Addl English to do away from BSEM curriculum
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 21 2013: In tune with Language Policy of the National Curriculum, Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BSEM) has decided to do away with the subject of Additional English from the curriculum of Class IX starting from the next academic session (2014-15) onwards.

A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of BSEM held at its office here today.

According to report received by Hueiyen Lanpao, the subject of Additional English would be removed from the syllabus of Class IX from the academic session 2014-15 and the students would have no further option to take up the subject when they proceed to class X .

In addition to this, today's meeting resolved to revive the Credit Mark system for students opting Additional Subjects from the next academic session.

The total mark of class IX and X examination which was earlier 500 would be increased to 600 with the implementation of the Credit Mark system.

Board of Secondary Education Manipur BSEM logo

The present curriculum of BSEM comprised five subjects, namely First Language (MIL) or three other subjects (Elementary Manipuri, Elementary Hindi and Additional English); English, Mathematics; Science and Social Science.

After removing Additional English from the First Language (MIL), Elementary Manipuri and Elementary Hindi, however, would remain.

Languages included in the MIL are Manipuri, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Sanskrit, Tangkhul, Thadou-KUki, Mizo, Zou, Mao and Rongmei.

Consequent to the BSEM's decision of reviving the Grace Mark system, all those students who are opting Additional subjects can either choose their subjects of study from Commerce, Higher Mathematics, Information Technology and Home Science initially, but more subjects would be added to the list later on.

It is said that the decision of BSEM to do away with Additional English has been taken in accordance to the Language Policy of the National Curriculum under which students of class IX are required to study three languages namely Hindi, English and their local language, students reading in class X need to study two languages namely English and Major Indian Language (MIL) and those above class X are required to study only one language.

After discussing in detail, the meeting of BSEM concluded that studying English as a subject and Elementary English as another subject would mean that the students are taught only one language and as such it would be against the Language Policy.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also removed Additional English from its curriculum, the report added.

A member of BSEM who attended the meeting informed Hueiyen Lanpao that the earlier demand of the hill students claiming that there should be a subject of Additional English as they are not familiar with Manipuri subject will be irrelevant today as there is no hard and fast rule that Manipuri or Meeteilon should be opted as a compulsory subject.

They can choose from the 12 languages included under MIL.