West Bengal to start bridge course to help school students recover learning loss: Report

NEW DELHI: The West Bengal Madhyamik and Higher Secondary Boards has planned to introduce a bridge course in schools from November 18 to assist students overcome the learning loss of two-years due to pandemic situation, News18 reported.

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A senior officer of the education department told News18 that the course has been prepared by a panel of teachers and its objective is to provide speedy learning to the students to make up for what they have missed out in the two years.

The officer added that the government plans to first begin the bridge course for classes 9 and 12 so that the students appearing for the board examinations in 2022 are better prepared, the report said.

Officials of both Madhyamik and Higher Secondary boards have given training to the teachers teaching in various government schools managed or run by the state government to start the bridge course from November 18, the report said.

According to the officer, under the bridge course, students of class 9 will be taught the important concepts of classes 7 and 8. While class 10 students will be taught the major concepts of classes 8 and 9. A similar course will be used for students currently studying in classes 11 and 12, the report said.

As per the board officials, the bridge course is a necessity and not an obligation. Officers of the education department strongly believe that schools in Kolkata and other major cities in the state held regular online classes but students staying in far off villages and small towns could not get in the online classes due to the digital gap.

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“Students who were in class seven or eight are now in class nine and 10 respectively. Students who failed to take classes during the pandemic have missed out a lot in the last one and a half years. To help the students understand the subject better the bridge course is being introduced,” a senior official of the Education department was quoted as saying.