A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to ascertain the feasibility of constituting a National Education Council or National Education Commission to implement uniform education system having common syllabus and common curriculum for all the children aged 6-14 years in the spirit of Article 21A read with Articles 14, 15, 16, 38(2), 39(f), 46 and 51A of the Constitution of India.
The petition has been filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who has submitted that “presently each education board has its own syllabus and curriculum and entrance examinations are based on CBSE, so prevailing system doesn’t provide equal opportunity to all students in spirit of Article 14, 15, 16, 38(2), 39(f), 46 and 51A.”
Upadhyay has further pointed out that recently, HRD ministry has launched twelve education channels i.e. one education channel for each class, to impart classes to primary, secondary and senior secondary students of CBSE Board where maximum 20% students would be benefited from this initiative. Thus, it would offend right to education of 80% children. All national level competitions are based on syllabus and curriculum of CBSE board and there is huge difference in syllabus and curriculum of other education boards. Thus, education through twelve channels, will result in more inequality in opportunity.
The petitioner has further urged the Court to ascertain the feasibility of introducing a standard textbook having chapters on fundamental rights, duties, directive principles and the golden goals set out in the Preamble, and make its study compulsory for all the children aged 6-14 years throughout the territory of India.
The petitioner has also prayed before the Court to ascertain the feasibility of establishing “One Nation One Education Board” by merging Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Board into Central Board of Secondary Education or vice-versa.
The petitioner has submitted that “Uniform education system having common syllabus and common curriculum would achieve the code of a common culture, removal of disparity and depletion of discriminatory values in human relations. It would enhance virtues and improve the quality of life, elevate the thoughts, which advance constitutional philosophy of equal society.”
-India Legal Bureau