Odisha plans to merge BSE and CHSE into a unified school board, with teams set to study states like Assam to ensure smooth implementation and improved education outcomes
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha government is solidifying its plans for the merger of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) within the state. To facilitate this process, a team will be dispatched to states that have recently implemented similar reforms, allowing them to study these approaches and ensure the smooth execution of the merger.
A senior official from the School and Mass Education (SME) department informed TNIE that the joint team, which will include members from CHSE, BSE, and other relevant officials, is set to visit states where such mergers have already occurred. The objective is to identify best practices that can be adopted to guarantee a seamless merger process, ultimately leading to the establishment of a unified state board for Class X and XII in Odisha.
Sources indicate that the department had initially planned to send the team at the beginning of December. However, this plan was temporarily postponed due to the ongoing winter session of the Assembly and the involvement of CHSE and BSE authorities in finalizing the examination schedule for the Annual Higher Secondary Examination and Class X Board examinations.
“The team will now proceed to study the merger plans after the winter session of the Assembly concludes,” stated the official from the department.
An official from CHSE, Odisha, mentioned that before their scheduled visit, they had pinpointed several states where the reform had already been successfully implemented. Assam is among these states, having established the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) last year by merging the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) through the Assam State School Education Board Act, 2024. The Council official further noted that during their visit, the team will engage with education department authorities and other stakeholders to obtain a thorough understanding of how the restructuring was planned and executed.
The plan to merge BSE and CHSE in Odisha had been announced by the state government in August this year, following a review meeting of the SME department chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Currently, the BSE is responsible for the curriculum and exams for Classes I to X, while the CHSE is in overall charge of Class XI and XII in Odisha.
The Ministry of Education had also recommended seven states, including Odisha, to adopt a common board for Classes X and XII for improved academic outcomes earlier this year.
