The highly awaited School Innovation and Reform (SIR) The project, which was supposed to be launched in West Bengal this October, has suddenly taken a stunted start. Despite initial enthusiasm on the part of teachers and students, the Education Department has now officially denied that the program would commence this month as scheduled, owing to “administrative and logistical reasons.
The SIR project, conceived as a countrywide programme to bring about innovative learning techniques, IT tools, and skill-based education in schools, was aimed at revolutionizing classroom life. West Bengal was one of the priority states chosen for piloting. Yet, officials now disclosed that some preparatory measures such as teacher training, handover of digital kits, and curriculum harmonization are still pending.
“September workshops were scheduled to be prepared for, but nothing after that came. Everyone was expecting a proper roadmap,” said one headmistress of a government school in South 24 Parganas. Several teachers were left disappointed, stating the delay will again deprive rural students of access to opportunities available to urban schools.
Students, too, had been looking forward to the programme. “We heard we’d get tablets and new learning modules. It felt like something exciting was coming,” said Ananya, a Class IX student from Howrah. Now, that hope stands postponed indefinitely.
Officials in the state Education Department have assured that the programme is not being scrapped only delayed. “The Centre and the state are still discussing implementation modalities. Once clarity is reached, we’ll proceed smoothly,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
Education activists, however, believe that frequent delays in such initiatives reflect a lack of coordination between governments. “Children lose out every time bureaucracy takes over innovation,” said one Kolkata-based educationist.
No new date has been announced till now for SIR’s launch in West Bengal. For thousands of teachers and students who had set their hopes on a new model of learning, waiting continues accompanied by the hope that genuine reform will find its way to classrooms sooner than later.
