Only secular and modern education will be promoted: Himanta Biswa Sarma

* A number of LP & ME schools set to be provincialized in October

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: "From now onwards, the Assam government will promote only secular and modern education," said State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a 'Cut Motion' on the Education department in the Assam Assembly on Tuesday.

He added, "The government will no longer patronize any educational institutions on religious lines. And in this regard, all madrassas and Sanskrit tols located across the State will be closed from November this year. Hence, madrassas won't be provincialized; and it won't be possible to appoint new Arabic teachers. But the privately-run 'Kherasi madrassas' will continue."

On the Sanskrit tols, Sarma elaborated on the second day of the autumn session of House, "The Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (in Nalbari) has stated in its report that the education rendered by the Sanskrit tols in Assam, is not correct. However, as Sanskrit is the mother of all modern Indian languages; we've decided to strengthen the stream of Sanskrit education.

"All the Sanskrit tols will come under this University; and they will start functioning in a new form. A notification on this alternative measure will be issued soon."

NEW GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLS & COLLEGES: Minister Sarma informed the House that "150 new high schools will be established in Assam. While the construction works of these schools will start from October 2, 2020; the classes there will commence from April next year. This step has been taken to boost education among the people residing across various tea gardens of the State."

He added, "Moreover, 15 government colleges, including nine exclusively for girls, will be set up across Assam.

PROVINCIALISATION POLICY: Stating that "educational institutes will be provincialized exclusively on the 'need-based' mode", Minister Sarma elaborated, "for instance, if there is only one school within 5 km, then such an institution will be deemed as need-based; and it will be provincialized. We won't take into account when that school was established. A committee was constituted to look into various issues, on August 31."

He added, "A number of eligible LP and ME schools will be provincialized in October this year."

NEP 2020: "As per the 'New Education Policy-2020', there is a scope for the establishment of 75,000 pre-primary schools in Assam," Sarma informed the Assembly.

He further said that "the NEP-2020 will ensure that the pre-primary-level students are educated in their respective mother tongues up to Class-V. In the process, the local languages will also get a boost.

"The task force constituted to look into this matter will submit its report by December 2020."

The Minister added, "If the 'NEP-2020' can be implemented in a proper manner, then the masses' confidence on the State-run educational institutions will return after a gap of five years.

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