The state education department is collecting data from private schools and asking them to submit details of all students, including their photographs.
The private schools have to submit the total number of students enrolled in the school from pre-primary to Class XII, a student’s year of enrollment, choice of subjects, details of guardians and their bank details like account number and IFSC code.
The education department wants to keep a record of the total number of students enrolled in schools in West Bengal and track how many students have completed school, an official of the education department told The Telegraph. “It is significant data because there are many schools that are opting out of the state board and getting affiliated to CBSE and ICSE,” the official said.
“This would help the state education department to maintain a record. In case the Centre asks for any details, the state can provide it. It would be comprehensive data and not only limited to government or government-aided schools,” the official said.
Last year, the Centre conducted a national achievement survey where students of classes III, V, VIII and X took a written test. This was to evaluate their learning levels and assess any decline during the pandemic.
The students’ details have to be submitted on the Banglar Shiksha portal, which is an archive of the educational details of students in the state.
The exercise started a few months back and an online meeting on the same subject was conducted on Friday.
Some schools have started submitting the details.
“If we have to enter all details, including students’ photographs, we would need time because we have close to 3,000 students,” said the head of a school in the city.
Another school that has submitted the details said they were now “like an open book”.
One principal said it is a time-consuming process, especially at a busy time when board results are being published.
“To enter such comprehensive details we would need to have dedicated staff just for this work,” a principal said.