Introduction

Curriculum is an important element of education. Aims of education are reflected in

the curriculum. In other words, the curriculum is determined by the aims of life and society.
Aims of life and society are related to constant change. Hence, the aims of education are also
subject to change and dynamic. The aims of education are attained by the school
programmes, concerning knowledge, experiences, activities, skills and values. Curriculum
plays a vital role in providing knowledge and skills to cope up with the complexities and to
respond and adjust with the social changes satisfactorily.
CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) is an autonomous body that comes
under the Union Government of India and determines the educational curriculum and exam
schedules for schools over the entire country. Every State Government has its own education
board too to determine the policies and curriculum for the schools in that state. The CBSE
envisions a robust, vibrant and holistic school education that will engender excellence in
every sphere of human endeavour. The Board is committed to provide quality education to
promote intellectual, social and cultural vivacity among its learners.
Differences between Kerala State Board and CBSE
 Difference in mode of instruction and exposure
Individual state board established by Kerala government takes care of the designing
and monitoring of the standards of education and examination in the state. The study syllabus
for schools in the state is decided by this board and the mode of instruction here, unlike
CBSE where in it is only English or Hindi, can be English or the Regional language of the
state. Also, while CBSE prefers to offer education in a scientific and national exposure, state
board focuses more concepts of local importance.
Difference in applicability
Schools registered with CBSE have to follow the guidelines given by the board for
pre-primary grades to higher secondary grades or in simple words from K -12 classes. All the
government schools in India like the KendriyaVidyalayas, the SarvodyaVidyalas, the Jawahar
N Vidyalayas, etc. all strictly abide by the guidelines given by CBSE. In addition to these
schools, several private schools especially those in Delhi region too follow the same board
while imparting education to their students. But the policies and programs setup by Kerala
State board is relate to only the schools registered with them.
Difference in categorization of syllabus
CBSE ordains that each and every subject’s entire syllabus be divided into units. And
each unit is then allocated a certain number of periods or lectures required to cover the topics
of the unit in the class during the academic year. This kind of setup is systematic and allows
all the teachers to schedule their lectures efficiently and the students to plan their study and
preparation correctly.
CBSE Syllabus: -
 In CBSE, the main focus is given to science, maths and application based subjects. 
 Mode of instruction followed in CBSE schools will be English and Hindi. 
 All central government schools have to follow guidelines of CBSE. 
 CBSE uses Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in its grading system.
 It gives importance to scientific methods in subjects.
 CBSE often review and update syllabus. 

Kerala state board works according to a syllabus designed and categorized by the
‘Department of Education’ of the state government which may or may not change in the next
academic year.
Kerala State Board Syllabus: -

 State Board gives preference to the regional language, culture, state level topics and
concepts of local relevance. 
 Mode of instruction followed in state board schools will be English and regional
languages. 
 Only the schools registered with the state board will follow the policies. 
 state has its own grading system for schools.
 It gives importance to practical implications in subjects.
 State Boards rarely update their syllabus and curriculum.

Difference in consistency over the country

CBSE is also known well for its nation-wide approach. In case a student needs to
change his/her residence from one state to another, he might face some major challenges in
shifting from one style and mode of education to another because the two states would follow
different curriculums. Whereas shifting from a CBSE school in one state to another CBSE
school in the other state would be a lot easier for them.
Principles of CBSE School Curriculum
The CBSE School Curriculum gets its lead from National Curriculum Framework
(NCF 2005) and also from Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE 2009).
The paramount guiding principles as proposed by NCF-2005 are

 Connecting knowledge to life outside the school

 ensuring that learning is shifts away from rote methods
 enriching the curriculum to provide for overall development of children rather than
remain textbook centric
 making examinations more flexible and integrated into classroom life
 nurturing an over-riding identity informed by caring concerns within the democratic
polity of the country.
CBSE School Curriculum Mission and Goals
The curriculum will adopt the following principles:
 to facilitate learners’ spiritual, ethical, social, cognitive, mental, and physical growth
and development
 to enhance learner’s innate potentials
 to foster constitutional values and tolerance for different cultures
 to develop scientific outlook and transformative competencies to meet the demands of
the changing society.
Curriculum goals

 To enhance self-awareness and explore innate potential

 To promote capabilities related to goal setting, decision making and lifelong learning
 To nurture communication and interpersonal skills
 To learn to be empathetic towards others, display dignity and respect to all , to
contribute for the community, and focus on preserving environment
 To foster cultural learning and international understanding in an interdependent
society
 To strengthen knowledge and attitude related to livelihood skills
 To acquire the ability to utilize technology and information for the betterment of
humankind
 To develop abilities related to thinking skills and problem solving.
 To develop creativity and the ability to appreciate art and showcase one’s own talents

Curriculum Areas at Secondary Level

The curriculum encompasses six major learning areas, which are: Languages,
Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Health and Physical Education, Visual
arts, Performing arts and contemporary subjects. Languages include Hindi, English, and
another 36 languages and focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, along with
developing effective communicating proficiencies. Humanities (Geography, History,
Economics and Political Science) include the learning of history and culture, geographical
environment, global institutions, constitutional values and norms, politics, economy,
interpersonal and societal interactions, civic responsibilities, and the incorporation of the
above-mentioned learning into one’s life. Performing and Visual Arts (Dance, Drama, Music,
Drawing, Painting, Crafts and Sculpture) include, instruction in these arts, aiming to help
learners cultivate an interest and appreciation for arts and encourage them to enthusiastically
participate in related activities, thus promoting abilities such as imagination, creativity,
valuing arts, and the cultural heritage. Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer
Sciences) include gaining knowledge about matter and energy, nature, the environment,
technology, breakthroughs in science. Mathematics includes acquiring the concepts related to
number sense, operation sense, computation, measurement, geometry, probability and
statistics, the skill to calculate and organize, and the ability to apply this knowledge and
acquired skills in their daily life. It also includes understanding of the principles of reasoning
and problem solving. Health and Physical Education focuses on the learning for holistic
development, both mental and physical.
 
Scheme of Examination
 Scheme of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation shall be as under:
(i) there shall be no Board Examination at Secondary (class X) for students studying in the
schools affiliated to the Board who do not wish to move out of the CBSE system after class X
(ii) students of Schools affiliated to the Board who wish to move out of the CBSE system
after class X (Pre-University, Vocational course, Change of Board, etc.) shall be required to
take the Board’s External Examination at Secondary (class X) level.
Scheme of Examinations – Grading
 (a) At the Secondary School Examination, assessment of subjects under Scholastic Area A
shall be in numerical scores to be converted to Grades on a nine-point scale which shall be
indicated in the Statement of Subject wise Performance/Certificate of Continuous
Comprehensive Evaluation.
Assessment in subjects under Scholastic Area B shall also be in grades, as per Scheme of
Studies.
(b) The qualifying grade in each subject under Scholastic Area A shall be a minimum Grade
D.
(c) The students will be assessed in subjects under Scholastic Area A using the conventional
numerical marking and later converted into the grades and the same shall be awarded as
under:
25
MARKS RANGE -GRADE- GRADE POINT
91-100        A1     10.0
81-90          A2     9.0
71-80          B1    8.0
61-70          B2    7.0
51-60          C1    6.0
41-50          C2     5.0
33-40          D      4.0
21-32          E1 —
20 and Below E2 —
Cumulative Grade Point Average(CGPA) would also be reflected in the Statement of Subject
wise Performance /Certificate of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.
Cumulative Grade Point Average(CGPA) is the average of Grade Points obtained in all the
subjects excluding 6th additional subject as per Scheme of Studies. Subject wise and overall
indicative Percentage of Marks can be assessed as under:
􀁎 Subject wise indicative percentage of marks = 9.5 x GP of the subject
􀁎 Overall indicative percentage of marks = 9.5 x CGPA
 Kerala School Curriculum
The curriculum revision programme in Kerala was conceptualized on the basis
National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). But there should be reforms in the
methodology of learning, infrastructure facilities, teacher intervention strategies, approach of
different subjects, course design, text books, teachers’ handbook and evaluation. It was in
1997, that an effort for the formulation of a comprehensive curriculum focusing on the
process of teaching and learning was attempted in Kerala. Rooted in the emerging
methodology and strategies, an integrated method of learning, a process- oriented-activity-
based approach, viewing learner as a constructor of knowledge, recognising the role of
society in knowledge construction and the idea of continuous and comprehensive evaluation
came into effect.
Kerala School Curriculum (2013) – Chief characteristics
The curriculum

 is learner-centred, process-oriented, activity- based and value oriented.

 gives stress to the learning outcomes that a learner imbibes at the cognitive, social and
emotional levels is based on the philosophy of constructivism.
 gives teachers freedom to choose and employ logical and varied learning strategies for
the transaction of curriculum.
 is flexible to implement various teaching – learning strategies recognizing the
learning outcomes, nature of the content and the different levels of the learners.
Discovery learning, Concept attainment model, Inductive method, Meta cognition,
Cooperative
 learning, Collaborative learning, Reflective learning, and giving opportunities to
individuals and group learning etc. are taken into consideration.
 ensures free and universal education to all learners.
 is comprehensive and takes into consideration the various stages from the pre-primary
level to the higher secondary level.
 is used as an effective tool for the transaction of various subjects.
 designs innovative learning strategies as well as assessment activities for children
with special educational needs.
 ensures a Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)
 focused on learning outcomes.
 stresses Health and Physical Education, Art Education and Work Education.
 lays stress on Right-based Education in the light of Right to Education Act, 2009.
 is intended to inculcate human values in the learners.

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)

Learning is a continuous process taking place in the learner. Hence, the assessment
process to examine the concepts and skills acquired should also be continuous. By
comprehensive assessment, we mean the assessment of the learner in cognitive as well as
socio-emotional areas. Hence, we have adopted a continuous and comprehensive evaluation
system.
CCE is carried out in two areas; Cognitive area and Socio – emotional area
Assessment regarding development in cognitive domain
The subjects taught at secondary level like Language, Science Humanities,
Commerce, Health and Physical Education come under cognitive area. Learning outcomes
acquired in each subject shouldbe evaluated. Two types of evaluation are suggested here.
Continuous Evaluation (CE)
Term Evaluation (TE)
Grading Scheme
Secondary level employs grading system to assess subjects in cognitive area. 9 Point
Absolute Grading is used for this.
The table given below can be used for this.
Score Percentage Grade
90-100 A+
80-89 A
70-79 B+
60-69 B
50-59 C+
40-49 C
30-39 D+
20-29 D
Below 20 E
To be eligible for higher studies, the learner in the secondary should get a minimum of D+
(30-39 %) for each subject in the combined score of CE +TE (Public exam). In addition, he
should score a minimum of D+ for TE too.
Issue based curriculum
Issues-Based Approach (IBA) to curriculum transaction is a novel and unique one in the
history of school curriculum development in Kerala. This approach is a clear departure from
the traditional ‘knowledge transmission’ models of curriculum transaction and focuses on
‘knowledge generation’ by the learners. The IBA aims to sensitize the learners about the
numerous issues faced by our society through the learning material itself. These issues are
developed and sensitized using various discourses which provide a linguistically rich
environment in the classroom.
Being a novel one, the IBA poses a number of challenges to facilitators with respect to the
preparation of teaching manual, lesson transaction, learner assessment etc. in the classroom.
It is really a hard task to the facilitator to bring in various social issues in an appropriate form
into the framework of formal education. The challenge of the facilitator is to generate
contextualized knowledge in developing and transacting IBA lessons.
Critical approach
The education envision should have the space for learners to engage in critical
dialogue. The practice of passive listening has to be discarded and in its place learners need
to become active participants in the process of constructing knowledge. They should view
their experiences in a critical manner and should question all social evils. Efforts to resist
temptations, obstinacy and prejudices are equally important. Looking at different ideas and
generating an integrated view is crucial. Learners must be able to analyse the ideas in vogue
at social, political and cultural levels, discern errors and take positions by responding to them.
The educational system should prepare the learners to shift from the position of passive
listeners to active constructors of knowledge.
Other differentiators between CBSE and State Syllabus
While the CBSE syllabus offers education in a more scientific method, the state
syllabus gives more importance to practical implication of related subjects. Another main
differentiator amid the two is that, the former is considered much better than the latter.
Students of the CBSE have an advantage of the State as the syllabus of the CBSE will be the
same all over the nation. In case the students transfer from one state to another, the transition
will be marginally easier for them. This would not be similar in case of the State syllabus
students. It would be difficult for some to adjust to the syllabus of another Government
school.
Conclusion
The curriculum revision programme in Kerala was conceptualized on the basis
National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). The CBSE’s School Curriculum gets its lead
from the National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005). The present curriculum of the state,
took its origin by the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), as a part of universal
primary education. Though the DPEP, actually meant for four out of fourteen districts of the
state, the programme was implemented in all the districts. The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA),
universal elementary education programme at national level, was also successfully
implemented in the state. This programme was actually aimed to elementary level (up to
eighth standard), but the reforms under SSA was not confined to elementary level in the state.
The curricular reforms such as leaner centred, constructivist, and issue based were originated
as a result of a continuous revival process. Constructivist pedagogy was incorporated in the
Kerala curriculum since 1997. Kerala Secondary school students studying in issue based
curriculum have more social responsiveness than those in CBSE curriculum.
Reference
http://www.franchiseschool.in/difference-cbse-state-board-syllabus/
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED513964.pdf
http://cbseacademic.in/
http://www.franchiseschool.in/difference-cbse-state-board-syllabus/Difference between
CBSE and State Board Syllabus
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED513964.pdf
https://socioed.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/105-comparison-kerala-school-curriculum-and-
cbse-curriculum/
http://entrance-exam.net/difference-between-cbse-and-state-board-syllabus/#ixzz5fISxFHD6

http://www.edubilla.com/blog/difference-between-cbse-and-state-board-syllabus/