GUWAHATI, May 15 - On expansion mode, Vidya Bharati, the education wing of RSS, is planning to venture into higher education and lay stress on spoken English in order to attract more students in Assam.
Over 647 schools are currently running under Vidya Bharati Purvottar Kshetra, of which 551 alone are in Brahmaputra Valley. The enrolment in these schools is over 1.66 lakh. Students in altogether 254 such schools had appeared for Class X exams conducted by SEBA last year.
Besides them, there are 540 �Ekal vidyalays� (single teacher school) and sanskar kendras in Karbi Anglong and Kokrajhar. �Ten to fifteen schools are being added every year. Now, we are planning to venture into higher education. We are starting the higher secondary Arts stream in a college in Dibrugarh, for which the AHSEC has given the approval. For the next two/ three years, we would be looking to get more and more higher secondary and degree level institutions,� the organising secretary of Vidya Bharati Purvottar Kshetra Hemanta Dhing Mazumdar said.
Mazumdar further said this year, stress would be laid on spoken English for which the teachers would be given special trainings. �This is part of our �Operation Purnata�, which is aimed at achieving cent per cent pass percentage. Our aim is to achieve this in the next academic year,� Mazumdar told The Assam Tribune.
While the Vidya Bharati schools are under the state matric boards, they follow a prescribed curriculum for �physical, mental, intellectual, moral and spiritual development� of the children.
Unfazed by criticism from certain sections over the institution�s model, Mazumdar said, �Vidya Bharati institutions are based on the old educational system of India. The foundation of the Indian culture is very strong and no one can destabilise it. Those who have been criticising it, have got the replies. We have a particular objective and mission, and we are going ahead.�
�People of Assam have embraced the institutions which is evident from the increasing number of students. We have students from all religions and communities. In some schools, half of the students are from the Muslim community,� he said.
In the 2018 matric exams, the 254 schools under Vidya Bharati network had registered a pass percentage of 93. There were three students who got positions.
Majuli is the next place where Vidya Bharati intends to expand its network of �Ekal vidyalays� and sanskar kendras in the next few months, Mazumdar added.
