GUWAHATI, June 10 � Deterioration of the standard of education in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area has become a matter of serious concern and the All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU) has blamed the Assam Government for the present state of affairs.
The condition of the Bodo medium schools is deteriorating with every passing year because of the failure of the State Government to fill up the posts of teachers in the schools and now a number of LP schools are functioning without teachers, while, majority of the schools do not have teachers to teach science and mathematics.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, president of the ABSU, Promode Boro said that over the years, no step has been taken by the Assam Government to deal with the problems faced by the Bodo medium schools, while, the BTC has very limited powers to solve it. He said that despite repeated demands, the State Government did not create a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools. He pointed out that as the Directorate of Adult Education is now almost defunct, the Government could have easily used the staff to set up a separate Bodo medium school directorate.
The ABSU president revealed that the deterioration of the standard of education is reflected in the results of the High School Leaving Certificate Examination. He said that according to records available, every year, around 13 to 15 thousand students appear in the HSLC examinations from the Bodo medium schools and this year only 141 students managed to obtain first division. He said that in 2006 only 66 students of the Bodo medium schools managed to secure first division in the HSLC examinations, 58 in 2007, 101 in 2008 and 74 secured first division last year.
Boro said that poor academic atmosphere in the area is one of the prime reasons for the present state of affairs, while, the lack of interest by the Government in improving the condition of the schools is another main reason.
The ABSU conducted a survey of the Bodo medium schools of the State and found that 57 Bodo medium high schools and 127 ME schools do not have science and mathematics teachers and the students are left to study the subjects themselves, which was reflected in the results of the HSLC examinations. The study further revealed that 681 Bodo medium primary schools are single teacher schools and these schools are closed whenever the teachers are on leave or are entrusted with other jobs including the present census operations. Interestingly, as many as 81 Bodo medium LP schools are functioning without teachers.
The ABSU president said that the students� body took up the issue with the State Government on several occasions, but till date, no positive result was seen on the ground. The ABSU also discussed the issue with the BTC authorities, but the Council does not have the power to appoint teachers in the provincialized schools without the approval of the State Government.
