Assam on 2-yr school mission

Assam on 2-yr school mission
 

Guwahati, Nov. 18: Government schools in Assam will be able to compete with private schools within two years, particularly in the rural and semi-rural areas of the state, education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma promised today.

Sarma was reacting to a query on why Dispur was not taking action against private schools which were, among other things, flouting rules and fleecing students.

The minister promised that its 50,000-plus government schools will boast of better infrastructure, “quality and motivated” faculty, relevant vocation courses and English-friendly curriculum within two years.

The education department has already launched a cleansing drive to check unfair practices in the education department.

Sarma, however, said it was difficult for it to launch a crackdown against private schools which are not going by the book on the parameters of infrastructure or working condition of teachers.

“But I can assure you that within two years, we will be able to compete with private schools especially in rural and semi-rural areas where private schools have a significant presence,” Sarma said.

“For example, around one lakh teachers, who have qualified teacher eligibility test, will be recruited by us. Then the post of an estimated one lakh serving teachers will be provincialised, motivating them to give their best. We are also establishing over 85 model schools, each at the cost of Rs 5 crore, in educationally backward blocks along the lines of Navodaya. Moreover, we are already cracking down on corrupt and errant education department staffers.”

A peek into the government school sector in the state will suggest that the recent measures to improve the situation were long overdue.

For example, a recent report of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan on Assam, claims that it has 14,979 schools with “adverse” pupil-teacher ratio, 6,388 single-teacher schools, 241 schools which do not have their own buildings, 9,958 schools without potable water and 31,069 schools without common toilets.

Sarma, who is heading the education department for the first time, said the steps being taken by the Congress-led Tarun Gogoi government since the beginning of its third straight term, starting this May, will help achieve the desired level of competitiveness.

Since Dispur will be spending an additional Rs 3,000 crore annually on salary of fresh and regularised teachers from next fiscal, it will severely impact other development programmes, Sarma said.

Currently, Dispur spends Rs 600 crore a year on salary.

The steps being taken by the government will not only see an exodus of teachers from private to government schools but will also force the private sector to improve their working conditions. “Introduction of the teacher eligibility test will not only help us get quality teachers, it will also help improve the lot of private school teachers. They will be offered good salary by their management to retain their services. The overall scenario will improve,” he said.