Kolkata – The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) launched a statewide signature campaign on Thursday. The campaign demands the removal of the semester system in schools, colleges, and universities. AIDSO aims to collect one lakh signatures by May. The group alleges the system is damaging education.
Semester System Criticized
AIDSO state secretary Biswajit Roy spoke at a press conference. He stated the semester system in Classes 11 and 12 is destroying school education. He further claimed the system reduces teaching days. Textbooks are not reaching students on time. Students face higher secondary exams with incomplete syllabi. This causes anxiety and uncertainty about academic futures.
Roy also raised concerns about higher education. He cited the four-year undergraduate degree course and the semester system. He claims these have severely disrupted colleges. Six-month semester exams are condensed into two to three months. This leads to student dropouts.
Call for Action
The organization accused the government of apathy. They claim thousands of schools are shutting down. Composite grants are not disbursed regularly or in sufficient amounts. AIDSO also highlighted staff shortages. Teacher and non-teaching staff shortages impede academic activities.
Students and guardians across West Bengal are worried. AIDSO urges public participation in the signature campaign. Peaceful demonstrations are scheduled. Students and guardians will march to District Inspector of Education offices from March 2-12.