Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to revert 1,000 schools back to the state board curriculum after poor performance by students following the introduction of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus.

Initially implemented by the previous government for Class 8 students during the 2022-23 academic year, the CBSE curriculum was set to culminate in Class X board exams in February-March 2025.

An internal assessment conducted through computer tablets revealed concerning results, with nearly 75% of students failing in key subjects such as maths, science, English, and social studies. Alarmed by the high failure rates, the current government has opted to allow students in these schools to take state board exams instead.

Student Unpreparedness Prompts Policy Change

After multiple reviews and discussions with senior education officials, it was determined that students were unprepared for the more rigorous CBSE curriculum. Experts indicated that the curriculum requires specialised teacher training and foundational preparation, neither of which had been adequately provided. Education Minister Nara Lokesh, upon reviewing the assessment results, made the decision to allow affected students to switch back to the state board exams to avoid widespread failures.

Lokesh acknowledged that the rushed implementation of the CBSE curriculum, without the necessary teacher training or student support, likely contributed to the poor results and a drop in student enrolment in government schools.

Changes to Exam Structure for Future Academic Years

To better prepare students for advanced exams, Lokesh has directed officials to introduce changes in exam patterns starting from the 2025-26 academic year. These modifications will be implemented from Class 6 onwards to ensure students are adequately equipped for higher-level exams.

While CBSE schools offer a holistic curriculum and cater primarily to families associated with central government units and the Navy, the introduction of the CBSE curriculum in state schools may have placed undue pressure on students. State RTE forum convener Narava Prakasa Rao explained that the state board's locally relevant curriculum is generally easier for students to grasp and offers more lenient evaluations, making it simpler for students to pass compared to the CBSE exams.

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