THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While close to 55% of the students in CBSE schools shifted to the state Plus Two course after Class X in 2018-19, the rate has seen a consistent dip over a five-year period to touch 42% in 2022-23, a detailed analysis of the figures received via a Right to Information (RTI) reply has revealed.
The rate of migration of ICSE students to the state syllabus has also declined. From half the total number of students in 2018-19, it dipped to a little over 40% five years later. Correspondingly, the enrolments in Class XI in both CBSE and ICSE schools saw a gradual rise over the period, further underlining that more students chose to stay put in national syllabus schools after Class X.
According to education and career experts, better success rates of national board students in all-India entrance exams such as NEET for medical courses, IIT-JEE for engineering and the more recently introduced CUET for university admissions, could be the key reasons for the reverse trend.
“In addition to the higher success rates in all-India entrance tests, many parents who have transferable jobs within the country prefer to enrol their children in schools affiliated to national boards,” said career guidance expert B S Warrier.
He said CBSE valuation has also become more liberal over the years, prompting many parents not to opt for a syllabus shift after Class X. Experts also point out that the lure of grace marks that once drove students by large numbers to the state syllabus has also come down post-Covid.
Indira Rajan, secretary-general of the National Council of CBSE Schools, the migration from the CBSE stream after Class X has come down notably after the adoption of CUET as the qualifying exam for admission to leading universities across the country.
“Also, the trend among parents to shift their children from CBSE to state syllabus schools, after getting a strong foundation till Class VII, is on the decline,” she said.
The enrolment figures of CBSE/ICSE students in state schools were obtained from the general education department through an RTI filed by S Manoj of the Aided Higher Secondary Teachers Association.
According to him, the confusion over the past few years, regarding the integration of various school sections into a single unit, deterred many admissions to the state higher secondary stream.