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After Kerala, the Assam government has decided to not convert gender-specific schools into co-educational institutes. The Assam government has announced to convert the girls-only schools run by the state into co-educational ones and allow admission of boys as well in the same institutes. The girls-only schools were built to ensure females have a right to education in a safe and secure environment at a time when education was a luxury for women. To ensure parents of females do not stop education only because of the gender-neutral norm, some schools will continue to stay gender-specific.
The cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma held in Guwahati on Thursday has taken the decision to have co-education in all state-run schools. Sharing imagery of major cabinet decisions on Twitter, Dr Sarma informed “To ensure gender equality, all schools under state government to have co-educational facility except for a few girls’ schools with long history and traditions.”
In the #AssamCabinet, we took several decisions related to dual medium in Govt schools, teaching of Science & Maths in English, Geography &History as compulsory subjects, new Tourism Policy, uniform building bye-laws, awards for Govt employees, caste certificates for Morans, etc. pic.twitter.com/gj9orPV86v
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 28, 2022
Meanwhile, the cabinet has taken some other decisions as well which will change the face of school education in Assam. In a major revamp, the government has decided to introduce a dual medium of instruction – English, and Assamese in all government-run schools from class 6 to class 12.
CM informed that the school authority will have the liberty to introduce the English medium without abolishing the existing Assamese or another vernacular medium. Initially, as a pilot project, 5 to 10 schools will be identified to introduce the dual medium, and the number of such schools will be increased subsequently depending on the outcome.
On the other hand, from the coming academic session, mathematics and science will be taught in the English language from class iii onwards. In addition, geography and history will replace social studies as compulsory subjects in the school curriculum.
There has been mixed response to the government decision. Amid apprehension about the future of the Assamese language as Assamese medium schools mostly run by the state government are in dilapidated condition, a section of the academia has welcomed the decision of introducing history and geography as mandatory subjects in the school curriculum.
Dr Kamal Kumar Tanti an eminent poet of the state expressing his views on social media said he welcomed the amalgamation of gender-specific schools and the introduction of history and geography in the curriculum. He, however, is a bit apprehensive about the syllabus of history. He also termed the decision to teach mathematics and science in English very timely.
Writer Phanindra Devchoudhury also expressed his displeasure in social media. Former Professor in Shillong based North East Hill University Apurba Kumar Baruah has also turned to social media to express his views. He said the meaning of this policy is abolishing teaching in the Assamese medium; also there is a deficit of infrastructure in schools to teach in the dual medium. He further said while preparing the curriculum of history if the past glory is distorted, Assam will have the same fate as Pakistan. He however has welcomed the decision of clubbing of gender-specific schools.
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