The Government of West Bengal has established the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, under West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, Act 1975. The Council is the main body which looks after the education system in the 10+2. The Council has its main office at Salt Lake, Bidhannagar, Korunamoyee, Kolkata along with 4 regional offices.
The Council is a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and is entitled to acquire, hold and dispose of property, to enter into contracts and to do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act and shall by its name sue and be used. Its functions are executed through an Organization Structure.
The Council consists of members like The President appointed by the State Govt. and other ex-officio members like: The President of the Board of Secondary Education-Ex Officio, The Director of School Education-Ex-Officio, The Director of Technical Education-Ex-officio etc. See Members of the Council
It is the duty of the Council to advise the State Government on all matters relating to Higher Secondary Education referred to it by the State Government. The Council has the power to direct, supervise and control the Higher Secondary Education in the State.
The major services provided by the Council are :
- Periodic assessment of the educational needs at Higher Secondary level at the state and laying down the general policy for the development of the Higher Secondary Education;
- Up gradation of Institutions to Plus 2 level;
- Renewal of Recognition of recognized HS Institutions ;
- Granting permission to teach subjects at the recognized HS Institutions;
- Granting Permission for Co-Education , Excess admission , Medium change etc
- Providing the curriculum, syllabus, the courses of studies to be followed and the books to be studied in the HS curriculum;
- Undertake the preparation, publication and sale of Text Books and other books ;
- Conduct the Higher Secondary Examination and publication of result and awarding of certificates and scholarship thereof;
The Higher Secondary Course consists of two parts, i.e. Class XI and Class XII.
The curriculum of the Higher Secondary Course consists of-
- Two language subjects from the language group as mentioned in Schedule II , one subject each from First language and second language;
- Three compulsory elective subjects and to be chosen from any one of the three sets of subjects as mentioned in Schedule II;
- Optional elective subject [ if desired ] to be chosen from any one of the three sets of subjects as mentioned in Schedule II.
