Bengal Government includes Syama Prasad Mookerjee in school curriculum

The West Bengal government has announced significant changes to the curriculum of state schools. The life and contributions of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, will now be included in the school curriculum. Education Minister Deepak Barman, while speaking to journalists on Wednesday, stated that Mookerjee will be mentioned in every textbook, and a brief introduction to his life and works will be provided.

Along with the newly revised curriculum, some old chapters have also been removed. The chapter regarding the Singur land acquisition protest movement, which was previously part of the Class 8 curriculum, has now been removed from the textbooks. Additionally, the committee has recommended the removal of the chapter on the Kanyashree scheme from Class 6 textbooks. Kanyashree was a major conditional cash transfer scheme of the previous TMC government.

According to Education Minister Deepak Barman, the revised curriculum prepared by a committee will place more emphasis on the state's history and its leading personalities. The quality of the textbooks has also been improved, and the quality of the paper used for the books has been enhanced. Furthermore, the complete text of 'Vande Mataram' will be printed at the beginning of every textbook.

Under the new curriculum, focus will also be placed on technology. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will be introduced as a structured subject with a prescribed syllabus for students of Classes 5 to 8. Third-language textbooks will also be introduced for Classes 7 and 8.

Discussions are also underway regarding the pass-fail system in schools. Regarding the removal of the 'no-detention' policy up to Class 9, the Minister stated that discussions are ongoing and a decision is expected soon.

The government is also considering changes to the schedule of the 2027 Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations. The primary objective of this change is to avoid a clash between the examination dates and the census process, as school teachers will need to be deployed for the census. The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has proposed conducting the Madhyamik (Class 10) examinations between March 2 and March 16, instead of February 15 to February 25.

Similarly, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) is likely to propose conducting the fourth-semester Higher Secondary examinations after March 16, instead of the estimated schedule of January 22 to February 23. Minister Deepak Barman stated that all these proposals have been received and the revised examination dates will be announced next week.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.