Since 2020, the British Council and the Central Board of Secondary Education have partnered to support education reform across India. Together, we are strengthening teaching, learning and assessment practices in schools, aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

This partnership supports schools and educators to deliver more learner-centred, inclusive and future-ready education by strengthening leadership development, assessment reform, teacher professional development, research and national advocacy.

In January 2023, the British Council and CBSE signed a renewed five-year Memorandum of Understanding (2023–2028), building on the success of earlier collaboration and expanding the partnership's focus on experiential learning, assessment reform, leadership development, climate and environmental education, research and advocacy. The partnership combines global expertise with local priorities to support system-wide improvements in teaching, learning and assessment across CBSE schools.

To find out more about the key areas of collaboration, check out the below sections.

Teacher and school leader development is a central pillar of the partnership. Professional learning programmes support educators to strengthen inclusive classroom practices, develop core skills and adopt approaches that promote deeper learning and student engagement.

Leadership development programmes, delivered in collaboration with leading UK institutions, strengthen educational leadership and system-level capacity for reform.

The partnership supports CBSE’s efforts to strengthen competency-based assessment and improve learning outcomes.

This includes work on strengthening assessment frameworks, developing learning progressions and evidence-based assessment criteria, and building the capacity of educators and Master Trainers to support implementation at scale. The aim is to support more meaningful assessment practices that better reflect learner progress and align with national education reforms.

Research and evidence-building play an important role in shaping the partnership's future direction.  The partnership undertakes research, impact studies, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to strengthen understanding of teaching and learning practices, inform policy and programme development, and support the scale-up of evidence-based approaches.

This work helps ensure that reforms are informed by robust evidence and responsive to the evolving needs of schools, educators, and learners.

The partnership provides opportunities for senior education leaders to engage with international perspectives and strengthen leadership practice.

These programmes support leadership development in areas such as educational leadership and governance, curriculum design and implementation, assessment reform, inclusive education, and sustainability in education.

Delivered in collaboration with UK institutions, they combine professional learning and international exchange to support leadership for educational change.

The annual School Education Conference has become a flagship platform for dialogue on education reform in India. It brings together policymakers, researchers, school leaders and educators to discuss key priorities including competency-based education, multilingual approaches, assessment reform, sustainability, and innovation in curriculum and pedagogy.

The conference supports knowledge sharing, collaboration and collective action across the education system.

Since 2020, the British Council–CBSE partnership has

  • Reached 100,000+ teachers through professional development resources and support
  • Trained and engaged 2,000+ teachers and education professionals
  • Conducted research across 30 schools in diverse regions of India
  • Convened 15,000+ educators and stakeholders through national education conferences
  • Supported the professional development of 50 senior education leaders through UK-led leadership programmes
  • Established a renewed five-year partnership (2023–2028) to advance education reform at scale

As the partnership continues through 2028, the British Council and CBSE will remain committed to strengthening teaching, learning, and assessment across India’s school education system. The partnership will support educators, school leaders, and policymakers through research, professional development, leadership programmes, and system-level collaboration, advancing learner-centred approaches and contributing to the implementation of India’s education reform agenda.

You may access the project resources in the 'Downloads' section below.
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