INTRODUCTION
The system of Education which we inherited while attaining our independence, had hardly any relevance to the needs of the life situation then prevailing in the country. With the passage of time, the educational system continued to drift away from the realities of life. At the same time there was a growing all round realisation of the deficiencies of the system. No society, particularly one like ours, which is passing through an extremely crucial but equally important phase of economic development, can allow such a system to continue. Luckily, the country has designed and accepted a replacement for the out-moded system and is currently engaged in the implementation of the new system commonly known as the 10 + 2 + 3 pattern. This pattern has been on the anvil for almost 60 years and carries on it the imprint of the deliberations of numerous high level academic and non-academic forums. The Central Board of Secondary Education has introduced this system,
which has an extremely sound academic base, with effect from the current session in its thousand and odd member schools spread all over the country and outside its borders.
It is of utmost importance that the three principal partners in the successful implementation of this scheme viz., the student, the teacher and the parent, are fully posted about its content and the benefits expected to flow there from. In the following pages various aspects of this revolutionary reform in education have been discussed by eminent educationists. I am therefore particularly happy to place this brochure in the hands of the reader.
It may, however, be added that the Board is most keen to introduce further improvements in this system, based on actual experience, so that it continues to function as a live wire.
New Delhi G. L. BAKHSHI
Chairman
Central Board of Secondary Education