Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:- a. "Academic Year" means the academic year as decided by the Board; b. "Affiliation" together with its grammatical variations, means and includes, in relation to an institution, school and center, recognition or accreditation of such institution, school and center by, association of such institution, school and center, located in or outside the State of Sikkim including overseas, and admission of such institution, school and center, to the privileges of the Board including for the purpose of conducting the formal and informal school education, open and distance school education, vocational education, skill development Programs of the Board; c. "Board" means the Board of Open Schooling and Examination, Sikkim established under Section 3; d. "Board of Management" means the Board of Management constituted under Section 4; e. "Center" means a counselling centre or a study centre or information center or a facilitation center, established or maintained or recognized or accredited by the Board for the purpose of advising, counselling or for rendering any other assistance required by the student of any institution or school or center affiliated to the Board; f. "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Board appointed by the sponsoring body under Section 4; g. "Course" means and includes one of the branch of learning in programs of studies of school education, Skill and Vocational education, imparted in the formal mode and/or in the informal (non-formal)/distance education mode and/or in the virtual campus and/or in the online/e-learning mode in or through any institution, school or Study Centre affiliated to the Board; h. "Credit" is recognition that a learner has successfully completed a prior course of learning, corresponding to a qualification at a given level; i. "Distance education" includes "open and distance education/informal education" and means education imparted by means of communication and e-learning source viz broadcasting, telecasting, correspondence courses, seminars, contact programmes and any other such methodology; j. "Employee" means a person appointed by the Board to work in the Board and includes teachers, officers and others employees of the Board; k. "Examination" means an examination conducted by the Board in the mode and manner as decided by the Board; l. "Examination Superintendent" means a person appointed as such by the Board for control and supervision of the examinations to be conducted by the Board; m. "Fee" means collection made by the Board from the students, institutions, schools, centers and any other service provider in relation to providing school education, vocational education and/or skill development/training, by whatever name it may be called, which is not refundable; n. "Guardian" in relation to child, means a person having the care and custody of that child and includes a natural guardian or guardian appointed or declared by a Court or a statute; o. "Head of the Institution" means the Principal, the Head Master or the Head Mistress of a School, institution, Centre, affiliated, accredited or recognised by the Board; p. "Institution" means institution imparting school education, Skill and Vocational education/training; q. "Knowledge" means the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study. Knowledge is prescribed as theoretical and/or factual; r. "Learner" refers to an individual undergoing skill development training, whether in a formal or informal setting; s. "Learning Outcomes" represent what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process, and which would expression terms of knowledge, skills and competence; t. "Local Bodies" means Municipalities, Panchayat Samitis, Zila Parishads, Small Town Committees or Notified Area Committees; u. "Managing Committee" means the Managing Committee constituted by the foundation society or the governing body of an institution, school, center etc; v. "Member" means a member of the Board and includes the chairperson and Vice-Chairperson thereof; w. "Official Gazette" means the Gazette of the state of Sikkim; x. "Online Education" means and includes "virtual education/informal education" imparted by means of communication viz e-learning, broadcasting, telecasting, correspondence courses, seminars, contact Programmes and any other such methodology; y. "Open School" means all the school, institution or center affiliated, accredited or recognised under the Board including the Board itself for conduct of informal and open and distance school education; z. "Parent" means either the natural or step or adoptive father or mother of a child; aa. "Plus Two Scheme" means the scheme of education where under education is imparted for the two additional successive classes immediately following matriculation; bb. "Qualification" means a formal outcome of an assessment and validation process which is obtained when a competent body determines that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards; cc. "Regional campus" means the campus of the Board located in and outside sikkim or in any part of India and/or abroad; dd. "Regulation" means the regulations made under this Act; ee. "School Education" means all education up to the twelfth class, immediately preceding the state of entry to a course leading to the first degree of a Board established by law in India and includes plus two scheme; ff. "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Board appointed under Section 4; gg. "Skills" means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. skills are described as cognitive (involving the use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking) or practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments); hh. "Sponsoring Body" means the Regional Education Development council, New Delhi a non-profit company registered under Section 25 of the companies Act 1956; ii. "Study centre" means center as defined under clause (d) of section 2; jj. "Trainer" means someone who trains, instructs, teaches or otherwise enables the learner(s) to acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills; kk. "Vice-chairperson" means the Vice-chairperson of the Board appointed by the sponsoring body under Section 4; ll. "Virtual campus" includes the education/courses/programmes provided to students through E-learning/website/CD-ROM etc.