New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is all set to offer elective courses on Human Rights and Gender Studies, at higher secondary level in all schools affiliated to it. Reportedly, the decision to offer these courses at this level has been taken to increase the awareness levels, among teenage students regarding such sensitive issues.
The official announcement pertaining to this decision was made by Human Resource Development Minister of State (HRD Minister), Shashi Tharoor, who was replying to a question, asked during a recent Rajya Sabha session. The minister informed that the elective course(s) will be offered to the students of class XI and XII as a pilot effort in session 2013-14 in all CBSE affiliated schools. However, the regularization of the same will be made from session 2014-15 onwards.
Adding further, the HRD Minister mentioned that as per the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, gender is defined as a significant guiding principle in all curricular areas. Therefore, gender concerns have been included in the CBSE’s curriculum as well as in the textbooks at an appropriate level, he went on to say. In January, this year, the Board proposed to introduce this course in response to the growing concern on the lack of gender sensitization among youth.
Central Board of Secondary Education, popularly known as CBSE, is the supreme Board of Education of India, responsible for formulation of education regulations in many schools throughout the country along with various Indian schools established in foreign countries as well. The Board also conducts public examinations at the end of Class 10th and Class 12th, for its affiliated schools and publishes the results of the same, at its official website. Moreover, the educational curriculum of every standard is also prescribed by the Board.
