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Shravan Joshi
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has, across curricular reforms, emphasized holistic development alongside scholastic achievement. Between 2013 and 2014, a set of policy documents, circulars, and textbook revisions sought to embed moral values—such as empathy, integrity, tolerance, environmental stewardship, gender sensitivity, and democratic participation—across subjects and co-scholastic activities. This study critically examines the extent, nature, and pedagogical strategies of moral value integration in the CBSE syllabus during this period. Methodologically, the work triangulates document analysis of official CBSE publications and textbooks with an empirical survey of 200 stakeholders (teachers, students of Classes IX–XII, and parents) from urban and semi-urban schools across India. The survey investigates awareness, perceived adequacy, pedagogical practices, assessment methods, and barriers related to value education.
Findings indicate that moral values were primarily embedded implicitly in language, social science, and life skills sections, with explicit modules existing through Value Education periods or Art of Living/Health & Physical Education segments in select schools. While 78% of teachers reported awareness of value integration guidelines, only 46% felt sufficiently trained to translate them into classroom practice. Students perceived moral themes as peripheral and assessment-light, often overshadowed by examination-centric priorities. Parents supported value education (94% agreement) but questioned the consistency of school-level implementation. The study concludes that CBSE’s integration approach was conceptually sound yet operationally uneven, limited by teacher preparedness, time constraints, and evaluative ambiguity. It recommends a clearer spiral curriculum for values, experiential pedagogies, rubric-based assessment, and continuous professional development. By reflecting on the 2013–2014 experience, the paper offers a roadmap for deepening ethical literacy in contemporary Indian schooling.
Keywords
CBSE syllabus, moral values, value education, 2013–2014 reforms, holistic education, survey research, pedagogy, assessment, teacher training, India
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