The Maharashtra government has announced a major reform in the state education system by aligning the curriculum of state board schools with the CBSE academic pattern. The transition will begin in the 2024-25 academic year with Class 1 and will be implemented across all grades by 2027-28.
Why is Maharashtra Adopting the CBSE Curriculum?
Maharashtra has over 108,000 government and aided schools with more than 21.3 million students, while there are 1,572 CBSE-affiliated schools in the state. The move to adopt a CBSE-style syllabus aims to:
- Enhance student readiness for competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, and UPSC.
- Standardize education quality across state and central board institutions.
- Align textbooks with NCERT guidelines, ensuring national-level academic consistency.
- Introduce modern teaching methodologies and assessment patterns.
Phased Implementation Plan
The Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research will update state board textbooks to match NCERT standards. Simultaneously, teachers will receive training to adapt to the new curriculum.
To facilitate this transition, the state will develop model schools, known as CM Shri Schools, similar to the Union government’s PM Shri Schools initiative. Each taluka will have 7 to 10 such schools, which will serve as centers of excellence in the new curriculum.
How Will This Benefit Students?
- Uniformity in learning standards across Maharashtra and CBSE-affiliated schools.
- Better preparation for national-level exams with an NCERT-based syllabus.
- Improved teaching methods through structured teacher training.
- Enhanced learning outcomes for students in 87,000 zilla parishad and aided schools.
The initiative marks a significant step in Maharashtra’s education policy reform, aiming to bridge the gap between state and central education boards while equipping students with better academic and competitive exam preparation.
