195 newly-provincialized secondary schools selected for merger

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: In accordance with the policy of the State Government, the Director of Secondary Education on Thursday notified the merger of 195 newly-provincialized secondary schools with various nearby base schools.

The mergers are being carried out as per provisions of the Assam Education (Provincialization of Services of Teachers and Re-organization of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017 as amended in 2018. The list of schools selected for merger was ratified via a letter issued earlier by the Secondary Education Department on August 6 last.

It may be recalled that the department had recently also decided to close down 34 secondary schools which registered zero per cent results in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC)/Assam High Madrassa (AHM) examination 2022.

The district-wise number of newly-provincialized secondary schools that will be merged with nearby base schools is: Barpeta (47 schools); Bongaigaon (13); Cachar (7); Darrang (7); Dhemaji (23); Dhubri (18); Dibrugarh (1); Goalpara (5); Golaghat (2); Hailakandi (3); Jorhat (10); Kamrup Metro (4); Kamrup (18); Karimganj (4); Lakhimpur (10); Morigaon (9); Nagaon (3); Nalbari (1); Sivasagar (7); Sonitpur (1); and Tinsukia (2).

While instructing the heads of the institutions of the to-be-merged schools to immediately shift all the materials/articles/furniture to the base school concerned, the relevant order of the Director of Secondary Education mentioned that "the land, building and other assets of these schools shall vest with the Government".

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had chaired a review meeting of the Education Department on July 17 last wherein some important decisions were taken regarding amalgamation/merger of schools under the Secondary Education Department. The Chief Minister has directed at the meeting that schools registering zero per cent results in HSLC/AHM examinations, as also schools having low enrollment, should be amalgamated/merged. The Chief Minister had further directed that schools having low enrollment that fall within the distance specified in the Right to Education Act, 2009, should also be amalgamated/merged. The Chief Minister, however, had directed that schools having sufficient enrollment but located in difficult terrain or separated by natural barriers/highways etc., should be exempted from amalgamation/merger.

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