CBSE/ICSE Board Foundation of Education System

The setting up of school is not complete unless and until it has applied for affiliation through the Board of Education. The Government has established a Board of Education to supervise and manage the public and private schools with various administrative powers to control the base medium of instruction and the curriculum- as to what topics should be included and on what criteria should the examinations be based upon. For the proper functioning of the school, it is mandatory for all the educational institutes to get affiliated to any of the Boards established by Government of India. 

The prominent Boards of Education are CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE (Indian Certificate for Secondary Education).

There is a set a criterion of schools which needs to be followed while applying for affiliation under these Boards:

• Schools run by autonomous organizations under Government like Kendriya Vidyalaya etc.

• Schools run by Government departments directly like Defence etc.

• Schools managed by PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) or under the financial control of PSUs or by Societies formed by these PSUs

• Government or Government aided schools

• Private , unaided schools

Also, there are a number of documents which must be presented at the time of applying for the affiliation:

1. A No Objection Certificate (NOC) generated by the Government of India (not in case of PSUs)/ recommendation from the Embassy of India (in case of schools outside India)
2. Acceptable lease period for land is 30 years or ownership of the land should be in the name of the Society/ school.
3. Required number of PRTs, TGTs & PGTs should be sufficiently available to teach.
4. Regarding salaries to staff, it should be as per the State / Central Government rules.
5. In case it is a private, non-aided schools, it must be represented by a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 of the Government of India or under Acts of the State Governments as educational, charitable or religious societies having non-proprietary character or by Trusts.

All private and public schools including Kendriya Vidyalaya and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya are affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education. It includes all the schools in NCT of Delhi and Foreign schools. 

CBSE board conducts examination for classes 10^th and 12^th falling under AISSCE (All India Senior School Certificate Examination). AISSE (All India Secondary School Education) conducts examinations for Class 10^th and AISSCE (All India Senior School Certificate Examination) conducts examination for Class 12^th CBSE board considers both English as well as Hindi Medium of Instruction for curriculum and examination. Private schools or non-affiliated are also allowed taking up CBSE examination. 

The India Certificate of Secondary Education is a private and non-governmental board which conducts examination for Class 10^th in several schools under the purview of Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. Private candidates are not permitted to take up ICSE examination. The Medium of Instruction in this Board is only English. ICSE Board is considered to be much tougher and detailed than CBSE.

Comparing the Boards does not lead to any conclusion but it can be suggested the choice of CBSE School should be considered wisely and not the Education Board as everything has a brighter side of it!  

Latest Developments in the CBSE System

CBSE is a distinguished and nationally recognized board in our country. It has set excellent standards for education in our country. It started way back in the 1950's and has developed into an extremely successful educational board in India. The Central Board of Secondary Education has evolved remarkably in the past few years. It makes a sincere effort to impart a common education in our diverse country. CBSE has been following its rules and regulations established at the start but have also kept on developing with time. One of the finest examples of the continuous development and growth of the CBSE system is the introduction of the grading system. It has also introduced the financial management course which was recently started from the academic year 2008.

With the implementation of the CCE, in class IX and above, our education system has moved on to an absolutely new level. CCE or the Continuous & Comprehensive Education has made revolutionary changes in our country's educational system. According to this system, senior secondary school under the CBSE board is now following a summative and formative pattern of assessment. These formative assessments will be calculated through quizzes, conversations, interviews, oral testing, visual testing, projects, practical and assignments.

CBSE has recently announced to conduct an aptitude and interest assessment SGAI on January, 2012. This aptitude test has been especially designed for class X students who are studying in CBSE affiliated schools all over the world. It is a special assessment tool which is offered to the students as an optional activity. The ever first edition of CBSE Students Global Aptitude Index (SGAI) was successfully conducted on 22nd January 2011. There were approximately 212466 students from 3225 CBSE affiliated schools who took this assessment. There were 3134 schools in India and 91 schools outside India.

The SGAI stands for Students Global Aptitude Index. A student appears for a simple paper and pencil indicator having multiple choice items. The total duration of the CBSE SGAI is about 2-2.5 hours. Efforts are on to make the assessment online very soon.

The CBSE assessment test SGAI is designed for the students of Secondary classes. This has been formulated to synchronize with adolescence and beginning of career concepts and planning. It acts as a guide to help the child work towards his future. Opposed to the conventional aptitude tests, this test would help by indicating the subject orientations of students at class XII level. It will also help by empowering the student with self-knowledge in terms of aptitude and interest. Thus, the child would be able to make informed subject choices in his educational career.

Another new move by the CBSE board is to conduct the National Informatics Olympiad in collaboration with the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS), Mumbai, across the country and abroad. This examination would be conducted in two stages. Students from classes VII to XII studying in various CBSE schools and other schools as well, all over the country as well as abroad would be eligible for participation.

The first stage examination consisting of the Zonal Informatics Olympiad will be held on Saturday November 19, 2011 between 10.00 am and 01.00 pm. The examination will be a written examination to test the aptitude of the students, their logical competence, problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Question papers from previous years and other training details are available at the National Informatics Olympiad website. But the CBSE has stated on their website that they will not reimburse expenses incurred by the School on travel, accommodation etc. of the students to participate in the First Stage of the Olympiad.

The CBSE board has also awakened to the need to train its teachers and impart modern day teaching practices to them. This really helps the teachers to understand their students in a better manner. Thus, the teachers learn the values beforehand that they need to teach to their students.

The Central Board of Secondary Education is the oldest educational board in our country. It has evolved and grown with the passage of time. It makes its best efforts towards providing the best education and values to the new generation of our country. The results of the recent reforms implemented in the CBSE system are visible from the first result onwards. CBSE has continued to do wonders for students over the years across the nation and abroad as well. It keeps them updated with the latest changes and advancements in the world around them. And the recent changes in the CBSE education system are remarkable and worth appreciation.

How to Get a Loan for the School?

Starting a new school is a tedious job although it requires a lot of knowledge of the requirements, understanding of the whole procedure and most of patience. One of the most difficult hurdles that the new owners come across is finding money for their business. Availability of finances is a very important pre-requisite for starting a school. The best likely sources of funds are your friends, families and savings. However, it is often recommended to consider the institutional sources also. These days various financial institutions, banks etc. provide loan facility to the customer. But for securing a bank loan, one needs to have a good previous track record. Therefore, assess and evaluate your present financial situation by detailing down the assets and the monthly income. Look for a dozen of alternatives and lenders that specialize in providing the loan facility.

Various steps can help to improve your chances of getting the required bank loan.

Remember in mind that banks need to make loans: Search for a bank or a financial institute that has granted loan to other familiar entrepreneurs in the education industry. Look for banks that indulge in small business financing because your business is new to the market.

Be thoroughly prepared before going to your banker's office to request a loan: You need to prove to the bankers that granting loan to you will prove to be an advantage and is a low-risk proposal. Before going to the bank, ensure that you have a completed loan application with the copies of the required documents.

Learn to answer every question that the banker has: Remember, that the most influential tool of cooperation and negotiation is the amalgamation of information and preparation. A confident, assured, thoroughly prepared borrower who provides answer to all the basic questions of the banker will have his/ her loan approved. To show the scope of your preparation, the business plan should also include answers to your banker's queries. These questions asked by the bankers include:

·         amount of money required

·         duration of the loan period of the loan

·         purpose of requirement of such an amount

·         date and mode of repayment of the loan

·         What will you do if you do not get the loan?

Avoid a negative attitude: oKeep your negativity away from you. Present yourself to a banker as an entrepreneur who has enough credibility in the market and will repay the loan and that to on time. Enhance your image in front of the loan officer by presenting him with a promotional material about your business like brochures, ads, leaflets, articles etc.

Dress in a specialized manner: This is one of the most important business transactions for your school, so dress in a professional manner when you go for a meeting with the loan officer. Your appearance will definitely enhance your image and will prove to be an advantage to you.

Make sure that all your documents are neat, readable, understandable, organized and presented in an attractive manner: Get all your loan documents typed as handwritten documents give an unprofessional, outdated look. Keep them in a nice business file.

Be confident: A positive approach with the confidence boosts your chances of getting the loan sanctioned. Demonstrate that your senior secondary school will lead to success and huge profits with the betterment of the society out of the money that the bank will lend to you.

Keep trying different financer until you get your loan: The best way is to give banker a reference from a successful entrepreneur, a colleague or a friend to improve your position. Find a companion, friend or associate that is in good standing with the bank to give you a good referral.

Lastly, keep this in mind that getting a loan for the first time is not an easy task as the bankers and the financing institutes grant loans easily to the old customers in comparison to the new ones because of the risk of credibility.

Formalities to Start a Formal School

Education sector is one such business opportunity to invest in that gives you sure results despite of recession or depression in the economy. The never-ending demand for schools in our country has opened up new dimensions in the education sector. Every year more and more people are stepping into the education sector and providing new ideas and concepts & taking our education system a step further.

But opening a formal school in our country isn’t a piece of cake. There are a multiple number of formalities to be followed to open a school. Although this makes the process a tedious & complex, still it’s magnetic enough to make people enter the education sector.

The detailed procedure and the formalities to open a school have been given below:

Evolve a vision & demonstrate leadership skills: To start a school a compelling vision is a true essential. There must be a vision to lead your way to your goal of forming a school of your own. You also must acquire strong leadership skills to lead the right path.

Register your school: In order to start a school of your own, first of all, you must register your school under the Societies Recognition Act, 1860 or as a trust constituted under any law for the time being in force. This is to prove the “nonprofit” motive of the society.

Establish a business plan:  A business plan is definitely required to describe your business goals. A plan helps to devise a proper analysis of your goals.

Decide the school site: Once the school has been registered and the plan made, you need to decide the school site. Either you are buying or leasing the land, you must choose a proper site.

Take professional support: The professional team is of great significance in building a successful educational institution. The various aspects such as curriculum, financial management, legal matters, marketing etc. must be handled by professionals to get best results.

Develop infrastructure: The school infrastructure must be well-constructed and developed. It is a significant part of setting up a successful formal school. The infrastructural facilities must fulfill all the requirements of the students.

Recruit school-head & teaching staff: The teaching staff is the key to success for a school. The principal & teachers of the school determine the quality of the school. They must be enthusiastic towards education.

Apply for recognition: Once the school has been set up, the school authority needs to apply for school recognition with the concerned authority. Application for up gradation has to be submitted with a minimum gap of 2 years.

Apply for affiliation: A school needs to apply for affiliation with either of the boards, whether CBSE or ICSE. In order to get affiliated the school needs to follow a proper syllabi and books.

Aggressive marketing: Aggressive marketing strategies are important to promote the school. Marketing & public relations just increase your school popularity.

Starting a school is a complex process but its results are worth the effort. The various formalities involved are just a part of it. The real experience of providing education to children is far more satisfying.

C.B.S.E. Raising the Educational Standards of India

The Central Board of Secondary Education is one of the most widely recognized educational boards of our country. Its origin dates back to 1921 but it got its present name in 1952. It has given immense contribution to the education sector in India, preparing children for tomorrow. The CBSE Board helps in imparting knowledge & skills to our upcoming generations. It helps in laying a better foundation for our future generations & thus, building a better nation.

 The essence of the CBSE board lies in the fact that it emphasizes on imparting education to all without any discrimination. In this land of rich culture, diversity and heritage known as India, it has achieved great success in setting up a common standard of education all across the country. With the passage of time it has grown constantly guiding a large number of students towards success. The CBSE board has also gained a lot of respect in the country and worldwide for keeping its education system in pace with the fast changing world and modifying its system and techniques of imparting education continuously.

The CBSE helps to prepare syllabus for students till class 12. All our government schools and many of our private schools, all over the country are affiliated to the CBSE board. Even many private schools outside India are affiliated to CBSE board. It prescribes two mediums of imparting education, i.e. English and Hindi. The two major examinations conducted every year by the CBSE board are:

AISSE: All India Secondary School Examination for the students of class 10.The students who qualify this exam are eligible for admissions to Class 12 in schools all across the country & worldwide too.

AISSCE:  All India Senior School Certificate Examination for the students of class 12, which is a school-leaving examination. This examination for Class 12 is widely recognized both nationally and internationally for direct admission to university undergraduate courses.

CBSE also conducts entrance examinations to various courses at the undergraduate level. These examinations are held on an all-India basis. The AIEEE or the All India Engineering Entrance Examination, pre-medical and pre-dental tests (AIPMT OR PMT/PDT) are some of the other examinations conducted by CBSE.

The main focus of the CBSE is to grant affiliation to institutions for the purpose of examinations and raise the academic standard of our country. It aims on bringing innovations in teaching-learning methodologies by formulating a student friendly environment. It has duly fulfilled its national responsibility by providing a consistent curriculum with an extensible scheme of studies suitable to the needs of every student, whether studying in a government run school or private school. The CBSE board provides an equal benefit to all its students irrespective of the cultural and regional differences in our country. The students and the schools under the CBSE board enjoy and share common advantages in the spheres of curriculum, examinations and academic innovations.

All the CBSE schools fall under the administration of the Central Government of India. They have a fixed standard regarding the curriculum because the curriculum is set by the federal and state regulatory bodies. This means that there is a high standard of authority that is regulating the curriculum thus bringing the best to CBSE schools.  It has gradually increased the level of school education and proved really beneficial in carving the future of our nation.

Hence, it can be clearly stated that the CBSE board has revolutionized the system of education in our country. Thus, raising our pace of educational development and taking our country to new heights. Considering all these benefits of CBSE schools, it is suggested that one should prefer to send their child to a CBSE affiliated school to provide him the best education & cast his future in a better mold.

Tips for School Franchisee

Franchising is a process that provides an individual with the opportunity to run a unit of a recognized brand under its guidance and support.

Various successful brands from numerous sectors (service based and product based) have franchised their businesses in lieu of the franchise royalty and franchise fee. Franchising has turned an ordinary individual to a great business entrepreneur. India has become the hub of opportunities. School franchising is one of the safest ways to start up and run a successful business. Franchising is simple to understand and does not involve much difficulty but one needs to be knowledgeable and well versed with the process to make this decision of buying a franchise a big success.

Buying a franchise can be a life-changing experience. These tips will be very beneficial and helpful to the individuals who are planning to purchase a school franchise but are not able to decide how.

Pre-Franchise Purchasing: Buying a school franchise is not a simple decision as it involves investment.  Before purchasing a franchise or entering into the contract of buying a franchise, you should take assistance of the franchise consultants. These franchise consultants provides expert advice that helps you to get knowledge of the best franchise opportunities keeping in mind your interest, investment and financial goals etc. Besides this, the financial consultant will help you develop particular conditions that can be used to find out various franchise opportunities or the renowned brands in the education sector.

Market Analysis: This factor is an essential and a must task that precedes the process of purchasing. Examination and analysis of the market trends helps finding out the performance of the particular brand in the education sector. It is advised to have a good knowledge about the functioning, goodwill and performance of the brand. Before actually entering into contract, you should make comparisons between different brands of the education industry.

Financial Availability: Generally, school franchise does not require much finance as the investment level is less than other franchise opportunities. But availability of finance is an important element that should be kept in mind before signing or buying it. Cash is King and without enough capital, one cannot survive in the business world. Therefore, before actually purchasing your own franchise, make sure that there’s sufficient availability of the funds required for the operations, infrastructure, royalty fees etc. You can also take help of the financial institutions and banks that provide loan facilities.

Purchasing Franchise: The franchise agreement is a crucial thing at the time of purchasing the franchise. You should not sign any agreement, or pay any royalty fees, until you have full knowledge about the legal aspects.

Purchase Team: The purchase team consists of the key members required while making the agreement a success. This team must have a legal advisor, an accountant, and a manager or a consultant to provide the professional advice in the respective fields.

Management of Franchise: Before buying or purchasing a franchise, it is important for the franchisee to establish a competent and experienced management team. This team is responsible for the smooth functioning of the business involving vital business tasks and processes. An appropriate management team will be of great help.

Exit Strategy: The franchisee should be aware of and must have full information about complete procedure from buying a school franchise till its closure (if it does not generate adequate profits or lack the appropriate number of student’s strength).

How to Open a School?

In India, majority of people hesitate to open their own venture because of lack of efficient funds, knowledge about the functioning and structure of the school etc. Opening of your own school is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of information of the fundamentals of the schools and education right from the beginning.

There are various essentials that need to be taken care of:

Site and Land: The land requirement varies as per the region and area in which you want to start a school. This depends on the convenience, locality and availability of finance. For instance; land requirement for primary school is less than that of senior secondary schools.

School Building: As per the governing agencies or the rules, a minimum area needs to be kept for the school building depending on the number of students to be educated and accommodated in the school.

Finance or Capital: Person or community interested in opening a school must have adequate amount of capital for the investment in the facilities (furniture, stationary, laboratory equipment etc.), infrastructure etc. of the school.

Knowledge and Information: One of the basic requisite to open a school is to have good knowledge about the building and facilities of the school.

These fundamentals serve as a guide for the smooth functioning of the school. Besides this nitty-gritty, various other important factors should also be considered like:

Registration under a trust or society: The school must be listed under a certain trust or a society to get guidance relating to the rules and regulations and for the compliance with the school norms and discipline.

Administrative Work: Before the commencement of the school, it is very important for you to complete all administrative work of the school to avoid confusion and chaos later. Administrative work of the school includes preparation of monthly reports relating to finance and other, maintaining of office infrastructure and facilities, keeping up of office administrative facilities and ensuring accessibility of daily miscellaneous requirements to provide harmonious work culture to the teachers and staff members.

Recruitment of the teachers and other staff members: For smooth functioning of the school, it is required to hire qualified and experienced teachers and other members of staff as they are the ones who perform continuing efforts to create and sustain excellent systems of education in the school premises.

Training of the teachers and staff members: An innovative attempt in Education Sector is through the comprehensive and rigorous Teacher’s Training Programme that includes sessions about teaching philosophy and the latest trends in the field of education.

Curriculum Development: Involves preparation of the material that will be taught in the schools. These include official documents, matter related to different subjects, curriculum mapping etc. that serve as guide for teachers and other departments.

Marketing and Publicity of the school: This is one of the most essential elements for development of the school. Marketing and publicity of the school will not only fetch you the students for admission but will also spread positive word of mouth.