Gauhati High Court's notice to Education department to delete the word "Moktab"

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has issued notice to the State Education department on the latter's move to delete the word "Moktab" from the name of elementary level schools, which does not impart 'moktabi' education.

The High Court as part of its interim measure has also asked the Jorhat district administration not to demolish any structure or signage of Jorhat Moktab Adarsha Primary School so as to permanently delete the word "Moktab".

The High Court's directives have come after it heard a writ petition challenging the State Government's decision to do away with the word "Moktab" from the school education system. The petition was filed by AR Bhuyan.

"The court heard us in length and we on our part submitted the fact that the word 'Moktab' is derivative of Arabic terminology. But the schools so being run in the name and style as Moktab do not impart any religious teachings. Rather it adheres to basic elementary education. The government notification on the issue said due to the word 'Moktab', students passing out from these institutions find it difficult to pursue further studies. We, on the other hand stated that there has been some eminent personalities who passed out from Moktabs and are well established in the society," Advocate Haamim KJ Ahmed, who represented the petitioner in the court, told The Sentinel on Thursday.

The Education department has been asked to respond to the high court's notice within three weeks, advocate Ahmed said.

In February this year, Dispur had decided to drop the Arabic word "Maktab" from the names of 63 schools across the State. The development came after the government's earlier announcement where it said that all government-funded Madrasas and Sanskrit tols (schools) will be shut, and converted into "normal" high schools.

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