The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary Education, Pune came into existence on 1st January, 1966, as per the Maharashtra Act No.XLI of 1965 (called as Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act 1965) to regulate certain matters pertaining to secondary education in the State of Maharashtra. The Act was amended in 1977 and the nomenclature of the Board has been changed to "The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education."

As a State level organisation, the Board substantially contributes towards upgrading educational standards and introducing innovations in the field of secondary and higher secondary education. The Board is diverse, mass participative education system with a broader base of access that provides the benefits of uniformity and diversity. Over a period of 3 decades, the Board has grown tremendously in terms of schools and number of students.

(2) FUNCTIONS :

The Board advises the State Government on matters of policy relating to secondary and higher secondary education in general and on the following matters in partcular :-

18(a)

1. Ensuring a uniform pattern of Secondary or Higher Secondary Education.

2. Maintenance of uniform standard of education in Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges.

3. Co-ordination between National policies and State policies in Secondary or Higher Secondary Education.

4. Co-ordination between Secondary or Higher Secondary education, university education and primary education.

18(b) To lay down guiding principles for determining Curricula and Syllabi and also to prepare the detailed syllabi for all standards of secondary and higher secondary education.

18(d) To prescribe standard requirements in respect of staff, buildings, furniture, equipment, stationary and other things required for secondary schools and junior colleges.

18(e) To prescribe any books as text-books or to prepare or cause to be prepared any books and prescribe them as text-books, for all standards including the final standard of Secondary and higher secondary education.

18(f) To prescribe the general conditions governing admission of regular and private candidates to the final examinations, and to specify the conditions regarding attendens and character, on the fulfilment of which a candidate shall have a right to be admitted to and to appear at any such examination.

18(g) To award certificates to candidates passing the final examination

18(h) To institute and award scholarships, stipends, medals prizes and other rewards, and to prescribe conditions therefor.

18(l) To call for special reports and information from the Director of Education and other officers of the Education Department and any information from any Secondry School or Jr. College to ensure maintenance of academic standards in secondary and higher secondary education;

18(n) To appoint officers and servants of the state Board (other than the Chairman, Secretary, Joint Secretary or Asstt. Secretary) in its office and in the offices of the Divisional Boards and regulate the terms and conditions of their service.

18(q) To inspect and supervise generally the working of the Divisional Boards and to inspect periodically the accounts thereof.

(3) MAJOR STRENGTHS :

The Indian National System of Education envisages a common education structure throughout India that places thrust on common school system and a common core curriculum. The Board has fulfilled this national obligation by providing uniform curriculum with a flexible scheme of studies suitable to the needs of students. The schools and students enjoy and share common previleges as regards curriculum, text books, examinations and academic innovations.

(4) DECENTRALISATION :

The Board has emerged as a major role player in both the Secondary and Higher Secondary sector and a potential source of human resource capital of the State of Maharashtra. The jurisdiction of the board extends to the whole state of Maharashtra comprising of 33 districts. The Board has decentralised its activities in favour of increased responsibilities to the students, teachers and the schools, It has eight divisional boards at Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Nasik, Amaravati, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Latur. All these divisional boards enjoy autonomy in the conduct of examinations.

(5) ORGANISATIONAL SET UP :

The highest executive of the Board is the State Chairman, who is assisted by a Secretary and Assistant Secretary at Head Quarter and by Divisional Chairman and Divisional Secretary at the Divisional Boards. All these officers belong to the State education cadre.

The Board has various statutory committees which are advisory in nature. The Governing Body of the Board is constituted as per its rules and regulations. The recommendations of all the committees are placed for approval before the Governing Body on the Board.

(6) STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD :

The Board has a full time Chairman, who is the Chief Executive of the Board. He is assisted by the Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Acounts Officer in all matters concerning examinations, administration, finance, vigilance etc.

STATE CHAIRMAN

(1) GOVERNING BODY

(2) EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

(3) EXAMINATION COMMITTEE (4) ACADEMIC COUNCIL

(5) FINANCE COMMITTEE (6) BOARD OF STUDIES

(7) EQUIVALENCE COMMITTEE (8) CURRICULAR RESEARCH COMMITTEE

(7) EXAMINATION FRAMEWORK :

The Board conducts S.S.C. & H.S.C. Examinations at the end of Class X and XII twice a year in March and October.

The core curriculum at the Secondary State comprises of the study of 3 languages (viz.Mother tongue, National language and English) and Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences as the subjects of external assessment. Physical and Health Education, Work Experience, one of the Optional Subjects, Personality Development and Environmental Education are the five subjects that are studied and continusouly assessed internally by the schools.

(8) AFFILIATION :

All the Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges permitted and recognised by the education department are eligible for affiliation with the Board subject to fulfillment of prescribed conditions to ensure that education is of approved and comparable quality in that respect. The No.of Institutions have been increasing over the years.

(9) LANGUAGE STUDY :

The Board provide 27 languages besides Marathi, Hindi and English. A student can opt for a State language or any Indian language or classicle language or a Foreign Language under the three language formula adopted by the State. This is aimed to developed tolerance and respect for diversity within the State as India is a multicultural and multilinguistic nation.

(10) ENDEAVOURS IN EDUCATION :

The main thrust of the Board is directed to fulfil the aim and objectives as the leading national Board of Secondary Education in the Country. The key issues of Secondary Education are access, quality, modernisation and diversity. As the Board ensures quality in education through well define areas such as :

1. Curriculum design and content

2. Teaching and learning assessment

3. Question Banks

4. Teachers Training

5. Research etc.

(11) ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION :

To familarise the students with the growing concerns of environmental degradation, ecological imbalances and the global concerns on environmental issues, the Board imparts Environment Education in schools through activities.

(12) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY :

Information Technology has been introduced in the Stds. VIII to XII as one of the Optional Subjects from this year. Similarly special course under M.C.V.C. has been introduced. The Board has revised new curriculum on Information Technology Applications for the Vocational Stream at +2 Stage.

(13)

Online Examination :In the subject of Information Technology from March 2004 examination is conducted over the web. This is first ever experiment. 36,444 students gave examination this year.

1. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT : HIGH-LIGHTS

The syllabi of Stds. IX to XII have been revised and restructured taking into consideration the draft syllabi and guidelines supplied by the N.C.E.R.T. The restructure syllabi contain approximately 70% of the core supplied by the N.C.E.R.T and 30% have been framed on the basis of regional requirement and situation. These syllabi had been approved by the State Government These syllabi have been introduced in Stds. IX and XI dfrom the academic year 2006-2007 and in Std. X and XII from the academic year 2006-2007.

While restructuring the syllabi of STd. IX to XII the national guidelines and the following frontline areas have been given due weightage.

Frontline areas

1. Training in lifeskills

2. Education to develop vocational skills

3. Education in stress management

4. Education in Information Technology

5. Teaching communication skills

6. Environment awareness and the need for ecological preservation

7. Value education

8. Education enhancing general knowledge

9. Education to enable students to face the challenges of liberlisation, privatisation and globalisation

10. Education for fighting terrorism and emergency management

11. Education for improving emotional quotient

12. Creating consumer awareness

13. Safeguarding human rights

14. Creating awarness regarding space technology

15. Genetic Engineering

16. Bio-Technology

17. New areas of health care

18. Energy problems

19. World Geography

20. World Trade Organisations

21. Anthropological discoveries

22. Enterpreneurship

23. Water Management

24. Awarness regrading agriculture

25. Awarness regarding child labour

26. Eradication of superstitions

27. Travel & Tourism

28. Awarness regarding removal of corruption