What’s the Medium of Instruction at the Best CBSE Schools in Kolkata? Just about 3 decades ago, there were a few dozens of good CBSE schools in Kolkata. Half of them would impart education in English while the other half would impart it in Bengali. Today, most of the best CBSE schools in Kolkata impart education in English.
The advent of English as a mainstream language in India India is the land of multiple languages where in every 15 to 20 kilometres, people speak in different dialects. Though British merchants used to come in India even in the 15th-century, English developed as a mainstream language not before the last half of the 18th-century. As soon as British came into power, they declared English as the medium for conducting administrative functions. For this, they needed some local people who could speak and write in English. This is how English-medium schools came in the frame. The first English-medium schools in Kolkata During the colonial rule, some missionaries opened English-medium schools in Kolkata, the capital city of British-Indian empire till 1911. The primary objective was to build a considerable populace of educated Indians who could carry off clerical duties. According to recorded history, Scottish Church Collegiate School was established in Kolkata in the year 1830 by English missionary Alexander Duff. Since then, about half-a-dozen English-medium schools came into operation in Kolkata. The number of English-medium schools rose steadily in the post-independence era. English-medium schools in post-independent India “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” The famous lines of our first PM Shri J.L.Nehru ushered in a new era, filled with hope. Illiteracy was one of the foremost problems plaguing India at that time. The education sector needed serious corrective measures. The government took some important steps in this regard. The former increased the number of schools, established a reliable board of education and introduced English as the medium of instruction. Establishment of Central Board of Secondary Education
CBSE or the Central Board of Secondary Education is a national-level board of education, established in the year 1952. Both private and public schools can apply for CBSE affiliation. They have to fulfil strict guidelines stipulated by the board. The history behind the establishment of the board is also very interesting. The first board of education came into existence in the year 1921. It was called the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education. Later, in 1929, the British government added a few other regions under the board and renamed it as the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Rajputana. In the year 1952, this same board was renamed as the Central Board of Secondary Education. Next important step taken by the government was to introduce English as the medium of instruction in govt.sponsored schools like Kendriya Vidyalaya. Many private schools that impart education in English, also seek for the affiliation of CBSE. The current scenario There are some reputed English medium schools in Kolkata that add value to the legacy of the city, home to some renowned and respected educationists. They are playing a big role in building the future-generation of our country. As such, these schools are high in demand.