Bhubaneswar, Nov. 15: The process of upgrading Plus Two syllabus is in its final stages. The new syllabus, set to be introduced from the next academic session, will follow the CBSE pattern so that students can be better prepared for various competitive and national level exams.

However, with the courses becoming slightly tough, there is an apprehension of the success rate in exams going down.

“The initiative to fine-tune the syllabus is, no doubt, a welcome step and would mean more number of students cracking all-India tests. But many students would find it difficult to cope in case of certain subjects such as English. Most students taking admission in Plus Two colleges of the state come from an Odia-medium background and might not be able to grasp certain terms and concepts that their counterparts from English medium schools would be able to,” said a teacher of a city-based high school.

Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, chairman of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), which is working on revamping the existing Plus Two syllabus, said it was time to do away with a “sub-standard” course.

“The council has to set a strong base for students in the form of a competitive syllabi. What is the point in students clearing Plus Two exams and becoming toppers when they are not equipped to crack competitive exams?” Patnaik said.

“The Council of Boards of School Education in India wants to maintain a uniform course throughout the country and so, we are trying to make it CBSE-oriented as far as possible. Arts subjects would be made more state-specific. The exam pattern would also be changed accordingly. The question paper would consist of 70 per cent objective questions and the rest would be subjective,” he added.

Syllabus committees that includes experienced and senior teachers for various subjects are now giving finishing touches to the blueprint of the upgraded syllabi. This would be effective for the 2012 admission batch onwards.

Secretary of the department of higher education, Chandra Shekhar Kumar said the syllabi would not be made too difficult and the curriculum of classes IX and X in Odia medium schools would soon be upgraded.

“The secretary of school and mass education department would take a decision on revamping the syllabi of high schools,” Kumar said.

E-admissions

The department is conducting another round of junior college/ higher secondary school admissions for two categories of students: those who have cleared the matric supplementary exams, or failed to get a seat in a college during the normal period of e-admissions due to various reasons such as failing to apply online, not getting selected despite application, or inability to take admission despite getting selected.