More than 8,200 West Bengal govt schools 'to be closed down'. Can UNESCO help?

By Harasankar Adhikari

Recently, UNESCO showed interest in the West Bengal education system, and the Institute for Lifelong Learning of the United Nations Agency expressed its willingness to join the State’s education system because the government is reportedly taking several initiatives for strengthening the education system. But has this agency collected the information on the ground reality of this state’s education system and its very recent data?

A few days ago, a list of 8,207 schools to be closed went viral in social media. The list was prepared and leaked by the concerned department of West Bengal because the student strength of these schools is about 30 or less.
Statistics from the West Bengal education department revealed the poor state of affairs in the primary education sector, with as many as 7,018 state-run primary schools shutting shop in the last ten years. In 2021, the number of primary schools in West Bengal was 75,299. The number of primary schools in West Bengal fell gradually from 76,703 in 2016 to 75,299 in 2021.

Further, it was also reveals that, as of March 31, 2012, there were 74,717 state-run primary schools in West Bengal. The figure has come down to 67,699 as of March 31, 2022.
Another scenario states that the number of examinees for secondary examinations in this year (2023) has been reduced by 50 percent from last year. It has been recorded that the rate of high school dropouts (especially after the Class-VIII standard) has been increasing. As there is a limited scope of jobs after higher education, this section migrates to different states for jobs.
Why is this happening? Is West Bengal's population growth stagnant? Or have parents of children at the bottom of the pyramid no faith in government sponsored education? Or are they interested in their wards’ school education in the private sector ? Or are they not interested in sending their wards into schools for education because there is no future in it? Or education is not for the poor.

The government is secretly facilitating privatization in education, and it works for education but not for the poor

This government provides a package of incentives for the attainment of education by all. Now almost every school has the facilities of a building, separate toilets, and drinking water. Up to class VIII, education is free. The government provides books and educational materials, dress and shoes; a midday meal (although quality and quantity are doubted); Sabuj Satha (a bicycle); world-recognized Kanyashree; and so on.
Then, why do people turn their back on government sponsored education? Of course, the quality of education and teachers, as well as the attitudes of teachers towards pupils, are deeply attached to this. Private tuition has become mandatory for students for their own benefit. Secondly, corruption in school jobs is another factor impacted.

Thirdly, the government is secretly facilitating privatization in education, and it works for education but not for the poor because education has no future in job sectors. And also, the educated degree holders have no status, while the just literate politicians of different hierarchies enjoy the highest form of power, prestige, and ownership of wealth.
The current policy in education is furthering illiteracy in the state. The state would surely sink into the deep ocean of darkness where political politics and corruption are misleading and de-motivating the future generation and their guardians (especially those in poor socio-economic strata). Is it the birthplace and work place of Raja Rammohun Roy, Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda, and Rabindranath Tagore, who struggled to remove the darkness of this land through education?

Every sensitive citizen should think why this is happening and the State should be protected from discriminatory politics.

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar* Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram* April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

Counterview

Search This Blog