West Bengal Considers One Class, One Teacher Policy for Primary Schools
West Bengal plans to implement a One Class, One Teacher policy to enhance education quality in primary schools starting next academic year.
Kolkata, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The West Bengal government is contemplating the introduction of a ‘One Class, One Teacher’ policy in its primary schools, as announced by Education Minister Deepak Barman on Thursday. This initiative aims to assign a single teacher to oversee all subjects for a specific class.
Barman explained that under this policy, a teacher will be responsible for the comprehensive education of their assigned students. He also mentioned that the annual salary increments for these teachers could be linked to the academic progress of their students.
The minister elaborated on the rationale behind this initiative, stating that discussions with educational experts revealed that having defined responsibilities increases commitment to the role. The primary goal is to strengthen the relationship between students and teachers while improving educational quality. By assigning a teacher to one class for the entire year, they can develop a deeper understanding of the students’ strengths and weaknesses, thus fostering holistic development.
In addition to this policy, the state government has devised a strategy to improve the teacher-student ratio at both primary and secondary levels. Currently, the ratio stands at 1:26 in primary schools and approximately 1:50 in secondary institutions.
Barman noted that hiring an additional 13,000 teachers could improve the primary level ratio to 1:20. The government also plans to enhance the ratio at the secondary level.
The proposal has been welcomed by the All-Bengal Primary Teachers Association. General Secretary Dhruvashekhar Mandal emphasized the necessity of assigning one teacher per class, arguing that spreading responsibilities across multiple classes complicates the task of ensuring comprehensive student development.
