GUWAHATI, March 6 - The State Government today introduced The Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organization of Educational Institutions) Bill, 2017, in the Assam Legislative Assembly.
However, the Bill, which seeks �to provincialise the services of the teachers in Venture Educational Institutions and also to re-organize and streamline the educational institutions up to Degree level in Assam to conform to the prevailing statutory norms and standards with a further objective to restrict any further growth of such Venture Educational Institutions�, was opposed in its present form by a number of legislators cutting across party line who suggested certain changes to it.
AGP MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury said that the eligibility criteria for selection of educational institution for provincialisation of services of teachers/tutors as proposed in the Bill will deprive a number of institutions and their teachers from the benefits of provincialisation.
He said that the criteria that only institutions �which have been established and had obtained the required permission, recognition, affiliation, concurrence, as the case may be, up to the last and highest class required for the concerned institution from the respective competent authority or authorities on or before January 1, 2016� will make all colleges and teachers of areas like the BTAD region ineligible.
He said that government should change that proposed criteria.
Choudhury also opposed the proposed criteria under which minimum enrolment of 30 students in the Final Year of Three Year Degree Course for eligibility and said not all institutions, especially those in remote areas, can have so many students in all subjects.
Choudhury said the Bill, which does not cover non-teaching staff, will also lead to discrimination as regard salaries as many teaching staff will get less wage as compared to non-teaching staff.
BPF�s Rabiram Narzary also called upon the government to change sections of the proposed legislation and said if the Bill is passed without changes then educational institutions and teachers in BTAD region will be deprived and all MLAs will have to face the wrath of the people.
Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque said that all issues related to the proposed legislation should be discussed in detail and the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly, scheduled to conclude on March 10, should be extended if necessary.
BJP MLA Tapan Kumar Gogoi, AIUDF�s Aminul Islam and Independent MLA Bhuban Pegu also voiced their concern about the eligibility criteria proposed in the Bill.
Speaking on behalf of Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs CM Patowary said that the concerns expressed by the legislators will be conveyed to the Education Minister.
�MLAs will get opportunity to discuss the debate on the Bill,� Patowary said.
Meanwhile, the government today also introduced The Assam Junior Colleges (Provincialisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2017, in the Assembly.
It is intended to �change the nomenclature of �Junior College� or �Junior Colleges� to �Senior Secondary School� or �Senior Secondary Schools�.
