'Tough' syllabus stalks students, teachers

With the new syllabus for class XI (science) set to be incorporated in all colleges from the next academic year, students are not the only ones feeling the jitters, teachers and principals are equally apprehensive. The new syllabus, largely based on the CBSE curriculum, is expected to make it smooth sailing for IIT-JEE aspirants. However, teachers are worried that students from the state board will have a tough time coping with the rigours of the new syllabus which even CBSE students find very intensive.


Norina Fernandes, principal of Lilavatibai Podar High School in Santacruz said that students appearing for ISC examinations will not have a problem since the syllabus followed by ISC and CBSE (class XI and XII) is almost similar. "Both boards follow a curriculum which is more application-oriented. There are certain topics that either of us emphasise on and very few topics that might be different. The difference only comes in the way papers are evaluated, but that should not pose a problem," she said. CBSE principals claim that the syllabus followed by the state board is very different from the one that is followed by the central board. "There's very little rote learning in CBSE as most of the portion is application-oriented and very comprehensive," said Avnita Bir, principal of Ramniranjan Podar High School in Santacruz. She added that even students who pass their CBSE class X examination find it difficult to manage the vast Class XI syllabus at times. "But it is not impossible to follow. We have had students from state board schools appearing for CBSE class XI examinations and they have managed quite well."


Other principals also added that students will have to work extra hard to understand the new syllabus. Rita Bose, biology teacher at Sathaye College said "The chemistry and physics syllabus have increased by 100% and it's impossible to complete teaching them in the given academic time. While there isn't a vast difference in biology, in maths there has been a bit of shuffling around. But we all know that teaching in classes XI and XII will not be the same anymore and we are gearing up for the change."


Some students are worried the change may cost them a seat in a college of their choice. Sanai Babu  is not only worried about which college he'll manage to get a seat in, but also what to expect when he finally joins that college. "I will have to score very well in my examinations because I'm really keen on getting a seat in the best medical college. But I am worried now because with this new syllabus, I'm not sure if this will be possible as everything will be new to us," said the Class X student of Holy Family High School in Andheri (E).


Many colleges are supporting the change in syllabus which they say, will help students when they appear for examinations at the national level. "This new syllabus will iron out a lot of the hurdles for students appearing for competitive all-India level examinations like the IIT-JEE, CAT, CET and the like. There might be some problems in the beginning, but standardisation is important to avoid problems in the future," said Mehak Gvalani, vice-principal of K C (junior) College, Churchgate. She also added that workshops will be held for teachers to train them according to the upgraded syllabus.


"CBSE syllabus is easier than SSC or ICSE and once students get the accustomed to it, they'll find this easier. This new system gives more stress on objective type questions instead of descriptive. Also, pretty soon, the degree college evaluation system is about to change so it'll be a smooth sail for these students," said Kirti Narain, principal of Jai Hind College.


To standardise the syllabus across all boards, the class IX syllabus (maths and science) was upgraded in the current academic year, but class X students are still new to the concept. "Class IX students and parents have shared with us their problems on coping with the upgraded syllabus. But Class X students are still new to these changes and this might create problems for them," said a principal from a state board school.


"The portion will be new and a lot different from what the state board follows. It's a grade higher and even CBSE students at times face problems coping with it. Students have no alternative to hard work," said Jose Kurien, principal of DAV International School, Kharghar.TOI