‘Ensure availability of required number of teachers’: Project Approval Board

GUWAHATI: Some lacunae in the State’s education sector were exposed during a recent meeting of the Project Approval Board (PAB) under the Ministry of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy, and the Samagra Shiksha Assam (SSA).

The PAB observed that there are still 29,181 surplus teachers at the elementary level in government schools in Assam. But the number of single-teacher schools has increased at the primary level. The PAB advised that the State should go for a rationalization of teachers to ensure the availability of the required number of teachers in all schools. SSA informed the PAB that process has been initiated to post teachers in single/ double teacher schools from the surplus teacher schools. SSA further informed that the number of single-teacher schools has reduced to 2,577 from 4,383. Rationalization of teachers is going on at the district level.

The PAB also observed that the retention rate at the primary level in Assam is still quite low – 79%. The PAB advised that the State has to take initiatives for 100% retention of children in the education system. To this, SSA informed that the present retention rate at primary level has increased from 79.4% to 83.1%. The State has taken various initiatives for 100% retention of the children like providing free uniforms, free textbooks, teaching-learning materials, engagement and training of qualified teachers, training of school heads, teaching-learning materials, ICT facilities, tele education facilities, vocational education etc. Science and Mathematics teachers are trained in IIT, Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University.

The PAB further asked the State to take initiatives for 100% retention of children in the education system.

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