New Delhi (Agency): West Bengal’s education authorities are looking into a new teaching approach. The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has plans to introduce a semester system in classes 11 and 12. They aim to start this system from the 2024-25 academic year. According to officials, this idea aligns with the new state education policy.
The president of WBCHSE, Chiranjib Bhattacharya, shared that the council has already made a proposal. This proposal has been “submitted to the government,” he confirmed. The new state education policy draft suggests having semester-based education at the higher secondary level. They also recommend splitting the final exam into two separate parts.
Mr. Bhattacharya explained more about their plans: “We have submitted a proposal to the government already. It aims at bringing the two-year exam system under the four-semester module, conducting two board exams after the third and fourth semesters and holding the third semester exam in multiple-choice question (MCQ) mode,” he said.
However, not all classes may see this change. The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is not thinking about using the semester system for classes 9 and 10. Ramanuj Ganguly, the WBBSE president, clarified their position. He mentioned that their current method of conducting the secondary examination (madhyamik) will remain as it is. “We don’t have any intention to introduce the semester system till the tenth standard,” Ganguly emphasized.
An “empowered committee specific to the state of West Bengal” created the draft policy. This committee accepted the recommendation of keeping the current 4+4+2+2 education structure. Under this formula, students will have:
– Four years in foundation (basic learning)
– Four years in upper primary (a preparatory stage)
– Two years in secondary (classes 9 and 10)
The draft policy suggests that the final two years (higher secondary level) should be entirely semester-based.
West Bengal’s education system might see a significant change soon. If approved, students in classes 11 and 12 will study under a semester system from the 2024-25 academic year. However, classes 9 and 10 will continue with their current system. This proposal is in line with the new state education policy, which promotes semester-based education for higher secondary levels. The final decision will be made by the government after reviewing the submitted proposal.
