Guntur: Government mulls reducing Inter syllabus by 30%

Guntur: The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) began an exercise to reduce 30% of syllabus for the academic year 2020-21 on the lines of Central Board of Secondary Education.

The BIE has taken this decision in the backdrop of reduction of working days for junior colleges due to lockdown caused by Covid-19. The CBSE has reduced 30% of syllabus for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce burden on the students.

Taking this into consideration, the BIE has constituted a committee with subject experts to reduce 30 %of syllabus. Soon the panel will submit its report to the government. With the permission of the government, the BIE will reduce the Intermediate syllabus for first year and second year students. Similarly, the BIE is making arrangements to implement reforms in Intermediate education.. The BIE decided to conduct monthly tests through online in all the junior colleges in the State from this academic year.

It has reduced students' strength to 40 per section in the private junior colleges in State and permitted seven science group sections and two arts group sections per college. The BIE has already issued orders to this effect and making arrangements to start online classes for the convenience of students.

The officials began exercise to provide facilities in the junior colleges for online classes. If everything goes well, the BIE is making arrangements to reopen colleges from August 3. The classes will be conducted in morning shift for science group students and after noon for Arts group students. If Covid-19 cases increase further in the State, reopening of colleges may be delayed.

An official in the BIE on the condition of anonymity said, "Based on the CBSE syllabus, JEE, NEET examinations will be conducted. CBSE has already reduced 30%. of syllabus. Based on the subject experts recommendations, the BIE will reduce syllabus.

The students appearing for JEE and NEET tests will not have any problem due to reduction of syllabus for Intermediate.

The BIE began exercise to release academic calendar for the academic year 2020-21. According to BIE norms, the junior colleges would have to work 220 days in the academic year. During 2020-21, colleges will work for 196 days.

Junior colleges working days will be reduced by 24 days. To compensate this, the government began exercise to reduce 30% of syllabus for Intermediate.