STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam government has not reimbursed the outstanding fees for enrollment of students in senior secondary schools and junior colleges for the last three years. The government, however, has cleared the funds, including the arrears of universities and colleges. The Assam Junior College Teachers-Employees Association has raised the question over this ‘discriminatory treatment’ from the Education Department.
The Association’s in-charge president, Newazul Haque, said, “There is a cost of expenses for the maintenance of the Higher Secondary (HS) Examination centres, CCTV connection, collection of electricity bills, routine expenses of computers, equipment, furniture, and expenses regarding electrical equipment like fans, bulbs, registration books, stationery, wall magazines, annual newsletter publication, field studies, project preparation, sports equipment, academic and co-academic activities, along with the problems faced by the teachers based on class- and subject-wise, and the employees. These have caused a major problem, and the education in college has come to a halt.”
He further said, “The education department asks for the bank accounts twice a year but still fails to reimburse the money. The Association welcomed the Cabinet decision to construct new buildings for 400 higher secondary schools from November 25 to December 10 and said the government has undertaken great programmes like sports and cultural festivals for the intellectual and physical development of the students. Such government efforts are welcome, but the schools have not been able to provide the minimum sports and music equipment required for the preparation of the students due to a lack of repairs. There is a lack of speakers in the morning meetings, and the students are deprived of speeches that can benefit them.
There are no clear directives from the government regarding the payment of fees for admission application forms and other programmes like Saraswati Puja and Sankardev Janmotsav. Who will bear the cost of answer sheets, question papers for internal examinations, and educational institutions? In the meantime, funds were provided for the publication of magazines in two years, but they have also been discontinued.”.
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