West Bengal government schools to introduce English education from 2019

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New Delhi : Close to 65 state-run schools in West Bengal will introduce English medium teaching at primary and secondary levels from the next academic session, a senior government official confirmed media. Of the 65 schools, 44 in the primary section and 21 in the secondary section, the official said.

Education minister Partha Chatterjee had said earlier this month, the state-run government schools will offer English based education from the next academic year starting March/April 2019, to benefit students.

While English medium education will start in 50-60 state-run schools initially in Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal, the government will introduce English teaching in other state-run schools gradually, Chatterjee had said. 

“The list has been prepared on the basis of the Madhyamik (Class 10) and Uchha Madhyamik (Class 12) results of the previous years. The government has given preference to the best performing schools,” said the official.

The board will announce the name of the schools in January. The top state-run schools like Ballygunge government school, Hare school, Hindu school in Kolkata, Barasat government school in North 24 Parganas, Raiganj Coronation High schools are expected to be in the list.

English Education in India

English education in India was introduced by Thomas Babington Macaulay with its official introduction, though the necessary order on the subject was issued by Bentinck, the Governor-General of India, on 7 March 1835. Macaulay introduced English education in the country through his famous minute of February 1835. He called for an educational system that would create a class of anglicized Indians who would serve as cultural intermediaries between the British and the Indians.

To inform, English language public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the rule of the East India Company. In 1835, English replaced Persian as the official language of the Company.