Relax Act for the benefit of poor students: BVSRS

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 11: The Byaktigoto Vidyalaya Samany Rakkhi Samity (BVSRS) appealed to the State Government to relax the Assam Non-Government Educatiol Institutions (Regulation and Magement) Act, 2006 so as to let the students coming from poorer sections of society get facilities for quality education at their affordable fees.

Talking to newsmen in Guwahati today, BVSRS media cell convener Biren Das said: “The low-budget private schools have been set up in Assam to provide quality education to students from poor and middle class families at affordable fees ranging from Rs 250-700 a month. However, the Assam Non-Government Educatiol Institutions (Regulation and Magement) Act, 2006 doesn’t allow such schools to render their services to the poor students as the Act has a clause that seeks every such private school to possess a land area of one bigha for multi-storeyed buildings or two bighas for Assam-Type structures if they are to get themselves affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This clause has compelled such schools either to stop their schools or shift to places outside the city.”

Das said: “For us our schools are not business establishments, but institutions for providing quality education to poor students who can’t afford to get quality education by costing huge amount of money.”     

Citing examples of the relevant Act and rules in other states like Gujarat and Punjab, Das further said: “In Gujarat the relevant Act lays 85 per cent importance on the results of such schools and just 15 per cent on infrastrcuture. Such a leniency is better for quality education to children coming from poorer sections of society who will be deprived of such facilities if such low-budget schools are closed.”

On April 22 last, a delegation of the BVSRS met State Education Minister Sarat Barkataky and submitted a memorandum to him seeking an amendment to the Assam Non-Government Educatiol Institutions (Regulation and Magement) Act, 2006.