Gunotsav ensures quality, rids schools of ghost students: CM Himanta

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Apart from ensuring qualitative improvement in schools, the Gunotsav has rid the schools of ghost students. Ghost students were shown in school registers for various purposes. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this while releasing the Executive Summary of Gunatsav-2023 here today.

The Chief Minister said, “The number of schools securing grades A+ and A is on the rise, and that of grades C and D is on the decline. This is a good sign for the academic world. This is a reflection of the peace and tranquilly prevailing in the state. Our cause of concern is Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and Chirang districts, where the standard of education is below par. We need to lay more emphasis on these three districts as corrective measures.”

He said, “Since around 2011, the schools in the state have had a tendency to show the enrollment of more students, be that for uniform money or for mid-day meal benefits. The tendency was at the cost of government funds. However, the Gunotsav has rid the schools of such ghost students. The students shown enrolled in school registers now are genuine ones. The state has around 42 lakh students in government schools. Such a huge number of students enrolled in government schools in the state is an achievement in itself. I think we are among the top five states in the country on this yardstick.”

The Chief Minister announced that the district topping the list for Gunatsav-2023 is Sivasagar district, followed by Charaideo and Golaghat. Each of these three districts will get Rs 25,000.

Of the 44,531 schools with 41.35 lakh students participating in the Gunatsav, 11886 schools got Grade A+, 19172 got Grade A, 7710 schools got Grade B, 1972 schools got Grade C, and 767 got Grade D. “We need to find out the reasons behind schools rated as lagging in grades C and D,” he said.

The Chief Minister admitted that the standard of education is on the rise in areas dominated by religious minority people. For instance, in 2022, religious minority students got around 250 of the 1000 MBBS seats in the state on merit. “The schools in the sar areas have shown good performance in Gunatsav as well,” he said.

On uniforms, the Chief Minister pointed out that the quality of uniforms varies from school to school. “The next Gunatsav will also include the quality of uniforms,” he said.

He further said, “Now on, Gunatsav will be an integral part of the academic calendar. We started Gunatsav in 2017, since when we have spent around Rs 1,000 crore on the development of school infrastructure. We will spend more on this head.”

Despite being a metropolitan area, Kamrup (M) ranks fourth from the bottom of the list. “Around 40 percent of Kamrup metro dwellers are daily-wage earners who cannot afford time for their children’s education. And this has its reflection in the evaluation of Gunatsav. We need to do something tangible as the remedy,” the Chief Minister said.

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that Gunatsav has brought changes in schools located in far-flung areas in the state. “Around 18,000 external invigilators went to schools and evaluated them. We have been successful in Gunatsav because of community participation,” he said.

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