The year 2012-2013 was as eventful as many other previous annums.
• Extending the coverage further this year, the board inducted 59 new schools in the system. To impart clear understanding of CBSE system four induction programmes for the principals of newly affiliated schools were conducted during the academic year.
• From this year, CBSE also started the process of school quality assessment and accreditation to assess schools through standardized instruments and process of internal (self evaluation) and external assessment (peer review). The purpose is to encourage sustained qualitative enhancement.
• For better management of schools, CBSE’s 14th management development programme on ‘Leadership in Education Administration’ for principals was organised at premier management institutes.
• CBSE celebrated 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in a distinct way by initiating a new category of awards named as ‘Vivekananda School of Excellence’ 2013.
• To effectuate continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) implementation and enhance its efficacy, capacity building programmes on CCE and formative assessment (FA) were held during 2012-13 at different venues. Approximately 22,197 principals and teachers have been trained. At the Master Trainers’ Workshops, 76 master trainers received training in the dynamics of CCE. A total of 578 volunteer principals were trained as mentors in monitoring workshops, in different parts of country to ensure proper implementation of (the) CCE scheme.
• The Centre for Assessment, Evaluation and Research (CAER) was launched by CBSE in collaboration with Pearson Foundation, a public-private partnership designed to help reshape school education in India. This venture aims to establish a centre of global excellence in educational assessment, research and professional development.
• New vocational courses under National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) in automobile, security, information, technology and retailing have been introduced in a few schools.
• The board has pioneered and introduced a psychological tool for assessment of aptitude called Students Global Aptitude Index (SGAI). The third edition of CBSE Students Global Aptitude Index was conducted successfully in which approximately thousands of students of 1,063 schools from India and abroad participated. This year a new format of SGAI assessment report has been introduced which is more detailed and comprehensive — Vineet Joshi, Chairman, CBSE