BOSSE, the Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education is an “Open Board” that is formed to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners up to the pre-degree level. The main goal of this board is to provide universal education to students who are unable to attend traditional schools (for any reason) and want to receive the same education as those who do. The board is responsible for boosting literacy and public awareness about the value of education, as well as providing flexible learning to those sectors and sections of society that are unable to get it. BOSSE, being an Open Board of school education, lowers the obstacles that may arise as a result of prior educational, financial, geographic, time, or disability-related constraints. It also recognizes and accommodates a learner’s preferred learning objectives (programmatic or specific to a course or module), his or her preferred method for completing the learning and demonstrating its completion, and his or her need for student services that will increase the individual’s chances of success.
BOSSE has embraced the spirit of open and distance learning, and its new paradigm, which includes shifting from teacher-centered to learner-centered, from instructor to facilitator, from oral to technology-assisted teaching, from fixed time to any time learning, and from education as a one-time activity to education as a lifelong activity. IN India, Open Boards has evolved into one of the most student-friendly educational boards.
BOSSE offers the following courses:
- Secondary Education Course, Class X.
- Senior Secondary Education Course, class XII.
- Skill & Vocational Education Programs.
What makes BOSSE so special?
If open learning is to become a viable alternative, it must not be viewed as inferior to the formal system. The importance of quality assurance in the open school learning system cannot be overstated. Because learning is fundamentally a process, hence, open learning is learner-centered. BOSSE has excelled in the use of information and communication technology (ITC). Here are some of the key characteristics that make BOSSE so special:
- BOSSE is an open board of education for secondary, senior secondary, and skill & vocational education, and follows the school system as other boards like CBSE, ICSE, and state boards do.
- BOSSE provides a distance education programme at the 10th and 12th levels as an alternative to formal education.
- Students who fail their board examinations in class 10 or 12 can take advantage of the On-Demand Examination option to retake their failed courses in the same year as their board exams.
- Students can obtain their marks for two subjects transferred from other recognized boards such as CBSE, CICSE, and any other state board through BOSSE’s Transfer of Credit facility.
- BOSSE does not have an upper age limit for any level of the exam, so students of any age can take it. It is also beneficial for school dropouts to continue their education and complete the course within 5 years.
- Students can choose from a list of subjects for secondary or senior secondary level, regardless of which stream they enroll in.
Open Boards are Favored by:
- Drop-outs from formal schools.
- People of rural and remote areas.
- Marginalized sections of society like rural youth & Backward classes.
- Candidates who have to complete their education later in life.
- People who want to study in a self-study environment.
- Unemployed and partly employed people.
- People with special needs, such as physically and mentally challenged.
- Minorities & Female population.
- Working population at the bottom level.
To sum up, the open boards serve as a link between today’s India and a future India with 100% literacy. The syllabus of BOSSE is based on the National Curriculum Framework, a reference structure developed by NCERT. As a result, open schooling appears to be reaching places where the formal system cannot while retaining educational quality.