West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE)

West Bengal Board of Primary Education is an autonomous body under the Government of West Bengal in the Department of School Education. It was established on 1st January in the year of 1975 by the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 (West Bengal t Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 (West Bengal Act XLIII of 1973) to make a better provision for the development, expansion, management and control of primary education with a view to make it universal, free and compulsory. "What else the students can't do? They can rise up to the occasion and can do a lot of works. China upheld the flag of freedom and became free with the help of these students. Arrangement for spread of primary education among those who were devoid of the light of knowledge was made by the lakhs of students in the city of Peking when the civil war broke out in china ... A near era has dawned in our country. We require new approach to education by innovative strategy." Basically with a view to attaining the goals of education for all at the primary level (5+ to 9+ age group under the jurisdiction of Primary Education) the Board proposes to ensure (i) universal access, (ii) universal retention and (iii) universal quality achievement in the primary education sector. Obviously, to reach these the Board as per the powers and functions vested in it by the Act (W.B.Primary Education Act, 1973 as amended from time to time) has successfully made so far the following strategic interventions that are logically coherent. "A" state level Primary School Education Board for which provision already existed in the Primary Education Act of 1973, has been established. The Board is supposed to exercise jurisdictional authority on the District Primary School Councils, The objective is as much to decentralise as to democratise the primary education system." (Ashok Mitra Commission 1992, Page 39) Though the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 West Bengal Act XI, III of 1973 as referred to above by the Commission was passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as early as on the 20th September, 1974, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education could be established as provided in the Act only in 1990. It actually started functioning on and from the 2nd July, 1990. Several inhibiting factors were instrumental for the late implementation of the Act. The Left Front Government with the assumption of its office took up with the Act and made extensive but necessary changes in it. But it took a long time for getting assent of the Hon'ble Governor. Hon'ble Governor, as a matter of fact, sent it to His Excellency the President of India and the assent of the President reached after long lapse of several years. But court case again acted as a stumbling block. Some teachers of the then North 24 Parganas district filed a case against the said Act. The formation of the Board as well as the District Primary School Councils as per the revised act was further delayed. At last on 2nd July 1990 the West Bengal Board of Primary Education could be established with Prof. Partha De, Ex-Minister, School Education as its President and Shri Amal Das, the then Additional Joint Director, Directorate of School Education as its Part-time Secretary. With the establishment of this Board, unique in the whole country in respect of supervision, development, management and control of Primary Education in the State, four segments of education in the State came under four such autonomous Boards, viz. * West Bengal Board of Primary Education * West Bengal Board of Secondary Education * West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education * West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education It is worthwhile to mention in this connection that the Ashok Mitra Commission set up in August 1991, immediately after the Board was established in July 1990, suggested not only the exercise of jurisdictional authority of the Board over the District Primary School Councils but also indicated its responsibility to induce the District Councils to coordinate effectively with the district inspectorates of schools and the Panchayet Samitis. (Ashok Mitra Commission, Page 42) Introduction of a Modern and Scientific Curriculum and Syllabuses: After independence curriculum and syllabuses based mostly on the Gandhian Philosophy of basic education were introduced as early as in 1950. After a lapse of some 31 years a new curriculum and syllabi subject-wise were introduced from 1981. Based on the recommendations of Prof. Himanshu Bimal Majumdar Committee 1978 this curriculum claims an innovative approach on counts more than one. In its bid to seek a total development of child, it kept in mind all the requirements for reaching this goal. With a view to making education life skill oriented and to making it realistic and practical, Co-scholastic subjects such as (a) Direct Experience-based works, (b) Creative and Productive works had been included as the basis of the curriculum. Emphasis was laid on Games, Sports and Physical Education, formation of scientific attitude and promotion of inquisitiveness and power of observation. The system of Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation along with the policy of No-Detention upto class IV was introducedmaking it realistic and practical, the Directorate of School Education then took the initiative to develop the instructional materials such as text-books and some Guide-books. The SCERT, West Bengal since its inception in eighties took up the initiative to prepare the text-books and the Guide-books. Subject-wise Committees as recommended by the Himanshu Bimal Majumdar Committee were formed for the purpose and the SCERT developed the manuscripts of text books and subsequently some guide books in early eighties. The manuscripts were then handed over to the Department of School Education for publication and distribution. With the introduction of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) and the Policy of No Detention as per the new Curriculum it became an imperative on the part of the Government to impart training in all these respects to all the educational functionaries both at the State and District levels and then to the Primary teachers as well. It was the SCERT that took the initiative to impart necessary orientation in all these respects. A three-tier and time bound Orientation Programme could however, be undertaken in 1994 - 1995 after the Primary Board was set up in 1990. ...view more