Bengal may begin implementing the semester system in grades 11 and 12

According to officials, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) intends to start using the semester system in classes 11 and 12 in the 2024-25 academic year. Chiranjib Bhattacharya, head of the WBCHSE, revealed to PTI on Thursday that the council has created a plan and sent it to the government.

The draft of the new state education policy, which was made public following the most recent cabinet meeting, recommended semester-based higher secondary education in addition to breaking the exam into two phases.

"We have already made a proposal to the government. It seeks to convert the two-year test system to a four-semester module, conduct two board exams after the third and fourth semesters, and hold the third-semester exam in MCQ format,'' he said.

But according to Ramanuj Ganguly, the chairperson of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, there are no plans to use the semester system for classes 9 and 10. As things stand, the current method of administering madhyamilk (secondary examination) will remain in place. He emphasized, "We don't plan to introduce the semester system until the eleventh standard.

An "empowered committee specific to the state of West Bengal" created the draft policy, which accepted the recommendation to keep the current 4+4+2+2 structure. A student will spend four years in foundation, four more in upper primary (preparatory stage), and two years (classes 9 and 10) in secondary school, according to the formula 4+4+2. Two years of the higher secondary level should be totally semester-based, according to the draft policy.