CBSE Syllabus vs JEE-NEET: “Schools Will Empty by Class XI-XII”

A vice principal told the CBSE chairman: schools will soon be empty in Classes XI-XII. Here’s why India’s education crisis is deepening.

By MANISH ANAND

New Delhi, April 12, 2026 — “In a few years, schools will be without students in classes XI and XII.” That was a blunt message a vice principal told Rahul Singh, the chairman of the CBSE, on his face at a recent interaction in the national capital.

The vice principal in his diagnosis of the malady afflicting the higher secondary education was surgical. “The CBSE syllabus and NCERT textbooks are not in sync with aspirations of the students. The syllabi are failing the students,” he said in a video that is making rounds among parents.

The vice principal further expounded that the CBSE syllabi are becoming easier while questions in the competitive exams such as JEE and NEET are getting tougher. Equally alarming was his indictment of the CBSE looking away from the crisis faced by students in Class XI. “Syllabus if Class X has been made simpler. Students are soon given syllabus in Class XI that make them even lose confidence,” he added.

To the grave diagnosis of the crisis faced by students in the higher secondary schools, the CBSE chairman had the sagely wisdom of “making the students think out of syllabus” to offer. His response to the concerns of the vice principal could be summed up succinctly as praying for rains when drought sweeps through.

“Ninety percent of the students in Classes XI and XII attend coaching institutes. We insist on 75 percent attendance for them. They cannot skip coaching because even toppers in the CBSE examination may score zero in competitive examinations. That’s the level of disconnect between the CBSE syllabi and NCER books with the competitive examinations,” added the vice principal, who warned that if corrective steps are not taken then schools will soon be without students in 11^th and 12^th classes.

The response of the CBSE chairman to the vice principal was evasive. Students of such classes mostly are deprived of rest and recreational activities. They slog all seven days — meting CBSE’s 75 percent attendance rule and preparing for competitive examinations at the coaching institutes.

“I had failed in Class XI. But I later cleared JEE to get into an IIT,” said a centre head of a coaching institute, while seeking to explain the CBSE course materials disconnect with demands of the competitive examinations.

The coaching institutes continue to mushroom. The “Kota coaching factory” has fanned out across the country. Parents pay double — to schools and coaching institutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre equally seems disconnected with deepening crisis in the secondary education.

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FAQ

Q: Why are students in Classes XI and XII leaving school for coaching institutes?

A: The CBSE and NCERT syllabus is increasingly out of sync with JEE and NEET exam demands. Coaching institutes fill the gap that schools cannot.

Q: What is the CBSE 75% attendance rule and why is it a problem?

A: CBSE mandates 75% school attendance, but since 90% of Class XI-XII students also attend coaching institutes, they are forced to manage both — leaving little time for rest or study.

Q: What did the CBSE chairman say about the coaching crisis?

A: CBSE chairman Rahul Singh suggested students “think out of syllabus” — a response critics say fails to address the structural gap between school education and competitive exam demands.

Q: What is the Kota coaching factory?

A: Kota, Rajasthan is India’s coaching hub for JEE and NEET preparation. Its model of intensive, factory-style exam training has now spread to cities across the country.

Q: Are CBSE deleted topics still in JEE and NEET?

A: Yes. Topics removed from CBSE’s rationalised syllabus may still appear in JEE Main and NEET, which follow their own NTA-set curriculum — widening the gap further.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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