New Education Policy 2023 in West Bengal: Students to Learn 2nd, 3rd Languages Based On Population Pattern

WB New Education Policy: The West Bengal Education Minister, Bratya Dasgupta, said on Tuesday that a student has the right to select their first language and that the state government would not interfere with it. Speaking to reporters, Dasgupta said that the choice of second and third language will be based on the demographic and ethnic makeup of the area.

"A student is free to choose the first language. In Kolkata, you can choose Bengali as the first language. In the Darjeeling hills, you can choose Nepali as the first language if you wish," he said. "In certain regions of the state, a student can choose Alchiki or Rajbanshi as the first language. You can also opt for Urdu as the first language," he added.

He further stated that the government does not want to force Bengali as the second language. The second and third languages will be decided based on the population distribution and ethnicity, which are determined by demographic factors.

Students In West Bengal To Learn 3 Languages, Bengali to Be Priority

The recommendations of the state education policy will be implemented in schools by the board and in colleges by the university. The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts the class 10 final exams and the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WCCHE) conducts class 12 final exams.

According to the new West Bengal education policy, students in Classes 5-8 will be required to learn 3 languages, with the first language being Bengali. Students will be taught 2 languages at the elementary level, with the mother tongue being the first language. 

The third language could be local or regional as well as foreign languages, but the priority would be given to the Bengali language, Sanskrit language, or Hindi language. The main objective of the policy is to impart the language of Bengali to the youth of West Bengal.

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