Compare the system and structure of CBSE Board and SSC Board.

Compare the system and structure of CBSE Board and SSC Board.

The system and structure of CBSE and SSC Boards are enlisted below.

CBSE BOARD

Logo:
Founded	03 November 1962
Chairperson	Anita Karwal, IAS
Parent organisation	Ministry of Human Resource Development
Headquarter	New Delhi
Regional Offices	Chennai, Guwahati, Ajmer, Panchkula, Allahabad, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Thiruvananthapuram, Dehradun
Official language	Hindi; English

1.      Introduction:

a.      The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by Union Government of India.

b.      CBSE affiliated schools follow NCERT curriculum only.

c.       There are approximately 20,299 schools in India and 220 schools in 28 foreign countries affiliated to the CBSE.

2.      Organisational Setup:

a.      The Board functions under the overall supervision of the Controlling Authority which is vested with the Secretary (School Education & Literacy), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

b.      The Board has various statutory committees which are advisory in nature.

c.       The Governing Body of the Board is constituted as per its rules and regulations.

3.      Structure of the board: 

a.      The Chairperson is the Chief Executive of the Board and is assisted by fourteen Heads of Departments i.e.

                                                              i.      Secretary,

                                                             ii.      Controller of Examinations,

                                                           iii.      Director (Academics),

                                                           iv.      Director (Training),

                                                             v.      Director (IT),

                                                           vi.      Director (Misc. Examinations),

                                                         vii.      Director (Edusat, Research & Development),

                                                       viii.      Director (Skill Education),

                                                           ix.      four Regional Directors,

                                                             x.      Director (Registered Office, Ajmer) and

                                                           xi.      Director (Professional Examinations).

b.      The Secretary (School Education and Literacy), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India is the

                                                              i.      Controlling Authority of the Board

                                                             ii.      appoints the Chairman and other Heads of Departments.

c.       The Secretary, CBSE is the Chief Administrative Officer and responsible for the matters relating to

                                                              i.      Administration,

                                                             ii.      Audit and Accounts,

                                                           iii.      Public Relations,

                                                           iv.      Legal and

                                                             v.      grant of affiliation to schools.

d.      The Controller of Examinations is responsible for all matters concerning

                                                              i.      examinations

                                                             ii.      administration of examinations,

                                                           iii.      the major areas being pre and post examination work,

                                                           iv.      co-ordination with Regional Offices for conducting annual and compartmental Secondary and Senior School Certificate Examinations.

e.      The Director (IT) is responsible for all matters concerning

                                                              i.      pre and post examination activities of all regions,

                                                             ii.      CTET,

                                                           iii.      Publication Management System,

                                                           iv.      Scholarship,

                                                             v.      Recruitment,

                                                           vi.      Website all new IT ventures and projects.

f.        The Director (Academics) is responsible for

                                                              i.      developing the curriculum for all the subjects at the Secondary and Senior Secondary levels,

                                                             ii.      development of new courses content and innovations in the field of education, to publish textbooks for Secondary and Senior Secondary classes

                                                           iii.      monitoring the academic projects.

g.      Director (Training) organizes

                                                              i.      teacher’s training workshops,

                                                             ii.      assessing training needs capacity building programs.

h.      The Director (Skill Education) is responsible for all matters concerning designing of curriculum for Skill Education subjects.

i.        Director (Professional Examinations) is responsible for all matters concerning

                                                              i.      conduct of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST) and

                                                             ii.      Kendriya Vidyalaya Selection Test.

j.        The Director (Misc. Examinations) is responsible for conducting (CTET).

k.       The Director (Edusat, Research & Development) is responsible for all matters concerning Distance Education through Education Satellite launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (I.S.R.O.)

l.        The Director (Registered Office Ajmer) is responsible for the activities of Registered Office, Ajmer like issue of duplicate documents, verification, correction in Board’s documents etc.

m.    The Regional Directors are responsible for all matters concerning

                                                              i.      conduct of Secondary and Senior Secondary certificate

                                                             ii.      main and compartment examinations and

                                                           iii.      administration of examinations,

                                                           iv.      the major areas being pre and post examination work,

                                                             v.      declaration of its results and other related activities.

4.      Committees:

a.      Affiliation: -

                                                              i.      Granting affiliation to institutions;

                                                             ii.      laying down qualifications for teachers;

                                                           iii.      constituting inspection panels;

                                                           iv.      suggestions, additions or alternatives in Affiliation By-laws

b.      Curriculum: -

                                                              i.      Coordination of the recommendations of the Subject committees;

                                                             ii.      Revision and updating of Curriculum documents,

                                                           iii.      Policies relating to Academics,

                                                           iv.      Training and Innovation.

                                                             v.      Introduction of new subjects as Elective, preparation of textbooks and supplementary material as required.

c.       Examination: -

                                                              i.      Appointment of paper setters and moderators;

                                                             ii.      Fixation of maximum/ minimum pass criteria/marks;

                                                           iii.      Duration of examinations;

                                                           iv.      Special permission and exemption cases etc.

d.      Finance: -

                                                              i.      Revision of rates of fees;

                                                             ii.      Payments for work pertaining to examination/ affiliation

5.      History:

a.      A trail of developments mark the significant changes that took place over the years in shaping up the Board to its present status. U P Board of High School and Intermediate Education was the first Board set up in 1921. It has under its jurisdiction Rajputana, Central India and Gwalior.

b.      In response to the representation made by the Government of United Provinces, the then Government of India suggested to set up a joint Board in 1929 for all the areas which was named as the 'Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Rajputana'. This included Ajmer, Merwara, Central India and Gwalior. The Board witnessed rapid growth and expansion at the level of Secondary education resulting in improved quality and standard of education in institutions. But with the advent of State Universities and State Boards in various parts of the country the jurisdiction of the Board was confined only to Ajmer, Bhopal and Vindhya Pradesh later.

c.       As a result of this, in 1952, the constitution of the Board was amended wherein its jurisdiction was extended to part-C and Part-D territories and the Board was given its present name 'Central Board of Secondary Education'.

d.      It was in the year 1962 finally that the Board was reconstituted. The main objectives were to serve the educational institutions more effectively, to be responsive to the educational needs of those students whose parents were employed in the Central Government and had frequently transferable jobs.

6.      Jurisdiction

a.      The jurisdiction of the Board is extensive and stretches beyond the national geographical boundaries. As a result of the reconstitution, the erstwhile 'Delhi Board of Secondary Education' was merged with the Central Board and thus all the educational institutions recognized by the Delhi Board also became a part of the Central Board.

b.      Subsequently, all the schools located in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Andaman and Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, the state of Sikkim, and now Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh have also got affiliation with the Board.

c.       From 309 schools in 1962, the Board as on 01-05-2019 has 21271 schools in India and 228 schools in 25 foreign countries.

d.      There are 1138 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 3011 Government/Aided Schools, 16741 Independent Schools, 595 Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalayas and 14 Central Tibetan Schools.

7.      Objectives: -

a.      To define appropriate approaches of academic activities to provide stress free, child centered and holistic education to all children without compromising on quality.

b.      To analyze and monitor the quality of academic activities by collecting the feedback from different stakeholders.

c.       To develop norms for implementation of various academic activities including quality issues; to control and coordinate the implementation of various academic and training programmes of the Board; to organize academic activities and to supervise other agencies involved in the process.

d.      To adapt and innovate methods to achieve academic excellence in conformity with psychological, pedagogical and social principles.

e.      To encourage schools to document the progress of students in a teacher and student friendly way.

f.        To propose plans to achieve quality benchmarks in school education consistent with the National goals.

g.      To organize various capacity building and empowerment programmes to update the professional competency of teachers.

h.      To prescribe conditions of examinations and conduct public examination at the end of Class X and XII. To grant qualifying certificates to successful candidates of the affiliated schools.

i.        To fulfill the educational requirements of those students whose parents were employed in transferable jobs.

j.        To prescribe and update the course of instructions of examinations.

k.       To affiliate institutions for the purpose of examination and raise the academic standards of the country.

8.      Regional offices:  Presently CBSE has 10 regional offices:

1.      Delhi: Covering NCT of Delhi and Foreign Schools.

2.      Chennai: Covering Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

3.      Guwahati: Covering Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

4.      Ajmer: Covering Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

5.      Panchkula: Covering Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

6.      Allahabad: Covering Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

7.      Patna: Covering Bihar and Jharkhand.

8.      Bhubaneswar: Covering Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.

9.      Thiruvananthapuram: Covering Kerala and Lakshadweep.

10.  Dehradun: Covering Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

9.      The prime focus of the Board is on:

a.      Innovations in teaching-learning methodologies by devising students friendly and students centered paradigms.

b.      Reforms in examinations and evaluation practices.

c.       Skill learning by adding job-oriented and job-linked inputs.

d.      Regularly updating the pedagogical skills of the teachers and administrators by conducting in service training programmes, workshops etc.

10.  Grading System: -

a.      For the Class 10 and Class 12 exams, CBSE (along with the marks obtained) includes the positional grade obtained by the student, which is dependent on the average performance of the students in that subject.

b.      Consequently, the cutoffs vary every year.

·   Grade  Criteria

·   A1        Top 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   A2        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   B1        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   B2        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   C1        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   C2        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   D1        Next 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   D2        Last 1/8 of passed students in that subject

·   E          Failed students (in either theory, practical or overall)

c.       During CCE: During 2010-2017, when CBSE implemented a CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) for grade 10 students, only the grades obtained by the student were mentioned in the report card in a 9-point grading scale, which translates as below:

                                                              i.      Former grading scale (CCE)

·         Grade  Criteria

·         A1        >90%

·         A2        81-90%

·         B1        71-80%

·         B2        61-70%

·         C1        51-60%

·         C2        41-50%

·         D          33-40%

·         E1        21-32%

·         E2        0-20%

SSC BOARD

Logo:
Founded	01 January 1966
Chairperson	Sarjerao Jadhav
Parent organisation	State Governmental Board of Education
Headquarter	Pune
Regional Offices	Nagpur, Aurangabad, Mumbai, Amaravati, Latur, Kolhapur, Nashik, Kokan
Official language	Marathi; English

1.      Introduction: 

a.      The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, Pune 411004 is an Autonomous Body established under the provisions of the Maharashtra Act No. 41 of 1965.

b.      The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, conducts the HSC and SSC Examinations in the state of Maharashtra through its Divisional Boards.

c.       The Board conducts examination twice a year and the number of students appearing for the main examination is around 14 Lacs for HSC and 17 Lac’s SSC, for the supplementary examination around 6 Lacs students are expected HSC and SSC together.

d.      There are about 21000 schools (SSC) and 7000 (HSC) Higher Sec. Schools / Jr. colleges in the entire state.

2.      HISTORY:-

a.      The Board came into existence on 1 January 1966 to regulate certain matters pertaining to secondary education in the state of Maharashtra, as "Maharashtra State Secondary Education Boards".

b.      The act was amended in 1976, and the name of the Board changed to its present name, "Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education".

3.      FUNCTIONS:-

a.     The board is responsible for formation, and implementation of the rules and regulations in accordance to the guidelines set by the state as well as central boards.

b.     It is also in charge, autonomously, of, and implementation of the syllabus/curriculum of all the grades, textbooks, exam schedule, and type.

c.      The board is also responsible for creation of textbooks, scoring of the centralised tests, and conducting examinations fairly and providing unbiased justice in the event of dispute.

d.     The Board conducts examination twice a year and the number of students appearing for the main examination is around 1,400,000 for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and 1,700,000 for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) every year.

e.     The exams are usually held in the months of March, and October every year; and results are given out usually in June, and January respectively. March marks the end of educational year, and June marks beginning of the new educational year in the state of Maharashtra.

4.     DIVISIONAL BOARDS: -

a.    There are nine divisional boards with the state to represent the state board. Their duties include, but not limited to:

·         Decide the schools/colleges to conduct the final exams.

·         Appoint the paper setters, translators, custodians (of question papers, and blank and filled up answer papers), conductors (transportation), and examiners (paper checkers).

b.       There are nine divisional boards located at Amravati, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Konkan, Latur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, and Pune.

Divisional board	Year of foundation	Districts include in the division	Ssc no of schools	Ssc no.of candidates	Hsc no of schools	Hsc no.of candidates
Pune	1966	Pune, Ahmadnagar, Solapur	3098	270130	1038	213996
Nagpur	1966	Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Wardha, Gadchiroli, Gondia	2444	206809	1171	176550
Aurangabad	1966	Aurangabad, Beed, Parbhani, Jalana, Hingoli	2116	162978	1050	127374
Mumbai	1985	Mumbai, Thane, Raigad	3337	373313	954	312717
Amaravati	1991	Amaravati, Akola, Buldhana, Yeotmal, Washim	2378	186364	1185	146052
Kolhapur	1991	Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli	2084	158348	588	119015
Nashik	1993	Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar	2492	197833	739	152177
Latur	1997	Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad	1619	110053	586	68999
Kokan	2011	Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg	592	45386	170	29425

5.      ORGANISATIONAL SETUP OF BOARD

6.      GRADING SYSTEM

a.      Marking Scheme for Maharashtra SSC Board Exams

Total marks –                                                           650
Languages: 20 (oral) + 80 (written) =                      100
Math:  30 (internal) + 120 (written) =                      150
Sciences:   20 (Practical) + 80 (written) =                100
Social Science:   20 (internal) +80 (written) =         100

b.      Information Communication Technology (ICT) was introduced in 2014 with 40 marks written, 10 marks orals. It is a grade result.

c.       The state education board is considering setting separate passing scores for written and practical or oral examinations and a decision on this is expected to be taken soon.

d.      The matter came up in the context of reports that an abnormally large number of students scored full or close to full marks in the practical or oral exam conducted at the institutions, whereas many of them were satisfied with scoring the minimum in the written exam that was necessary to pass the 35% mark.

e.      If a student is not satisfied with the assessment of his answers after obtaining a photocopy of the answer sheet, they can request the divisional board to re-assess his paper with shell out Rs 400 for a photocopy of their answer sheet and Rs. 300 for the revaluation of each paper.

Constitutional Provisions in Education

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS TO PROMOTE EQUITY THROUGH EDUCATION

(Please note that discussion given for each article should be elaborated further and connected to how the article can promote equity.  )

The Fundamental Rights of the Indian Constitution has also adopted the fourfold ideal of justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Our Constitution has laid down that in the eyes of law, everyone should have an equal status,  justice not be denied to anyone and  everyone should have liberty of thought, expression.

Following articles make provision to protect the rights of the vulnerable and assure that they are provided with education and protected by the law.

ü  Article 14: Equality before law:

The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.

Discussion:

This is a fundamental right and cannot be easily taken away from an individual. The State does not recognize differences based on caste, religion, gender, social status, place of birth etc. This ensures equality to all citizens. Equality ensures that all citizens have the same opportunities to progress.

ü    Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth:

1. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
2. No citizen shall be subject to any restriction or condition with regard to -
1. access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or
2. the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained whole or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of general public.
3. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women, children, socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Discussion:

The article supports fundamental rights. It provides special provisions for uplift of the marginalized. In 2006 this article was amended according to the 93^rd amendment to include special provisions with respect to admission of the socially and educationally backward classes. Women’s education has seen a lot of development. Special facilities are made for education of women.

ü Article 21A: Right to Education:

The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine. (RTE followed from this article)

Discussion:

Education is free upto school level. Girls have free education upto Class XII. Education is now considered a right. The salient features of the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education are :Free and compulsory education to all children of India in the six to 14 age group; No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until completion of elementary education; A child who completes elementary education (upto class  shall be awarded a certificate; Calls for a fixed student-teacher ratio;  Provides for 25 percent reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in admission to Class One in all private schools; Mandates improvement in quality of education; School teachers will need adequate professional degree within five years or else lose job; School infrastructure (where there is problem) to be improved in three years, else recognition cancelled; Financial burden will be shared between state and central government.

ü Article 29(2)

states “No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.” (This should be understood in connection with 29(1) which is in connection with interests of minorities)

ü Article 45: Provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.

This article is considered as a directive principle of state policy. It states ‘The State shall endeavor to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years. The State shall endeavor to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.’ Amended Text as per the 86th Amendment of December, 2002 and passed by Parliament in July 2009.

Discussion: 

Primary Education is a basic need for every child, no matter what caste or creed. Programs as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are efforts to achieve universalization of education.

ü Article 46: Promotion of the economic and educational interests of  the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections :

The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. It is laid down in Article 46 as a directive principle of State policy that the State should promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and protect them from social injustice. Any special provision that the State may make for the educational, economic or social advancement of any backward class of citizens may not be challenged on the ground of being discriminatory.

Discussion:

Special efforts are being made for education of the backward classes. Scholarships, hostel facilities, ashram residential schools, relaxed norms for admission, reservation of seats are efforts to achieve universal education in case of backward classes.

All the above articles of the Constitution provide adequate protection to the vulnerable groups of society. If there is any instance of marginalization, the affected person can approach the court of law and seek justice.

Role of Education in addressing needs of Marginalized Groups in India

Role of Education in addressing the needs of  Marginalized groups in Indian society : SC/ST/OBC/EBC/NT, Tribals, Women, Rural and remote region

Definition: 

The Encyclopedia of Public Health defines marginalized groups as, ‘To be marginalized is to be placed in the margins, and thus excluded from the privilege and power found at the center”.

The specific role of education in addressing the needs of the marginalized group is as follows: -

• To empower the marginalized : education is  a societal resource and a means to achieve egalitarianism
• Given equal opportunity for general, vocational, technical and professional education most citizens have equal status in the society. Education is often considered as an equalizer.
• Education brings about awareness of legal provisions that the marginalized can resort to in case of infringement of their rights.
• To create awareness about various schemes that help to combat stratification e.g.: schemes for girl child.
• To sensitize society towards the impact of stratification.
• To create egalitarian minds  by instilling human values.
• Education nurtures critical thinking, decision making and such vital life skills that will help to fight the ill effects of stratification.
• Education seeks to integrate the marginalized into the mainstream through common education system, compensatory education, Laws such as Right to Education Act.

    Provisions & Schemes for education of the marginalized:

(Source: Ref note on welfare schemes for OBCs released by Lok Sabha secretariat Nov 2014, Central Govt financial schemes published by Loksabha secretariat Aug 2013 )

• Hostel Facilities, Midday Meals, Reservations, Education Loans and Scholarships.
• Financial assistance to NGOs providing vocational training where 90% expenditure is reimbursed by government.
• Reimbursement of fees for SC/ST students.
• Scheme under National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation to upgrade entrepreneurial and technological skills of OBC.
• Ashram School:- residential schools for ST (over 1600  ashram schools exist) Teachers from ST community. Sensitization programs for non ST teachers. Schools teach socially useful crafts.
• Shilp Sampada Scheme for upgrading technical  and entrepreneurial skills give loans to artisans.
• Eklavya Model residential schools (EMRS) :- The objective of EMRS is to provide quality middle and high level education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas, not only to enable them to avail of reservation in high and professional educational courses and as jobs in government and public and private sectors but also to have access to the best opportunities in education at par with the non ST population.
• National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment - educational loan for those living below double poverty line(p.a Rs. 40,000 rural areas and Rs. 55,000 urban areas).
• EBC (income upto Rs one lakh a yr) Dr. Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loan for Overseas Studies for Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) effective from 2014 through Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• People in rural areas are provided with Navodaya Vidyalayas, Distance Primary Education  Program (DPEP), RTE provision primary schools within 1 km.
• People in remote areas are provided with Residential schools, ODL, use of technology, Digital India project launched in Aug 2014 plans to increase connectivity with villages.
• In  2014 the Hemanand Biswal committee recommended developing local language textbooks and teaching children in their local language with a gradual shift to Hindi or English to address issue of high dropouts.
• 3600 Kasturba Gandhi Balika vidyalayas (residential schools for upper primary girls from SC, ST, OBC communities set up where schools are far from habitation. 75% seats for SC/ST/OBC and 25% for those BPL. )  , National program for education of girls at elementary level for girls in educationally backward blocks , Kishori Shakti Yojana (vocational training for BPL girls between 15 to 18 yrs) Balika Smariddhi Yojana (scholarship for girls).

Trends in Development

Trends in GROWTH AND Development

 

1.   CEPHALOCAUDLE :-

• Development proceeds from the head downward.  
• According to this principle, the child gains control of the head first, then the arms, and then the legs.  
• Infants develop control of the head and face movements within the first two months after birth.  In the next few months, they are able to lift themselves up by using their arms. 
• By 6 to 12 months of age, infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl, stand, or walk.  Coordination of arms always precedes coordination of legs.

 2.   PROXIMODISTAL :- 

• Development proceeds from the center of the body outward.
• This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body.  
• The child’s arms develop before the hands and the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes.  
• Finger and toe muscles (used in fine motor dexterity) are the last to develop in physical development.

 3.   MATURATION & LEARNING: -

• Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development.  
• The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities.  Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation.  
• These changes in the brain and nervous system help children to improve in thinking (cognitive) and motor (physical) skills.  
• Also, children must mature to a certain point before they can progress to new skills (Readiness).  
• For example, a four-month-old cannot use language because the infant’s brain has not matured enough to allow the child to talk.  By two years old, the brain has developed further and with help from others, the child will have the capacity to say and understand words.  
• Also, a child can’t write or draw until he has developed the motor control to hold a pencil or crayon.  
• Maturation patterns are innate, that is, genetically programmed. 
• The child’s environment and the learning that occurs as a result of the child’s experiences largely determine whether the child will reach optimal development.  
• A stimulating environment and varied experiences allow a child to develop to his or her potential.         

 4.  CONCRETE TO COMPLEX: -   

• Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems.  
• For example, learning relationships between things (how things are similar), or classification, is an important ability in cognitive development.  
• The cognitive process of learning how an apple and orange are alike begins with the most simplistic or concrete thought of describing the two.  Seeing no relationship, a preschool child will describe the objects according to some property of the object, such as color. Such a response would be,  “An apple is red (or green) and an orange is orange.”  
• The first level of thinking about how objects are alike is to give a description or functional relationship (both concrete thoughts) between the two objects.  “An apple and orange are round” and “An apple and orange are alike because you eat them” are typical responses of three, four and five year old.  
• As children develop further in cognitive skills, they are able to understand a higher and more complex relationship between objects and things; that is, that an apple and orange exist in a class called fruit. The child cognitively is then capable of classification. 

5.   CONTINUOUS PROCESS: -  

• As a child develops, he or she adds to the skills already acquired and the new skills become the basis for further achievement and mastery of skills.  Most children follow a similar pattern. Also, one stage of development lays the foundation for the next stage of development. 
• For example, in motor development, there is a predictable sequence of developments that occur before walking.  The infant lifts and turns the head before he or she can turn over.  Infants can move their limbs (arms and legs) before grasping an object.  
• Mastery of climbing stairs involves increasing skills from holding on to walking alone.  By the age of four, most children can walk up and down stairs with alternating feet.  As in maturation, in order for children to write or draw, they must have developed the manual (hand) control to hold a pencil and crayon.

 6.   GENERAL TO SPECIFIC: -

• In motor development, the infant will be able to grasp an object with the whole hand before using only the thumb and forefinger.  The infant’s first motor movements are very generalized, undirected, and reflexive, waving arms or kicking before being able to reach or creep toward an object.  Growth occurs from large muscle movements to more refined (smaller) muscle movements. 

 7.   There are individual rates of growth and development.

• Each child is different and the rates at which individual children grow is different.  Although the patterns and sequences for growth and development are usually the same for all children, the rates at which individual children reach developmental stages will be different.  
• Understanding this fact of individual differences in rates of development should cause us to be careful about using and relying on age and stage characteristics to describe or label children.  There is a range of ages for any developmental task to take place.  This dismisses the notion of the “average child”.  
• Some children will walk at ten months while others walk a few months older at eighteen months of age.  Some children are more active while others are more passive.  This does not mean that the passive child will be less intelligent as an adult.  There is no validity to comparing one child’s progress with or against another child.  
• Rates of development also are not uniform within an individual child.  For example, a child’s intellectual development may progress faster than his emotional or social development.
• An understanding of the principles of development helps us to plan appropriate activities and stimulating and enriching experiences for children, and provides a basis for understanding how to encourage and support young children’s learning.