Procedure and Requirements for opening a CBSE school in India

The Central Board of Secondary Education (abbreviated as CBSE) is a Board of Education for public and private schools, under the Union Government of India. It supports various schools in imparting

knowledge and maintaining uniform standards. Besides this, it is a self-financing body which is responsible for developing the curriculum for schools that are affiliated to it. CBSE affiliates all Kendriya Vidyalayas, all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, private schools, and most of the schools approved by central government of India. Moreover, the board has established certain norms that need to be followed by these schools.

However, opening a CBSE school anywhere in India demands a lot of commitment and a large amount of investment. However, the unending demand for more schools has paved way for budding entrepreneurs to start their own venture.

Examinations: The board conducts final examinations every spring for All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) for Class 10 and 12.The board also annually conducts the AIEEE exam for admission to undergraduate courses in engineering and architecture in numerous colleges spread over India. It also conducts AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test) for admission to major medical colleges in India.

The following essentials need to be taken care of while opening a CBSE school:

Finance/capital - Investment is the first pre-requisite for opening a school anywhere in India. This investment should accommodate all the necessary infrastructure & furniture, teaching & sports equipment, laboratory apparatuses, stationary etc. Typically, an investment of around 2 to 3 Crores is required. This can be arranged by approaching financial institutions or banks that provide loans for this purpose.
Registration - Registration of the school committee under a Trust/Society is the next important step. It is essential to get a proper guidance related to all the rules & regulations for the proper running of the school.

Site & land - The minimum land area for opening a CBSE school in a metropolitan city with a population exceeding 25 lakhs is approximately 1 acre which can further vary in accordance with the type of school and the location you choose. The land requirement is almost the same in hilly areas also. However, in all the other places, the land area should not be less than 2 acres. The land can either be leased (with a rental agreement of minimum 30 years) or can be your own property. Further, the site chosen should be such that it provides easy accessibility from all modes of transport.

Procurement of NOC - The NOC (NO-Objection Certificate) needs to be obtained from the government of the state where you are planning to open a CBSE school because then only you will be able to start the construction of your school.

Construction - On one part of the land, a proper school building should be constructed depending upon the number of students to be accommodated in the school. Besides this, a playground big enough to accommodate all the necessary sports and Extra-curricular facilities should be maintained on the remaining part of the land.

CBSE affiliation - For obtaining CBSE affiliation, a list of documents namely, the NOC obtained from state government, approval from the Municipal Corporation of the state and clearance from the Health department needs to be submitted to the board authority.

Recruitment - Recruiting a qualified and experienced staff is essential to create & maintain excellent education system in the school.

Promotion - Finally, marketing and advertising your school in the neighboring areas is important for the successful establishment of your school. This will further help you to attract more number of admissions.

Any other necessary requisites can be dealt after the establishment once the school starts running.

Ways by which colleges can get accreditation in India

Accreditation is a process of validation in which colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning are evaluated. In order for potential colleges to proceed with the accreditation process smoothly, they must meet the general standards set by the accreditation boards. Each college is typically assessed using the following criteria:

1. Overall Mission of the College
2. Objectives and Goals
3. Student Requirements for Admissions
4. Services Available to Students
5. Quality of Education
6. Reputation of Faculty
7. Infrastructure etc..

 Why accreditation is important: An important factor in realizing a successful career is choosing a reputable college. Colleges that have been through the accreditation process are more likely to offer degrees that employers and recruiters recognize. Companies want to know that you have a quality education and that you will have something to bring to the table when you join their team. For this purpose, accreditation enables companies to filter those individuals who have obtained a degree from an accredited institution from those who have not. Being accredited means, an institution has been evaluated and that it has met the set standards of quality determined by the accrediting organization. A college has to adhere to the set criteria of the concerned authorities, to sustain its accreditation. Colleges in India are accredited by various authorities, which provide independent review of educational programmes to determine that the education provided is of uniform and good quality. India has two autonomous accreditation bodies-

1. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) working under University Grants Commission (UGC)
2. National Board of Accreditation (NBA) functioning under All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

In India, only those colleges that have completed 5 years since their establishment can apply for accreditation. The process of accreditation aims towards systematic, objective, data-based, transparent and shared experience for institutional improvement. Hence, to get your college accredited in India, you need to follow the given steps: 

Step 1

Firstly, you need to fill up the online accreditation form. This would include the Letter of Intent and Institutional Eligibility for Quality Assessment. Ensure that you provide appropriate information and submit the form within the stipulated time period.

Step 2  

After filling up the form, you need to submit the requisite accreditation fees. The assessment and accreditation fee structure varies depending upon the courses offered by the college. For instance, the accreditation fee for colleges offering course in only one stream i.e. Arts or Commerce or Science is Rs. 50,000/- and those offering courses in more than one stream, such as Science and Arts is Rs. 75,000/-.

Step 3  

After the submission of the fee, your college administrative committee should prepare a detailed report to be submitted to the accrediting agency. The report should include the goals, operating measures and facilities provided by the college along with the essential documents.

Step 4

Once the accrediting agency receives a detailed report, an assessment team will visit your college for evaluation. Your college would be evaluated on 7 criteria, namely; curricular aspects, teaching-learning evaluation, research-consultancy and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance and leadership and innovative practices.

Step 5

After assessing the 7 domains, the accreditation agency will provide a final score i.e. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), according to which a grade A, B, C or D will be given to your college. If your college is awarded grade A, B or C then it is eligible to get accredited.

All the steps mentioned above will give you an in-depth knowledge of how to get your college accredited. The accreditation will be provided for 5 years to your college and you will have to apply for its renewal once the validity of accreditation expires. Thus, it becomes imperative to take necessary steps to keep improving the ways of teaching, to ensure that your college attains timely accreditation.