Open schooling is a notion that can revolutionize society and bring out the best in individuals since it encourages students to strive for excellence. Open school is an alternative education that caters to the diverse academic demands of students up to the pre-degree level, including secondary, senior secondary education skill and vocational education. The entire approach boils down to reaching the unreached. Admission to NIOS or State Open Schooling (SOS) such as BOSSE takes place throughout the year. Learners can also have the Transfer of Credit facility for subjects in which they received the minimum needed grades in previous Boards of Examination. Learners are not forced to drop out of secondary school because they are unable to meet the minimum requirements in any subject due to the flexibility. At the senior secondary level, a wide range of subjects are open for selection, without the traditional categorization of Science, Commerce, and Social Science streams. Learners who choose the ODL (Open and Distance learning) method have the option of accumulating credits over five years. Forms are accessible for submission both offline and online.
BOSSE, being a State Open School, charges very low fees, which include all reading materials, and offers fee-concessions to reserved/disadvantaged groups. The minimum age for secondary and senior secondary school applications is specified, based on age-appropriateness in traditional schools, but there is no maximum age for enrollment in BOSSE, making the system accessible to over-aged learners. Now, let’s take a quick look at BOSSE’s Mission, Vision, Objectives, and Functions.
Mission & Vision
- To provide education to those who are unable to attend regular schools but still wish to further their education.
- Through an Open and Distance Learning System, deliver relevant, continuous, and holistic education up to the pre-degree level.
- To ensure that everyone receives a high-quality education to fully harness the nation’s human potential.
- To help in the universalization of education.
- To be the best in the world in creating high-quality Open and Distance Learning curricula and courseware for students.
- To meet the educational needs of the prioritized target groups for equality and social justice.
- To create a fully literate society.
- To endorse open schooling at the national and global levels by networking, capacity building, resource sharing, and quality verification.
Objectives
- To promote open schooling as a concept and to emphasize its possibilities to local, state, and national governments.
- Work to make this type of education more popular among possible participants in the states.
- To advocate and lobby for greater participation of open Board practitioners in national education policy-making.
- To emphasize the importance of developing National Qualifications Frameworks and examination systems that can suit the unique needs of open schools.
- To encourage the development of systems for the recognition of prior learning, as well as the accumulation and transfer of credits, that will allow people who participate in open schooling to freely transition into other types of education and training, and vice versa.
BOSSE ODE: On Demand Examination
BOSSE, a State Open School, also allows students to take the exam at any time throughout the when they are prepared. They can simply set a date and time that is convenient for them and then walk in for the exam on the planned date and time.
List of Vocational Courses offered at BOSSE
Secondary Level
- Laundry Services
- Beauty & Wellness
- Tour & Travel
Senior Secondary Level
- House Keeping
- Hotel Front Office Operation
Conclusion
Because of the open and learner-dependent nature of open learning, BOSSE, a well-known State Open School, provides a non-formal style of education that is advantageous to anyone unable to attend regular schools for whatever reason.