Make education child-centric: Sarma

Minister takes tough stance against schools with zero performance in HSLC examition

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 12: State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has spelt it out that education has to be ‘child-centric’ and not ‘teacher-centric’, and that he is with the 55 lakh students of the State, not with their 35,000 teachers.

Addressing the orientation programme of newly appointed teachers at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital Auditorium in the city on Wednesday, Sarma said: “Gone are the days when teachers got respect in society. Teachers are now among the hated ones in society. They take to drink. They get involved in mid-day meal corruption. This is why I never take teachers during poll campaign along with me. They’ll only repel my voters. There has been a sharp reaction to my programme with teachers on July 10. The programme was uploaded to the social media. Over 1.70 lakh people viewed it. I’ve received accolade for that programme through the social media, even from foreign countries. However, a section of the media and intellectuals have criticized me for the programme. The fact, however, remains that the teachers whom I called have passed the buck on some communities for the poor performance of their schools. If some cited students being Adivasis as the reasons for the poor performance of their schools, others cited their students belonging to minority community, ST or SC as reasons behind poor performance of their schools. The media and intellectuals are maintaining a stoic silence on such matters. How come a student belonging to a particular community can be the reason behind poor performance of a school? This mindset has to be erased in education, and to make that really happen there will be more such face-to-face programmes with teachers. Special inspectors will be engaged to visit the 130 schools with zero performance in the HSLC examition after every three days.”

On the performance of TET teachers in the State, Sarma said: “The performance of such teachers was very good initially. However, their performance is on the fall now. Now they’re busy on matters like when and how their salaries will get a hike. From next year we’re going to hold a TET Day taking the first day when appointment of TET teachers started. The contracts of contractual teachers of schools that have been graded A+ will bow be stretched up to 60 years of their age against 11 months now, and action will be taken against teachers of schools getting D grade.”

Meanwhile, the minister said: “We’re going to dismiss 116 teachers for copying in their B.Ed and D.Ed examitions.

As many as 974 regular TET teachers – 641 of LP Schools and 333 of UP schools — were given appointment at the function on Wednesday. “An advertisement will be published in the next two/three months for the appointment of 10,000 more TET-qualified regular teachers. As many as 7226 LP school teachers were given appointment in June 2016, 4823 LP and UP teachers were given appointment in March 2017 and 974 teachers today. Thus as many as 13,023 TET-qualified teachers have been appointed in 2016 and 2017,” Sarma said, and added: “The place of joining of the teachers given appointment today will be decided through a lottery on July 27. The lottery will be of three categories – general (males), females and language teachers. Steps will be taken for appointment of females in their nearby schools.”                 

Sarma appealed to the teachers to let their wards school in schools where they work. “If need be, couple working as teachers will be allowed to work in the same schools,” he said.

KK Handique State Open University vice chancellor Dr. Hitesh Deka, Elementary Education Commissioner-Secretary Pritam Saikia and others were present at the function.