Government’s provincialization policy criticized by ME teachers

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

Golaghat, Feb 23: The State Education Department has taken a separatist and divisive rule in its Provincialization Act of schools. This allegation was raised by the All Assam Recognized ME Teachers Association, along with several other organisations of the State.

A public awareness meeting was held in Golaghat under the aegis of All Assam Recognized ME Teachers Association Golaghat district committee in which representatives from nineteen organizations including  All Assam Jourlist Association, Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, AASU, AJYCP and  BAYM took part and criticized the State Government’s provincialization act.

The Act was introduced in the year 2011 under which 42,000 posts of teachers were provincialized but the remaining 32,000 posts were reviewed. The government in due course of time imposed some new conditions which made the whole Act complicated. In the public awareness meeting held in Golaghat, State Education Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s role was vehemently criticized by all the organizations. The organizations alleged that the minister who had held the same portfolio in the previous government, was doing politics over this Act and for which thousands of teachers were suffering.

They appealed to the BJP -led State Government to remember the promises that were made before the elections and warned it not to play with the lives of non-provincialized teachers who had sacrificed a lot in this noble profession. At present, there are 2,888 Lower Primary schools, 3,153 ME Schools, 227 High Schools, 114 Higher Secondary schools and 106 junior colleges in the State which are yet to be provincialized.