By Tr Anu and Tr Deepa for BIS Mumbai

On November 27, 2025, Don Bosco Senior Secondary School, Nerul, hosted a Capacity Building Programme on the Mandatory Implementation of Skill Education, branded as 'Kaushal Bodh.'

The session was attended by the Directors, Principals, Managers, Coordinators and Teachers from various CBSE schools of the Pune region, which focused on preparing educators for the effective introduction of Skill/Vocational Education in Classes VI to VIII, commencing from the Academic Session 2025-26, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The event commenced with traditional welcoming ceremonies, including the lighting of the lamp and a prayer song, followed by a cultural performance by Class 6 students on the five elements of life, the 'Paanch Mahabhutas.'

Eminent dignitaries from CBSE, including Dr Biswajit Saha (Professor and Director of Skill Education), Mr Ravinder Pal Singh (Additional Director), and Mr Satish Pahal (Joint Director), Dr Rajeev Kumar Garg (President of Sahodaya Schools Association, Mumbai) along with resource persons Ms Seema Jerath, Principal DLF public school, Ghaziabad UP and Ms Shyda Rana, were introduced and felicitated by Fr Dr Barnabe D'souza and Mrs Kalyani Chaudhuri.

The core of the programme detailed the 'Kaushal Bodh' curriculum, emphasizing a project-based, experiential approach built on foundational capacities. To make the learning interactive and impactful, the resource persons engaged participants in several fun and collaborative team activities, including analyzing case studies, conducting practical exercises on the effective implementation and assessment of skills, and organizing group presentations, where teams used non-verbal communication to convey their selected skill theme. Key implementation guidelines were shared, mandating that students engage with three projects annually across three forms of work (Life Forms, Machines and Materials, and Human Services) and that schools must allocate a minimum of five periods (110 hours) per week for Skill Education, supported by a Composite Skills Lab. The workshop also clarified the Competency-based assessment system, which is graded and includes continuous evaluation through oral presentations, activity book reflections, teacher observation, written tests, and a portfolio, culminating in a final Skill Exhibition.

Tr Anu Baxi embraced the shift from content delivery to facilitation, appreciating the structured, real-world application through the three mandated projects; concurrently and Tr Deepa Alok valued the clarity of the new Competency-based assessment framework, noting how continuous evaluation and the necessary infrastructure (Composite Skills Lab) underscore the serious institutional commitment required for this vital subject.

The successful and informative session concluded with group photograph and the formal distribution of certificates to all participating Principals, Headmistresses, Coordinators and teachers.