To encourage reading habits among students, the CBSE has brought a very good initiative to introduce English classics. The board has introduced English classics from classes IX to XII in its schools from the academic session 2012-13.

According to Vineet Joshi, chairman, CBSE, the Board constantly encourages schools to provide multi-fold learning experiences to young children. “Good reading habits help children to acquire the power of imagination, expression and appreciation of literature. Though all the skills of gaining proficiency in a language are equally important, nevertheless, reading habit helps tremendously in improving comprehension, accuracy, fluency and in increasing vocabulary. Reading provokes questioning, helps in generating ideas and inspires students to think. It also supports the syllabus in diverse ways by enhancing language competence across the curriculum.”

Strengthening of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) has added further impetus in fostering interest in children to read books. As part of the formative assessment in CCE, schools are being advised to take up ‘Reading Projects.’ Schools have also been encouraged to use multiple modes of assessment such as conducting reviews, script, reading, etc.

“The board prescribes a multi-cultural and technology enabled pedagogical approach in all the languages offered by it. In this process, incorporating all the four skills — reading, writing, listening and speaking — in the curriculum prescribed by the board has placed an equitable emphasis on essential skills of English language. CBSE recommends that reading skill should be fostered in children to make them better orators, autonomous learners as well as critical and creative thinkers,” adds Joshi.

“Every school has finalised one classic for students to read. Students will be evaluated continuously under CCE for the reading skills. At the end of the session, their marks on reading skills will be totalled in their final marks,” informs Prabha Sharma, assistant to English consultant, CBSE.

In a recently held meeting, Nagpur CBSE schools have decided to send admission related details to the state education department by June 18 and reopen admissions for standard one, two days after that.

Almost all CBSE schools will start distributing admission forms from June 20 to meet provisions as mandated under the Right to Education (RTE).

City principals were briefed about the RTE modalities by Annapurni Shastri, principal, Bhavan’s Wathoda branch as she was in touch with the state education department.

The meeting was held under the banner of Nagpur Sahodaya Schools Complex (NSSC), the CBSE schools’ association, and was attended by 23 principals as some were not in city. Reena Dargan, secretary of NSSC and principal of Ira International, said, “We have members from other districts as well but their presence was not needed in this meeting and we wrote to them saying they should communicate directly with their respective education offices regarding details of implementing the RTE. In Nagpur, we all have decided to follow the Common Programme given by the deputy director of education’s office and reopen admissions from June 20.”