GUWAHATI, Sept 1 - The State government is planning an overhaul of the education sector with 15 new government colleges, including nine girls� colleges, coming up in Assam, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Assembly today. The minister also stated that 150 new high schools will be built in the tea garden areas of Assam and classes in these schools would start from the next academic session.
In his reply to a cut motion discussion over supplementary demand on education, the minister stated that with the New Education Policy in place, the entire education system would undergo a sea change, where the difference between English medium and vernacular mediums would vanish and people�s faith in the government education sector would be restored.
Responding to the debate over the cut motion brought by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, which was supported by AIUDF�s Aminul Islam, the minister said that the State was witnessing fast pace expansion in the government education sector with more than 40 lakh students enrolled in government academic institutions and more than 1.5 lakh appointments in this sector in the past eight years.
�Nearly 5.5 lakh students have been given free admission under government scheme. On October 2 next, the work of building 150 new high schools in tea garden areas would start and classes in those schools would start from April 1,� he said.
He further said that the government was ready to do some modification in provincialisation rules to regularise the deserving venture institutions of the State through a need-based approach.
�With the advent of hybrid system of education under the NEP and thrust on imparting education in mother tongue till class V would be the biggest advantage of the NEP. Specially, in a state like Assam, where protecting the local languages and culture is a prime concern, this policy would prove to be a huge succour,� he added.
The first meeting of the task force to figure out ways to implement the policy would be held on September 5 and by next session of the Assembly, a blueprint would be ready, the minister said.
MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Majendra Narzary, Pradip Hazarika, Gurujyoti Das, Debananda Hazarika, Rafiqul Islam, Nurul Huda, among others, took part in the discussion.
The supplementary demand was passed through voice vote.
