West Bengal has a literacy rate of 77.9% according to the latest census report. Education in West Bengal has always played an important role in the development of education infrastructure of the country. Educational environment of West Bengal was always very rich. This richness of educational environment can be dated back to the time of Ram Mohan Roy, David Hare, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Shashi Bhusan Chatterjee, William Carey and many others. These personalities had brought renaissance in the erstwhile Bengal.
Indian government has created a foolproof admission process, which is different for every academic program. However, a few similarities remain.
Transition Process Of Education In West Bengal Education system in West Bengal has gone through a drastic change to provide quality education to every student. Authorities have enforced the rule of ‘aggregate marking’ technique to measure student’s level of knowledge. State government has also taken steps to provide special tutorial classes to civil service students. These new ideas have increased momentum of development, which is proceeding to give a new facelift to the education system.
Primary Education- West Bengal primary education is the first stage of training a student to step into the world of competition. There are more than 67926 schools in West Bengal. Government of West Bengal understands that education is more than just printed alphabets on books. That’s why they try their best to educate students with practical approach.
Secondary Education- Secondary schools in this state are under direct authority of Central board of secondary education (CBSC), Indian certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and West Bengal board of secondary education (WBSC). West Bengal has become a leader in developing education infrastructure in India by making education available to all. Guidance of skilled and experienced teachers help the students to have a solid educational foundation, which helps them to do great in their higher studies.
College Education- Number of colleges in West Bengal has already exceeded 260 and still growing in number. West Bengal is particularly known for its tremendous capability of providing higher education with the help of Engineering colleges, B.Ed colleges, commerce colleges and all the important education streams. The colleges of arts and science have always shown their competence in producing scholars and leaders. In addition, the affinity of modern people towards fashion and business management courses has compelled the state government to establish new institutions of fashion designing and management in Kolkata and other places of West Bengal.
Universities- Universities of West Bengal offer Undergraduate, Doctoral, Post Graduate, Diploma and Certificate programs. Every course is unique in design and proficiency. While coping with the modernization of education, these universities offer traditional distance learning programs. Currently, there are 22 universities in West Bengal. Most of them are state governed.
Benefits For Foreign Students
After receiving positive response in providing distance education in west Bengal, state Govt. has enacted the scheme of ‘Direct Admission of Students Abroad’. This fresh strategy has ensured best education and social security for the foreign clients.
Given below are names of few schools in the state and their affiliating boards:-
| Name of schools | Location | Affiliating board |
|---|---|---|
| South Point Hig School | Kolkata | CBSE |
| DAV Model School | Kharagpur | CBSE |
| Central School for Tibetans | Darjeeling | CBSE |
| St Xavier’s School | Pedong | ICSE |
| Don Bosco School | Kolkata | ICSE |
| Mahadevi Birla School | Kolkata | CBSE |
State Board schools in West Bengal
| Name of schools | Location | Affiliating board |
|---|---|---|
| Bankura Banga Vidyalaya | Bankura | WBBSE |
| Chandipur BRS High School | Malda | WBBSE |
| Kantore Mahadev High School | Midnapore | WBBSE |
Professional options in West Bengal
West Bengal Technical Education and Training Department plays an instrumental role in imparting career oriented and professional courses in the state of West Bengal.
The table below has the names of colleges along with the courses offered and the eligibility criteria.
| Type of Colleges | Name of the colleges | Courses offered | Eligibility criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | Aryabhatta Institute of Engineering and Management/Asansol Engineering College/Academy of Technology | B.E/B.Tech | West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination |
| Law | Haldia Law College/Balurghat Law College/Jalpaiguri Law College | LLB | Common Law Admission Test |
| Medical | Calcutta National Medical College/Nilratan Sircar Medical College/RG Kar Medical College | MBBS | West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination |
| Polytechnic | Asansol Polytechnic/Birla Institute of Technology/Coochbehar Polytechnic | Diploma in engineering | West Bengal Polytechnic Entrance Exam |
| Management | Amity Global Business School/Burdwan Institute of Management and Computer Science/Department of Business Management | MBA | Joint Entrance Management Aptitude Test |