation, the decision of the Delhi government to form a Delhi education board and bringing all government schools out of the CBSE is neither in favour of the public or students," he said.

"The new board will lower the standard of education. We oppose this decision of the Delhi government and want the government to reconsider its decision," he added.

The decision to set up Delhi's new education board was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister.

Kejriwal said the present education system focuses only on learning by rote that needs to be changed, adding that high-end-technique will be used to teach students under the new education board.

The Chief Minister said that all the schools in the national capital will not be brought under the new education board in one go. PTI