Shimla – In a step toward reportedly improving educational quality, the Himachal Pradesh government has issued a list of selected 100 schools for affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This initiative, set to roll out in the 2025-26 academic year, aims to align the state’s education system with national standards, offering students improved academic opportunities.
The selected schools, spread across various districts, include 19 from Kangra, 14 from Shimla, 11 from Hamirpur, 10 from Mandi, six each from Bilaspur and Chamba, four from Kinnaur, five from Kullu, two from Lahaul-Spiti, seven from Sirmaur, nine from Solan, and seven from Una.
To ensure a smooth transition, the government has scheduled a meeting on Saturday at the Directorate of Education. Principals of these schools will be briefed on CBSE regulations and will provide updates on their institutions’ readiness for affiliation.
As part of the process, inspection teams from Delhi will soon visit the selected schools to evaluate their compliance with CBSE standards. Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, in an official letter, emphasised that any school failing to meet these standards could be replaced by other eligible institutions, as determined by the Director of the School Education Department. This underscores the government’s commitment to maintaining high educational benchmarks.
To support the transition, the government plans to establish a separate sub-cadre for teachers in these schools, ensuring specialised training and resources. Additionally, a proposal to merge separate boys’ and girls’ schools is under consideration to streamline the affiliation process and optimise resources.
However, this move has sparked surprise and debate, as it appears to undermine the usefulness and relevance of the state’s own Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE). With the Chief Minister repeatedly claiming that the affiliation is being undertaken to improve educational standards, questions arise about the purpose of maintaining the HPBOSE at all. If CBSE affiliation is deemed necessary for quality enhancement, what role does the state board play moving forward? Moreover, by leaving numerous other schools under the HPBOSE while elevating only a select few to CBSE status, the government risks creating a tiered system that inadvertently grades schools and their students, potentially exacerbating educational inequalities across the state.
