Big Boost To Education In Assam's Tea Gardens As Govt Provencialises Over 400 Schools

In a major boost to education in Assam's tea gardens, the government has provencialised over 400 schools.

Guwahati: The Assam government on Tuesday provincialised a total of 419 schools managed by the tea gardens in the state which will now enable these schools to receive facilities such as mid-day meals, free textbooks, uniforms and government teachers. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said, “Following the historic cabinet decision, the Assam government has provincialised 419 tea garden-managed schools. These schools will now receive MDM, uniforms, free textbooks and government teachers.”

A notification, released on orders by the Governor of Assam stated, “In the public interest and in the academic interest of the tea garden community, the government of Assam in the Department of School Education is pleased to provincialise  419 numbers of tea garden managed LP Schools, two tea gardens managed ME Schools and one tea garden managed High School as per the list of schools annexed herewith as Annexure-A&B with the condition that the services of the existing teachers engaged by the tea garden management will not be provincialised. However, these teachers can continue to serve in the same school under the payroll of the concerned tea garden as on date.”

The state government also directed the authorities to create vacancies of teachers for the schools, two teachers will be appointed for each 419 LP (lower primary) school, three teachers will be appointed for each of the two ME (middle English) schools and one headmaster and five teachers will be appointed for the high school.

The notification read, “In this connection, two posts of teachers for each of the 419 L.P Schools, three posts of teachers for each of the two M.E. Schools and the posts of five teachers and one headmaster for the High School shall be created. The students of the schools so provincialised shall get the benefits of free textbooks and PM-POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal), free uniforms among others. The recruitment of teachers shall be done at the earliest.”  

“The concerned District Elementary Education Officers and Inspector of Schools will ensure proper working relationship between the newly appointed teachers and existing tea garden engaged teachers. Further, they will ensure a harmonious environment in the schools with better academic coordination," the notification further read.”

On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are continuously working for the welfare of our tea garden communities. The provincialisation of 419 elementary schools and the establishment of 219 new high schools in tea gardens reflect our strong commitment to the community.”

Meanwhile, the decision of the Assam government to provincialise tea garden-managed schools has been taken on a very positive note by several quarters as far as the education sector of the state’s beleaguered tea industry is concerned.

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