In this school in West Bengal, there are no backbenchers as teachers set an example for everyone
A primary school in Kadirpur, West Bengal, has revolutionised classroom learning by eliminating traditional seating arrangements. Instead of rows of benches, each student has their blackboard, fostering individual attention and engagement.
Kolkata: Normally, inside a classroom, we see rows of benches for students to sit. From the front row to the last bench, students are made to sit according to their roll numbers most of the time. While that may create a sense of division in the young minds, a school in West Bengal has decided to take a different route.
In the state's Malda district, there is a Primary School in Kadirpur. The Muchia BOP, or the Muchia Border Out Post, that is the Bangladesh Outpost, is located at a short distance from the school. The Mahananda River flows very close to the school, and on the other side of the river, there is Bangladesh.
The number of students in this school in a remote village has been increasing steadily for the past several years. Hundreds of students attend the school every day. The fun is that none of them sit on the back benches.
Then how do they sit?
Normally, in India, students who sit in the last bench are known as 'backbenchers'. However, in this school in Kadirpur, no student is a 'backbencher'. Every student in the class has a blackboard, chalk, and duster in front of them, and teachers are teaching each one of them with care. Not only that, but there are also drawings on the walls of the schoolroom on educational topics.
The authorities started to think about building such a school six or seven years ago. There were no students in the school, and the education department was not even paying attention. The teachers themselves created an initial fund with Rs 5,000. Later, work progressed one by one. Local people contributed funds, and today, this school has set an example. It is proving that if there is goodwill, there is no shortage of students, and the quality of education can also be good.
The most notable thing is that this school does not rely on government grants. While several primary and upper primary schools in the state are suffering due to a lack of students, and schools are being closed in some places, this school in a remote village has set an example.
It is worth noting that a Malayalam film called 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' was released last year. It shows how a person has to carry the label of sitting on the back bench or the word 'backbencher' throughout their life. After the release of that film, one school after another in Kerala has changed the seating arrangement. The concept of front bench and back bench is being erased. However, this school in Bengal set an example long before that.