Govt school students to get opportunity to pursue their curriculum in English

Students in government-aided schools will now get an opportunity to pursue their curriculum in English.

After government-run schools, the state will introduce an English medium section in government-aided schools as well.

An education department source in Bikas Bhavan pointed out state government’s level of seriousness in this issue. The officers of the education department are making subsequent plans of starting English medium in some of the West Bengal Board schools, which they feel is the need of the hour.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee recently had a meeting on the issue. The minister wished to have more detailed discussion.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take the final call on the issue.

The source also pointed out that Hindu School and Hare School are on the first list of schools to be granted permission, but in a primary level. One government school from each district will be upgraded with an English medium section.

Earlier, the state had announced plans to start English medium sections in fully government-run schools from Class I onwards.

For the next academic session, 20 schools have been identified. Rest of the 45 schools will be granted permission after initial reports.

The teachers of the government schools supported the move. They opined that if English medium sections are introduced across all government schools, parents of students from financially weaker sections will be able to fulfil their dreams.

It is a known fact that the demand of government schools is declining and one of the main reasons is the medium. Nowadays a girl or a boy cannot fight in the job sector without good English communication skills. But the infrastructure needs to be adequately updated. Good quality teachers should also be recruited.

The teachers assured of bridging the gap. During the Left Front rule, students from financially weaker sections went to government schools while children of the rich went to private schools. But the Mamata Banerjee’s government is aiming to develop the infrastructure in such a manner so that government schools will be as good as private ones. Introducing English medium sections in Bengali medium schools in the government as well as aided schools (English would be introduced in these schools as well) is one of the steps towards achieving the goal.

After government run schools, government-aided ones too are on the way to receive approval to start one English medium section in the Bengali medium schools. As part of a new initiative, the state government had mentioned last year about the plans to start English medium sections from Class I onwards in the government run schools. In the pilot project, 20 schools have been identified to start the section initially. After initial reports, rest of the 45 government schools will be granted a similar permission. 

It was, however, the Left Front government which towards the end of its regime in 2009 realised the big mistake committed earlier by doing away English medium in the government schools. In 2010, they started one English medium science sections in Classes XI-XII in several government schools. Even now, Ballygunge Government School, Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School and Bethune Collegiate School run the English medium classes.