Four Santali schools upgraded from primary to junior high school level

KOLKATA: Four Santali state-run primary schools of South Dinajpur had been upgraded to junior high schools up to Class VIII from the new academic session of 2022, as informed by the chairman of District Primary Education Council (DPSC) Santosh Kumar Hansda.

Notably, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her recent administrative review meeting in Raiganj on December 7 had announced that the four state government aided Santali primary schools of this district would be upgraded to junior high schools from the upcoming academic session of 2022.

It was a long standing demand of the district residents to upgrade the schools for the benefit of tribal students.

Of the four upgraded schools, two each belonged to Balurghat and Banshihari blocks.

"As per the announcement of Chief Minister, Katna FP School and Fatehpur FP School belonged to Balurghat block while Deunagar FP School and Ragabnagar FP School belonged to Banshihari block. The tribal students of those areas will take their education through Santali language," Hansda said.

According to him, the areas where the schools were situated were entirely dominated by the tribal people.

"The decision of upgrading the primary schools to junior high schools will definitely be helpful for the tribal students of the areas. They will take their education through their mother-tongue," Hansda added.

It may be mentioned that a large part of both Balurghat and Banshihari blocks are tribal populated regions.

After becoming the Chief Minister of Bengal in 2011, Banerjee has been given importance on tribal language in formal school education for the benefit of tribal people.