222 Assam villages without primary schools; SSA orders field survey

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Samagra Shiksha, Assam (SSA) has directed all districts to conduct a comprehensive survey to confirm and identify unserved habitations lacking access to schools after observations by the Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Education.

According to the PAB, 222 villages (0.28%) in Assam still do not have access to primary schools, while 211 villages (0.26%) lack upper primary schools, raising concerns over compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act.

In an official communication issued by Dr Om Prakash, Mission Director, Samagra Shiksha, Assam, District Mission Coordinators (DMCs) have been instructed to carry out field-level verification to confirm the status of these habitations and identify any newly emerged unserved areas under the AWP&B (Annual Work Plan & Budget) 2025–26. The survey will be conducted by grassroots-level functionaries, including inclusive education workers, special training staff, junior engineers, block MIS coordinators and CRCCs, with verification support from school management committees (SMCs/SMDCs). All data collected will be authenticated by block mission coordinators and cross-checked with UDISE+, GIS mapping, Siksha Setu, and earlier survey records.

The survey itself must be completed by December 26, with compilation at block and district levels by December 31. The final report, including habitation-wise reasons for remaining unserved, must reach the State Mission Office by January 5, 2026.

Based on the findings, districts have also been asked to submit proposals for upgrading schools in unserved habitations for inclusion in the AWP&B 2026–27, within the stipulated timeframe. The move aims to ensure that every child in Assam has access to schooling within the prescribed distance, strengthening the state’s compliance with the RTE Act.

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