Samujjal Bhattacharjya: Improve condition of Assamese-medium schools

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The chief advisor of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya has asked the present regime in Dispur to justify its claims of all-round development of the State by improving the present conditions of Assamese and vernacular-medium schools.

"The pathetic and pitiable condition of the Assamese-medium schools in the State has punctured the tall claims of development of the present government. Let the government justify its claims by immediately improving the state-of-affairs of the vernacular schools," said Dr Bhattacharjya.

Citing the example of Cotton Collegiate Government HS School at Pan Bazar in the city, Dr Bhattacharjya said that the school set up in 1834 is now gasping for life. In order to draw the attention of the Chief Minister's Office, the students' leader has put several pictures of the school in his twitter account to highlight the pathetic condition of the Cotton Collegiate School.

Dr Bhattacharjya further said that the Cotton Collegiate Government HS School is an example of gross negligence of the State Government towards improving the conditions of vernacular schools. He demanded that the present government — which talks of preserving the Assamese language and culture — must improve the conditions of its schools.

A report prepared by the 'National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration' (NIEPA), set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2019, had found that children in 86.57 per cent of government primary schools in Assam do not even have the minimum comfort of a fan as their schools do not have electricity connection. The report also says with only 13.43 per cent of its primary schools having electricity connection, Assam occupies the lowest rank among all States.