Education in Kolkata

Kolkata is a city, where, before the British rule, Sanskrit and Bengali were the medium of instructions. However, the Britishers paved the way for English as a medium of instruction, and the first such school was the Presidency College, founded in 1917.

Secondary Education

Kolkata has the option of 10 parallel school education systems. All the K-12 schools are affiliated to one of the following boards:
  1. CBSE
  2. ICSE
  3. EdExcel (International Board)
  4. Cambridge International Board
  5. International Baccalaureate
  6. National Institute of Open Schooling
  7. Rabindra Mukta Vidyalaya
  8. West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education
  9. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
  10. West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education

All the schools are either government-run or privately held.

The government-run schools are affiliated to WBBSE. Bengali is the medium of instruction in these schools. Most of them introduce English only in Class VI. The WBBSE conducts a board exam (Madhyamik) at the end of class X. The students who pass it become eligible for admission to Class XI in particular streams (science, arts or commerce) and appear for Uchha Madhyamik.

The private schools are affiliated to any of the aforesaid boards. ICSE, CBSE, Cambridge International Board, International Baccalaureate, National Institute of Open Schooling follow the all India pattern of education.

In Kolkata, students also have the option of becoming private students, wherein they are allowed to appear for the board exams without taking admission to any school.

Colleges

Kolkata has 3 major universities, viz. Calcutta University, Jadavpur University and Rabindra Bharati University. The colleges affiliated to these universities offer courses in arts, science, humanities, medicine, law and commerce. The main focus of Jadavpur University is to impart both graduation and post-graduation in the same campus. Rabndra Bharati University specialises in fine arts including dance, arts and music. The IIMK is situated in the city. Apart from many engineering colleges, Kolkata also houses 9 medical colleges. There are some prominent research institutes, viz. the Indian Statistical Institute, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, the Bose Institute and the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health.

Kolkata decides the status of a person not as per the material wealth he/she possesses, but as per the standard and degree of his/her education. More...

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Last Updated on : February 10, 2016