Education Department issues criteria for upgrading existing high schools

HS section to be delinked from colleges

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Assam Government has decided to delink Higher Secondary sections from colleges and to upgrade 1,000 High Schools (HS) to Higher Secondary Schools (HSS). Considering this, it has become essential to increase the intake capacity of Higher Secondary sections in the schools of State and to open additional stream (s) in existing HSS on need basis.

Recently, the Secondary Education Department, Government of Assam, issued an Office Memorandum (OM) on the criteria to be followed while upgrading existing HS to HSS and introducing an additional stream(s) in existing HSS. According to the OM, the permission for upgradation will be given on receipt of the Feasibility Report from the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC). The AHSEC will issue the Feasibility Report after observing some procedures as per their regulations that shall have to be issued before upgradation.

There should be adequate enrolment in the existing High School in Class X. The enrolment shall be a minimum of 40 in the respective stream and shall facilitate minimum 10 numbers in each subject of the desired streams.

The minimum required infrastructure must be available to accommodate the students. Considering the time constraint, repairing and renovating the existing structure may be undertaken, stated the OM.

There are four streams viz—Arts, Science, Commerce and Vocational– under AHSEC. The selection of the stream should be based on available infrastructure requirements. Science stream may be opened in schools where laboratories and other facilities are available.

AHSEC permits 83 subjects in Higher Secondary first year. Since the number of teachers will be limited at present, limited subjects are to be offered in these upgraded HSS. The number of subjects may be allowed in newly-upgraded Higher Secondary Schools as per the availability of teachers in the existing High School and nearby schools.

The existing teachers of High Schools having requisite educational and professional qualifications shall be entrusted to take HS classes in addition to their regular classes.

If it is considered necessary to introduce another stream in the existing Higher Secondary Schools, the mentioned criteria will be adopted. Besides, the prospect of admission of students in the new stream shall be scrutinized so that at least 40 students shall be available for admission. In the case of the Science stream, it should be carefully ascertained the availability of laboratory and other facilities in the existing school.

Initially, only provisional approval will be accorded and the department shall assess the sustainability of the upgradation for three to five years based on enrollment in the upgraded streams. Once sustainability is established, the department will examine the feasibility of the creation/upgradation of posts for those streams.

The OM further stated that for the upgradation and introduction of an additional stream (s), the school authority should justify the following points –

(a) The school authority should clarify why the up-gradation has been proposed

(b) Shall clarify how they will manage teachers without the creation of posts and recruitment

(c) How they will manage the additional infrastructure requirements

(d) How they have calculated the requirement of minimum 40 students and 10 for each subject in the respective stream shall be admitted.

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