Significant Changes Coming to West Bengal School Textbooks

Revisions in Curriculum and Textbooks

Kolkata. The curriculum and textbooks in government schools across West Bengal are set to undergo substantial revisions soon. A committee formed by the state government has recommended changes to certain words used in Bengali language books and revisions to the history curriculum. Chaired by Professor Debashish Chatterjee from Kalyani University, the committee's proposals suggest replacing words like 'pani', 'abba', and 'ammi' with more commonly used terms such as 'jal', 'baba', and 'maa'. The aim is to prepare the first edition of the new textbooks by January 2027.

Additionally, the history curriculum is also slated for extensive changes. The new textbooks will incorporate recent archaeological discoveries from sites in Uttar Pradesh's Sinoli and Haryana's Rakhi Garhi, which present new evidence related to the arrival of Aryans in India. The life of Hindu nationalist leader Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee is proposed to be included, while chapters related to Mughal rule, British colonial history, and Marxist ideology will be reduced. Works such as Rabindranath Tagore's poem 'Shivaji Utsav' and Dwijendralal Ray's play 'Mewar Patan' will be added, whereas plays based on Siraj ud-Daula and lessons related to the Singur movement and the 'Kanyashree' scheme introduced by the previous government will be removed.

The review committee noted that given the limited time and the need to publish over 12 crore books, only essential amendments and improvements will be made. Furthermore, the state government is considering banning mobile phone usage in schools, reinstating the pass-fail policy (repealing the no-detention policy), and resuming extracurricular activities like the NCC (National Cadet Corps) to enhance discipline and quality in the school education system.