Inability to provide textbooks in mother tongue is a failure: SASSM

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asom Sanmilita Sikha Mancha (SASSM) expressed their unhappiness regarding several decisions taken by the education department of the state of Assam. These points were conveyed after the recently conducted meeting of SASSM, which is the umbrella organization for ten separate teachers' organizations in the state.

Firstly, SASSM mentioned that the printing of the free textbooks of mathematics and science at the school level in English only is going to be difficult for the students of the state and urged the department to print the same in the mother tongues as soon as possible. Notably, textbooks are already being distributed.

"The inability to provide textbooks in the mother tongue is a failure for the State government. It is also a violation of both the NEP 2020 and the Right to Education for Children," mentioned a statement from SASSM. Secondly, the students of classes 11 and 12 receive free textbooks for only five subjects, and the organization demanded the distribution of free textbooks for the other language as well.

Thirdly, there are many schools in the state that are located in far-flung areas without network connectivity, making the Sikha Setu app unusable. But the department concerned has not mentioned what can be done in those conditions and has not asked them to resolve this condition. Also, the government has not provided SIM cards or data packages for them.

Also, according to a previous judgement passed by the Gauhati HC for case number WP(C)-7119/2021, it is the duty of authority and not the teachers to give updates on the app, and the Head Master is a teacher and not authority. Only state-level directors, district-level school inspectors, and district education officials are considered authorities.

Fifth, as part of NEP 2020, postgraduate teachers have to take classes from Class 6 onwards, while graduate teachers with postgraduate degrees must take classes until the higher secondary level. SASSM mentioned that no extra compensation is being made for these classes, and that has created an imbalance that needs to be resolved.

SASSM has demanded the appointment of headmasters in primary schools across the state as well as in high schools and higher secondary schools, which were provincialized in 2013 and have no principals or headmasters.

Lastly, the SASSM also demanded the regularization of the positions of the state pool teachers as well as contractual teachers.

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