Mita Mukherjee
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said semester system will not be implemented in primary level (I to V) which was announced by the state primary education board recently.
Negating the board’s decion at a administrative review meeting at Nabanna, the state headquarters, the chief minister questioned state education minister, Bratya Basu how a major policy decision like introducing semester system in the primary level was announced without clearance from the government.
She said at a time when she was trying to reduce burden on students, she was surprised to know that the board was wanting to introduce semester system which would increase the burden. She said she will not allow semester system to be introduced in primary level.
During the meeting she reminded Basu that before any policy decision is made, it must have the clearance of the government. “I came to know from the media about the introduction of the semester system in primary classes. I had no idea about this. I asked the chief secretary, even he was not aware. Bratya, you must remember if there is a new policy decision, it has to be consulted with the government…. I want to reduce burden. We have reduced the school bag load…. These little children are taught Twinkle Twinkle Little Star which they cannot pronounce properly. And you want to implement semester system for these kids? They don’t even know what this is all about. There will be no semester system. The existing system will continue,” the chief minister clarified.
Banerjee, however, said that semester system has been introduced in Classes XI and XII and it will continue. The West Bengal Board of Primary Education had announced about the board’s plans to rollout semester system in Classes I to V last week. Responding to the chief minister’s question, Basu said at the meeting, the proposal was given to the chief secretary and the decision would not have been implemented without her approval.
“But then how did the media publish the news?” the chief minister asked. “The policy was not approved by the government. Then why was the news given to media. Since the news is published, people are thinking that semester system is already introduced…” the chief minister said.
Basu later told media that since it was a policy decision and the chief minister had not given her approval, no official notification was made about the imementation of the semester system in primary level. The proposal was sent to the state chief secretary Manoj Pant and the decision would not have been implemented without the approval of the chief minister.
“The primary board had informed me about it. I said that I would seek the final approval from he honourable chief minister. She has said no and that is final. There is no need for any further discussion… no controversy is needed… the semester system in the higher secondary level was introduced only after the approval of the honourable chief minister,” Basu said.
