In a step aimed at strengthening psychosocial support and career readiness among school students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched two flagship initiatives-the CBSE Career Guidance Dashboard and the Counselling Hub and Spoke School Model-for the academic year 2025-26.
The move comes as part of CBSE's broader push to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 goals on student wellness, socio-emotional learning (SEL), and future-ready skill development.
What's New?
The Career Guidance Dashboard, accessible at cbsecareerguidance.in, serves as a one-stop platform offering curated resources for students exploring career pathways. It provides tools for aptitude assessment, subject-wise career information, and decision-making support, helping students make informed choices aligned with their interests and strengths.
Parallelly, CBSE has also rolled out the Counselling Hub and Spoke School Model, a structured network of "hub" and "spoke" schools, where trained counselors from designated hub schools will mentor counselors and wellness teachers in 8 to 10 spoke schools. The aim is to streamline counseling services, enhance psychosocial support, and build capacity within schools.
Reinforcing Mental Health and SEL
The hub-and-spoke framework is designed around key principles:
- Creating safe spaces for students and educators
- Promoting peer-led community support
- Encouraging best-practice sharing
- Building an inter-disciplinary approach to mental health support
The model prioritises early identification of students' mental health needs, preventive care, and a culture of wellness through monthly meetings, training sessions, and collaborative learning. Crisis response protocols, burnout prevention, and age-appropriate wellness activities are also part of the model.
Aligning with NEP 2020 Goals
These initiatives reflect CBSE's commitment to making psychosocial support systems and career guidance more accessible, accountable, and standardised across its affiliated schools. Under the NEP 2020 framework, CBSE is focusing on:
- Appointing qualified counselors or wellness teachers in every school
- Providing capacity-building training for educators, counselors, and parents
- Creating professional networks for knowledge exchange
- Embedding SEL into school culture through sustained programs
Over 200 counselors have already been trained as Master Trainers, and schools have been urged to adopt the model seriously to ensure a consistent and supportive environment for students.
Next Steps For Schools
CBSE has called on all affiliated institutions to:
- Identify and nominate hub and spoke schools
- Ensure participation in the counseling network
- Actively use the Career Dashboard in classrooms
- Implement mental health and well-being programs under the new model
The initiatives are aimed at building a supportive ecosystem where students don't just succeed academically but also thrive emotionally and professionally. By institutionalising structured support at every level, CBSE hopes to create schools that are not just centres of learning but also safe, nurturing environments for holistic development.