Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association (ASPTA) education convention concludes in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The two-day Education Convention organized by the Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association (ASPTA) concluded on Sunday with a strong call to free public primary education from crisis and to immediately halt government directives that engage teachers in non-academic duties.

Participating in the concluding session, AASU Chief Adviser Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya asserted that tasks such as planting saplings, managing sports events, or organizing plantation drives on occasions like the Prime Minister’s birthday cannot be considered teachers’ responsibilities. He urged the convention to adopt a resolution rejecting all non-academic and extracurricular assignments imposed on teachers by the government.

He further stated that ASPTA should take to the people the long list of non-teaching duties assigned to teachers and build public awareness against what he termed anti-public education policies. “Only through a united public movement involving citizens can government primary schools be protected and strengthened. AASU is always ready to be a part of such a movement,” he said.

Dr Bhattacharjya also expressed full support for the resolutions outlined in the declaration adopted by the convention and remarked that, for valid and logical reasons, the academic year in Assam should run from January to December.

The convention, held at the Teachers’ Bhawan of ASPTA in Chandmari, Guwahati, saw participation from leaders across the political, academic, media and literary spectrum. Among those present were Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia; AGP spokesperson Dr Partha Pratim Medhi; BJP State Committee Education Cell President Dr Ranjit Bhattacharya; Raijor Dal General Secretary Russell Hussain; CPI (ML) State Secretary Bibek Das; CPI (M) representative Dipali Majumdar; President of Natun Sahitya Parishad Samindra Huzuri; Executive Editor of Dainik Janambhumi Sanjeev Kumar Phukan; Editor-in-Chief of News18 North East Paragmani Aditya; senior advocate Ujjal Das; and Tiwa Sahitya Sabha General Secretary Mrinal Kumar Deorja.

All speakers extended full support to the resolutions adopted by ASPTA to address the challenges confronting public primary education.

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia termed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 “deeply flawed” and alleged that the present government has failed to take adequate steps for the improvement of public education. CPI (ML) State Secretary Bibek Das emphasized the need for a united mass movement to protect schools built by the people.

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