The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken a significant step towards embedding skill-based education by encouraging affiliated schools to provide students training in AI (artificial intelligence), retail, IT (information technology), and refrigeration. This significant initiative aims to equip students with practical skills in various fields that are highly relevant in today’s job market.

CBSE’s key initiative involves introducing skill subjects like AI, IT, beauty and wellness, apparel, and AC&R (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) to students from class 6 to 12.

In a circular, the board said “By integrating vocational skills at the school level, CBSE aims to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application, fostering students’ readiness for future challenges and opportunities”.

NEP 2020, launched in 2020, seeks to modernise India’s education system while preserving its cultural heritage. CBSE is integrating vocational education into its curriculum following the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE).

Grade 6 to 8 students can select from 34 skill modules (AI, IT, coding, etc.), classes 9 to 10 students will have 22 options (beauty, retail, data science, IT, etc.), and classes 11 to 12 students can choose from 43 skill subjects (banking, marketing, AC&R, yoga, design, etc.).

The board’s circular stated, “If a student fails in any one of the three elective subjects (Science, Mathematics, and Social Science), then it will be replaced by the skill subject (offered as a sixth additional subject) and the result of the class 10 board examination will be computed accordingly”.

To make students future-ready and well-rounded, the board has asked its affiliated schools to implement this initiative urgently.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cbse-wants-students-to-be-trained-in-ai-it-retail-refrigeration-101736775290536.html