The West Bengal government on Friday constituted a committee to review and recommend changes to the curriculum, syllabus and textbooks for classes 1 to 12 in line with NEP 2020 and the latest National Curriculum Frameworks.
According to a notification issued by the School Education Department, the syllabus-cum-curriculum committee will examine the existing curriculum at the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels and suggest reforms to bring them in tune with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (2022), the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2023), and contemporary pedagogical practices.
The panel will be chaired by Prof. Debashis Chatterjee of the University of Kalyani, while Arindam Banerjee, additional officer and ex-officio joint director of school education, will serve as the member secretary.
The committee has also been tasked with reviewing the state's examination and evaluation systems, teacher training mechanisms, classroom teaching practices and the growing dependence on private tuition.
It will recommend measures to promote conceptual learning, scientific temperament and reduce academic stress on students.
Officials said the panel would examine how classrooms could become the primary centre of learning by encouraging enquiry-based education instead of rote memorisation and excessive reliance on guidebooks and private coaching.
"The objective is to prepare a modern, child-centric curriculum that reflects national policy while addressing the realities of school education in West Bengal. The committee has been asked to look beyond textbooks and recommend reforms that improve both teaching and learning outcomes," a senior school education department official told PTI.
The committee has been asked to submit a preliminary report within two months of its first meeting and a final report within three months after incorporating feedback from stakeholders, including teachers, academic experts and education administrators.
The notification said the committee would function from the office of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, with administrative and financial support to be provided under the Samagra Shiksha Mission. Non-official members will receive an honorarium of Rs 10,000 for the duration of the assignment.
The panel includes academics from universities and colleges across the state, subject experts, school heads and teachers representing disciplines such as mathematics, science, Bengali, English, history, geography, work education and physical education. PTI
