Assam to shut 34 schools: AAP asks Himanta govt to adopt Delhi model

GUWAHATI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has advised Assam’s BJP-led government to adopt the Delhi education model for improving the state’s education system.

The suggestion followed the Assam government’s decision to shut 34 state-run schools for non-performance. The AAP said the Delhi model could help improve Assam’s education system.

“The BJP will not allow him but we suggest Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu visits Delhi clandestinely to see its education model and adopt it in Assam,” the AAP’s Assam unit said on Thursday.

Pegu had on Wednesday said there is no point having a school if it cannot perform.

“If a school does not have sufficient students, how can it exist? The basic goal of the schools is to provide education. However, despite investment, if their result is zero in Class 10 (board examination), they should not exist,” he had told journalists.

Going by his argument, the AAP said the minister should then resign because he also failed to perform.

“We had high hopes in him when he took over the department last year. Now that he has failed miserably, he should quit. Assam never had such an inefficient education minister,” the AAP said.

The party accused him as well as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of pushing Assam’s education system to darkness. It claimed the state government has plans to shut down 1,000-2,000 more schools.

“The CM is responsible for this mess. He served as the education minister for many years and it is due to his failure that we are facing a situation where schools are being shut. Each school was built after a lot of efforts with contributions from people. They are emotionally attached to the institutes,” the AAP said.

On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said closing down schools is not the solution. Stating that the country needs more schools, he had insisted on improving schools and making education right.

Seven of the 34 schools to be shut in Assam are in Karbi Anglong district. The others are in Jorhat, Cachar (five each), Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Dhubri (two each), West Karbi, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Nalbari and Chirang districts (one each).

GUWAHATI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has advised Assam’s BJP-led government to adopt the Delhi education model for improving the state’s education system. The suggestion followed the Assam government’s decision to shut 34 state-run schools for non-performance. The AAP said the Delhi model could help improve Assam’s education system. “The BJP will not allow him but we suggest Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu visits Delhi clandestinely to see its education model and adopt it in Assam,” the AAP’s Assam unit said on Thursday. Pegu had on Wednesday said there is no point having a school if it cannot perform. “If a school does not have sufficient students, how can it exist? The basic goal of the schools is to provide education. However, despite investment, if their result is zero in Class 10 (board examination), they should not exist,” he had told journalists. Going by his argument, the AAP said the minister should then resign because he also failed to perform. “We had high hopes in him when he took over the department last year. Now that he has failed miserably, he should quit. Assam never had such an inefficient education minister,” the AAP said. The party accused him as well as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of pushing Assam’s education system to darkness. It claimed the state government has plans to shut down 1,000-2,000 more schools. “The CM is responsible for this mess. He served as the education minister for many years and it is due to his failure that we are facing a situation where schools are being shut. Each school was built after a lot of efforts with contributions from people. They are emotionally attached to the institutes,” the AAP said. On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said closing down schools is not the solution. Stating that the country needs more schools, he had insisted on improving schools and making education right. Seven of the 34 schools to be shut in Assam are in Karbi Anglong district. The others are in Jorhat, Cachar (five each), Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Dhubri (two each), West Karbi, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Nalbari and Chirang districts (one each).