As of now, the students appearing for Madhyamik have to study both Classes IX and X syllabi. School education minister Partho De said this to The Indian Express on Sunday.

According to a department official, it is unscientific to make students prepare both Classes IX and X syllabi for the Madhyamik Examination.

“With the bifurcation of the Higher Secondary syllabi, the pass percentage has also increased,” argued another official.

The department had divided the syllabus for HS from the academic session 2005-06. So far, All Bengal Teachers’ Association (ABTA) — the CPM-backed largest teachers’ organisation — has opposed any such bifurcation.

But some teachers’ organisations like the West Bengal Government School Teacher’s Association (WBGSTA) insist that such an initiative will benefit the students.

“The students who are in Class X have already passed Class IX examination. So what is the point of examining them on the same syllabus?” said Dipak Das, secretary of the WBGSTA.

The school education department also plans to introduce the grading system in Madhyamik Examination from 2009.