According to the latest media reports, the UP Board is planning to improve the norms for science laboratories that are installed as a part of UP Board Schools in the state. Also, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has designated a committee to approve revised norms for setting up science laboratories for different subjects as part of a school affiliated to it. The process will put in place more stringent standards for the establishment of science laboratories that has to meet absolute improved ‘minimum required’ norms to attempt affiliation of the Board. For more updates, please go through the official website, https://upmsp.edu.in/.
Committee Elected to Revise Norms:
As per the UPMSP Secretary Neena Srivastava, the Board has delegated a committee consisting of science experts that have been tasked with the pledge to come up with the newly revised norms for establishing science laboratories as part of UP Board Schools.
Additionally, the Committee has its official gathering on 3rd October 2019, which headed as the first step towards the formulation of revised guidelines for the establishment of science laboratories as part of UP Board Schools.
The Committee will examine and revise the norms for installing up science laboratories dedicated to Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects.
The necessity to revise:
Firstly, the current norms are outdated and needed a careful thought in line with the current needs of students and the curriculum. Presently, schools attempting affiliation with UP Board only need to assure that their labs have gadgets worth at least Rs 25,000.
Moreover, UP Board has now affirmed the new NCERT syllabus, which also requires a thorough up-gradation of science labs of UP Board Schools.
Impact:
According to the information provided by UP Board, the new or updated norms for the setting of science laboratories will affect both, new schools attempting affiliation with the Board and the current schools which are already affiliated with the Board.
Both these sorts of schools will now have to meet the updated ‘basic requirement’ criteria set by the Board for science laboratories. Presently, about 28,000 schools which are affiliated to UP Board. Subsequent implementation of revised norms, all the schools will have to assure that their science labs have all necessary equipment, gadgets, and chemicals.