The Assam government has announced plans to convert the state’s girls-only schools into co-educational facilities and to admit boys to the same institutions. At a time when education was considered a luxury for women, the girls-only schools were built to ensure that females had the right to an education in a safe and secure environment. Some schools will continue to be gender-specific in order to prevent female parents from discontinuing education solely because of the gender-neutral norm.
On July 28, a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati decided to implement co-education in all state-run schools. Dr. Sarma stated on Twitter, “To ensure gender equality, all schools under state government to have co-educational facility, except for a few girls’ schools with long history and traditions.”
Several decisions related to dual medium in Govt schools
In the AssamCabinet, we took several decisions related to dual medium in Govt schools, teaching of Science & Maths in English, Geography &History as compulsory subjects, new Tourism Policy, uniform building bye-laws, awards for Govt employees, caste certificates for Morans, etc.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has made other decisions that will alter the face of school education in Assam. The government has decided to implement a dual medium of instruction – English and Assamese – in all government-run schools from grade 6 to grade 12.
The CM stated that the school authority will be free to implement the English medium without removing the existing Assamese or another vernacular medium. As a pilot project, 5 to 10 schools will be identified to introduce the dual medium, and the number of such schools will be increased based on the results.
Mathematics and science will be taught in English
Mathematics and science, on the other hand, will be taught in English beginning with class iii in the coming academic year. Furthermore, geography and history will take the place of social studies as required subjects in the school curriculum.
The reaction to the government decision has been mixed. A section of academia has welcomed the decision to make history and geography mandatory subjects in the school curriculum, despite concerns about the future of the Assamese language because Assamese medium schools, which are mostly run by the state government, are in disrepair.
Dr. Kamal Kumar Tanti, an eminent poet in the state, expressed his support for the amalgamation of gender-specific schools and the inclusion of history and geography in the curriculum on social media. He is, however, concerned about the history curriculum. He also said that the decision to teach math and science in English was very timely.
