Mamata Banerjee Dismisses Proposal for Semester System in Primary Education
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Kolkata, Jan 2 (NationPress) West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has firmly turned down the suggestion from the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) to establish a semester system in the primary education sector of the state. During an administrative review meeting at the state Secretariat, Nabanna, she criticized Education Minister Bratya Basu for making this decision without her or Chief Secretary Manoj Pant's consultation.
On December 27, WBBPE President Goutam Paul announced at a press conference the introduction of the semester system, indicating that two examinations per year would be held for primary students starting from the next academic year in 2025.
Expressing her displeasure on Thursday, the Chief Minister noted that the decision was made public without her awareness. "Not every decision can stem from the suggestions of a few advisors. I seek to alleviate the burden on children. How can first and second graders engage in a semester system? What is suitable for college examinations cannot apply to school-level assessments. Hence, this cannot proceed," Banerjee stated.
She further directed the Education Minister that any educational policy-related announcements should not be made to the media without thorough discussions. Additionally, she emphasized that no policy decisions from any state department should be taken without involving the Chief Minister's Office and subsequently announced to the public.
On December 27, WBBPE indicated that a credit-based semester system would be introduced in primary education starting in the 2025 academic year, with a corresponding modification of the syllabus to align with the new framework.
The WBBPE leader also mentioned that examinations in 2025 would follow the old syllabus, while the new syllabus would come into effect in 2026. On the same occasion, he asserted that the state School Education Department had already endorsed the proposed changes.
