Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, has opened a commerce section in Class XI because “commerce has job prospects” and the stream is sought-after among students, the principal said.

The school, which so far had only science and humanities sections, opened the commerce section this year with 17 seats.

Classes started on Thursday. The students were selected through an entrance test.

Swami Ishteshananda, the principal of the school, said they started the section following demand among the students who are keen to pursue a job-oriented discipline from the plus-II level.

A demand for commerce among students also prompted the adjacent Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur, to plan an undergraduate commerce section this year.

The plan was deferred owing to a lack of accommodation facilities on the residential campus.

Swami Ekachittananda, the principal of the college, had said they had decided against starting the commerce section this year owing to “internal reasons”.

“We will not be starting the commerce section from the 2025-26 academic year,” the principal said in May.

The Narendrapur school will run the commerce section with residential facility, like it does for the two other sections.

Principal Swami Ishteshananda said they were following the syllabus of the state higher secondary council for the commerce section.

“We have hired a retired school teacher to teach commerce. One of our employees who has adequate qualifications in the area will take classes. Some of the guardians who have done Chartered Accountancy have agreed to take classes once a week. We have regular teachers for mathematics who will also chip in,” Swami Ishteshananda told Metro.

“We will hire regular teachers for the commerce section later as and when required,” he added.

The commerce section will have accountancy, costing and taxation, economics and business mathematics and basic statistics.

The state higher secondary council this year introduced businesses mathematics
and basic statistics, popularly known as commercial mathematics, at the plus-II
level for students pursuing commerce.

A council official said they came up with business mathematics and basic statistics, which is less tough than what is pursued by those studying science.

However, it is tougher than basic mathematics pursued by those studying humanities, because of the growing popularity of commerce stream among students at the plus-II level, he said

“If schools like RKM Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, introduce commerce, it augurs well for the students. Many schools are opening commerce sections because of the demand,” the council official said.

Schools that have statistics and economics as a combination at the plus-II level are allowed to opt for commerce.

The principal of the school in Narendrapur said: “We have got bright students in our first batch.”

A school official said if the Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur, starts BCom in the future, it will be an added advantage for students pursuing commerce in the school.