About CBSE affiliation

There could have hardly been a better time to start/open a CBSE school in India and get CBSE affiliation. We say so because we are witnessing a change of orientation of the board – the 2018 reforms in CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws, which are by all accounts progressive. The curtailment of paperwork, credence to state-verified documents and attestations by CBSE board and vice – versa has simplified the process of CBSE affiliation.

The revamped affiliation bye-laws October 2018, which came into effect are expected to benefit many, not in the least the school promoters or eduprenurs who are seeking to start a school with CBSE affiliation. The move has come in response to the concerns about the complexity and volume of the previous bye-laws document that was hard to follow and comprehend independently.

The new avatar of the bye-laws document is concise and puts into effect several qualitative changes in the roles of the bodies, for instance, the priority shift in the affiliation- inspection committee, focus on learning outcomes and redefined role of teachers making it more wholesome and accountable.

CBSE provides affiliation to the schools within the country and abroad, the nomenclature used by CBSE for different types of affiliation is listed under –

• 1. Approval for Middle Class Syllabus which implies issuance of permission by the board to run the board’s curriculum till class VIII.
• 2. General Affiliation of a Secondary School or Senior Secondary School.
• 3. Upgradation of a school approved for Middle Class Syllabus up to Secondary or Senior Secondary Level.
• 4. Upgradation of an affiliated Secondary School up to Senior Secondary Level.
• 5. Switch over of Schools up to Secondary and Senior Secondary Level. Schools already affiliated with other Boards of education are granted affiliation to CBSE under this category.
• 6. Regular Affiliation of schools – One-time regular Affiliation will be granted to the schools run by Government and related societies like Central Schools, Navodaya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools etc.

The single most differentiating measure that has been put into effect by the updated affiliation bye-laws is the provision of mandatory composite affiliation. Earlier it was applicable to only selective categories. It will be mandatory for the schools to run all classes starting from the incipient class and up to the class for which affiliation has been granted. For Instance class 1st to 8th , class 1st to 10, from 6th to 8th ,6th to 10th , 6th to 12th . There are 2 provisions within the composite affiliation, one of them is composite affiliation from class 1 to class 12 and the other is the concept of “Innovative Schools”. The composite affiliation afforded to the innovative schools is from class 9th to 10th and class 9th to 12th. The move opens up a big opportunity for mainstreaming alternative educational philosophies like Montessori, Steiner/Waldorf, etc

Initially, the affiliation to any of the private-unaided school expires in 3 years and renewal is subject to the board which will examine the consistency of the practices of the school in accordance with the bye-laws. This move has brought a lot of applause from all the stakeholders as it encourages a sustainable and integral approach.