Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Playing Vital Role In Development
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education came into existence on 1st January 1966 under the Maharashtra Act No. XLI of 1965. The board’s headquarter is located in Pune. The objective of the board is to upgrade the educational standards in the state by introducing innovative methods of learning.
Exams Pattern of the Board
The board conducts bi-annual exams for class X and XII in the month of March and October. The certificate courses at the school level offered by the board are
- SSC- Senior Secondary Certificate.
- HSC Higher Secondary Certificate.
The curriculum of SSC consists of three languages and core subjects such as mathematics, science and social science. Physical, health education, value education, general knowledge and work experience are the five subjects assessed internally in the schools.
Divisions of the Board
The board’s jurisdiction is spread across 33 districts. The board recently has decentralized many of its activities due to the difficulty in maintaining the high work load. The board has 8 regional offices located in Pune, Mumbai, Nasik, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Latoor. The regional divisions have the power of autonomy in conducting examinations.
Functions of the Board
- To provide instructions to various courses including practical work, practice teaching etc., for primary, middle, higher secondary and high school (inclusive of both vocational stream and general stream) and District Institute of Education and Training.
- To recognize and affiliate institutions in order to raise the educational standards in the state of Mizoram.
- To frame and prescribe the examination conditions and conduct public examinations for class IV, VII, X XII and Preschool Teacher education annually and provide scholarships for class IV merit students.
- To update and prescribe the instructions for various courses prescribed by the board.
- To conduct various exams and declare results for the same.
- To provide certificates to the candidates on completion of courses.
- To prepare, publish and prescribe textbooks, guides for various courses prescribed by the board.
- To organize seminars on distinct topics and offer “in training” courses for teachers and administrators.
- To provide uniform pattern of education in secondary and higher secondary levels of education.
- To coordinate between national and state policies pertaining to education.
- To coordinate between secondary education and university and primary education.
- To appoint servants and office bearers of the state board in the offices of divisional boards.
- To regulate the terms and conditions of the board.
- To ask for special reports from Director of education and other officers in the department of education.
- To advise the state government in matters of development of school education.
The impact of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
- The board has adopted the policy of Sarva Shiskha Abhiyaan (SSA) and offers free and compulsory education to the children belonging to the age-group of 6-14 years.
- The board is taking utmost care to provide education to all the girls in the state through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. SSA was incorporated in Maharashtra in the year 2003.
- The board has been conducting several workshops, seminars and orientation program to the teachers to impart better education to the students by the use of innovative methods of education.